XIX. THE OWL. 



' The Owl and Owlet talking, scoldiny, at tack 



other. ' ' Longfelloiv. 



THE ordinary notes of our common little spotted Owlet 

 (Athene brama) do certainly suggest family jars, the 

 spasmodic cackles in which it indulges before beginning 

 its nightly avocations sounding as if promoted by very 

 bad feeling. But, as a matter of fact, the house Owlet is a 

 harmless and not unsociable little being ; I have seen one 

 * ' playing gooseberry " to a pair of lovers of its own spe- 

 cies with the utmost nonchalance, and, up-country, where 

 it comes out in broad daylight, the other birds generally 

 do not seem to mind its presence, though I once saw one 

 being hustled by the " sat-bhai." In Calcutta, however, 

 the Owls do not appear till the shades of night have pretty 

 well fallen, doubtless, on account of the crows, who, num- 

 bering among their very few foes the large horned Owls, 

 persecute all the tribe on principle ; for how are they to 

 know that the small Owls won't grow up into big ones ? 

 We are far too apt to fall into the mistake that birds are 

 born with an intimate knowledge of ornithology ; that is a 

 subject they have to study just as much as ourselves. No 

 doubt the small birds suffer from the little Owl at times, 

 but generally insects, mice, and house-lizards must make 

 up his bill of fare, as .being most easily obtainable. He is 

 not a bird of powerful flight, and does not spend much 



