II 4 



IN 



because my presence interfered with his plans. 

 The bird knew well enough that I would keep 

 the mice away by standing in full sight out in 

 the open meadow. I have been puzzled, at times, 

 to interpret the chirps and twitters of excited 

 birds, and this irate little owl cried " Get out ! ". 

 as plainly as man could speak it, and I got out. 



In all works treating of the intelligence of 

 animals there is much said of the mental status 

 of parrots, and little or nothing of the mother- 

 wit of owls. Why this oversight is a mystery, 

 unless it arises from the fact that " from the 

 nocturnal preferences of most owls their habits 

 are very slightly known, and many interesting 

 facts are doubtless to be discovered in this direc- 

 tion. More often heard than seen, even their 

 notes are only imperfectly known as yet." Not- 

 withstanding this, owls are well known in a gen- 

 eral way better known, indeed, than any other 

 family of birds. Their appearance is striking, 

 their expression intelligent, and that they were 

 selected, in ancient and more poetical times, as 

 the emblem of wisdom, is not to be wondered at. 

 The bird of Minerva does not belie its looks. 

 To speak of an owl's wisdom in a Pickwickian 

 sense, is to publish one's own ignorance. I 

 would that I might venture to give in merited 

 detail an account of the wise doings, if not say- 

 ings, of little red owls that I have held captives 



