152 THE OWL. 



This Owl is much smaller than the great horned 

 owl, being only about one foot long. Its feathers are 

 soft and beautiful, and its colour a mixture of yellow 

 and ash-colour, spotted with white. The breast, and 

 under parts are nearly white, and the legs feathered 

 down to the claws. 



This Owl feeds on mice and small birds, and hunts 

 only during the night. In the day-time, when the sun 

 shines, it is so blind as to be unable to fly from one 

 tree and light on another, and hence it commonly re- 

 turns home before the light of the sun appears. Some- 

 times, however, when its success has not been such as 

 to satisfy its appetite, it is so imprudent as to remain 

 abroad, until the sun rises, and thus to become blind, 

 by the same cause that enables all other animals to 

 see. Nothing can be more distressing to the poor 

 bird than such an accident, since it is now, as much 

 at a loss to find its way home, as a child would be, if 

 left in the woods during the darkest night. 



Dazzled by the light, and bewildered in total blind- 

 ness, it is obliged to take shelter in the first tree, or 

 hedge it can find, and there hide itself, until the dark- 

 ness of evening enables it to return home. But it 

 often happens that the poor bird cannot conceal itself, 

 so that the birds of day will not spy out its hiding 

 place, and then it is sure to receive no mercy. All the 

 little birds of the air seem to know that this is their 

 natural enemy, and that now is their time to take ven- 

 geance upon him. The black-bird, the robin, the 

 thrush, the king-bird, and the jay, all come in a crowd 

 to offer their insults and abuse. 



