60 BIRDS OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND. 



of one eye, blinking in the most comical manner, his way of recon- 

 noitring, and if it turned out to be the cat or dog that had, how- 

 ever unwittingly, roused him from his reverie,., he was at him like 

 a flash of lightning. With a pounce, always unerring, he first dug 

 his bill into the cheek or ear of the unlucky intruder, then using 

 the hold thus got as a purchase, he threw himself on his back, and 

 with his claws laid fierce grip of his victim's flank or nose, or 

 about the eyes or forehead a mode of warfare so fierce and sudden, 

 and so utterly new to the unfortunate assailed, that Strix could in 

 a few seconds always claim a victory as complete and decisive as 

 the Prussians gained at Sadowa, or the Highlanders at Preston- 

 pans. Strix soon became reconciled to the daylight, and flew in and 

 out and about the house and garden at all hours of the day, though 

 the beautiful, round, black piercing eyes were never fully opened 

 but in the twilight. We fed him on fresh fish and such moles 

 and mice as we could procure for him. Strix perfectly knew, not 

 only myself, but all the members of the family, and would come 

 to any of us, when called, with the utmost readiness and goodwill, 

 alighting on such occasions without the rustle of a feather, or the 

 slightest sound from his downy pinions, on the head or shoulders, 

 and greeting us with a gentle scarcely audible murmur, not unlike 

 the cooing of a dove. Our only objection to poor Strix was his 

 habit of frequently repeating a rasping, prolonged half-scream, 

 half-hiss, that evidently gave himself great satisfaction, but which 

 was most vexing to our ears. With this single drawback, how- 

 ever, he was the most amusing, intelligent, agreeable, and affec- 

 tionate of pets." 



But like many other pets, this one met with a violent death. 

 " One day lately," concludes my correspondent, " he was musing 

 in deep reverie in a clump of luxuriant ivy that clothes our garden 

 wall, when a brood of downy ducklings that had only chipped 

 the shell the day before, passed merrily by, under the guardian- 

 ship of their proud step mother, a turkey-hen. The owl saw the 

 ducklings, and quickly making up his mind that one of them 

 would be a very good thing by way of lunch, he made a dash at 

 the nearest, but the turkey, alert, and active, and bold in defence 

 of her precious charge, instantly struck at Strix with all her might, 

 and hitting him with her sharp beak right on the head, laid him 

 dead at her feet!" 



