VERMIN. 137 



Owls hunting the harvest fields when the 

 stocks are on the ground, as the night waxes 

 and the shadows fall, is a pretty sight. Out 

 from the dark wood float, phantom-like, silent 

 as the night, two fluffy balls. They appear 

 much larger than they really are. They 

 course the field over and over their flight 

 being noiseless, owing to the soft downy 

 covering on the body and wings. Their prey 

 gets no warning of their approach, and they 

 do not know their unhappy fate until the 

 claws are into their body. Owls are unerring 

 in their attack, and their very long pointed 

 talons are capable of inflicting very severe 

 wounds, as I happen to know. I have had 

 an Owl seize me by the hand, hissing all the 

 time, and hold such a grip that I had to 

 cry for help to get the claws pulled out of 

 my flesh. They have such muscular power of 

 contraction in their claws, which are curved 

 and extremely sharp, that they are able to 

 pierce leather. 



