AN ENORMOUS OWL. 247' 



game solely by lattues, as is the general custom of the 

 country. Having taken possession of the place, established 

 my dogs at the inn of the village, and hired my keepers, &c., 

 at a period when the usual season was terminated, viz., the 

 beginning of the month of March, the only sport that 

 offered any inducement to my remaining there was the 

 second flight of woodcocks, which come in about the end of 

 the month, and a little roedeer stalking at the edges of the 

 covers, at early morning, or at twilight in the evenings. 



The woodcock shooting during this month is chiefly carried 

 on by what is called ct, Vaffut (the covers being too thick to 

 penetrate). For the period of about an hour in the evening, 

 during which time the twilight lasts, the shooter stations 

 himself in some ride or open path of the forest in as quiet 

 and hidden a position as possible, when the woodcocks 

 arrive with " drowsy flight," sometimes singly, and sometimes 

 several together, with a low whirring noise, and very much in 

 the manner of owls. If there is sumcient light, they are a very 

 easy shot to the sportsman, as they fly over his head, and I 

 have killed as many as twelve during this short period. 



Amongst the sporting stock-in-trade of my predecessor, 

 which I purchased on taking the chasse, was an enormous 

 owl, of what was called the Emperor species, which stood 

 upwards of three feet high, and possessed a pair of eyes that 

 many a belle might have envied. He was kept in a darkened 

 shed, and fed with birds and carrion of all kinds, and was 

 put occasionally to the following use : 



A hole, or place of concealment, was made near a large 

 tree in the forest, and the emperor, being previously muzzled, 

 was conducted and chained amidst the branches of the tree 

 in question, during the day-time, by some enterprising youth. 

 He very shortly attracted birds of many kinds, such as crows, 

 magpies, jays, &c., in great numbers to his vicinity, which fell 

 easy victims to the guns of the sportsmen in ambuscade 



