220 HILLS AND 



ances are sometimes deceitful. He is not, however, 

 without his parallels in the human species. There are 

 owl men, as well as owl birds. With great develop* 

 ments, and small wit, profound gravity with little 

 sense, solemn visages, and empty heads, and who, 

 though full of pretension, when sounded have no ring 

 of the true metal, but dull and heavy like brass. 

 There was no object in making spoil of him, and we 

 passed on, leaving him to his stupid meditations 

 among the branches of his bnsh. We heard him, as 

 we rounded the point, sending forth his hoarse, sol- 

 emn, " To whit, to whoo, whoo" after us. The owl 

 has but two changes to his Voice, the one low, sol- 

 emn, and hoarse, and yet heard at a long distance, 

 the other a piercing, shrill, and intense scream, like 

 the cry of the panther. The latter seems to be an 

 alarm cry* It will break suddenly from the branches 

 above you, sending the blood to your fingers ends, 

 and startling you like a galvanic shock. Your hair 

 starts up like " quills upon the fretful porcupine," and 

 when your nerves subside, while you laugh at the 

 absurdity of your alarm, you are nevertheless thank- 

 ful that it was occasioned only by an owl. 



The most common birds found on these islands, 



