POLICEMEN OF THE AIR 45 



the bird kingdom. It is savage, dull, miserable, 

 and sad! It is the terror of the night, and the 

 largest of all known owls two feet long, with 

 wings six feet in expanse. Its home is usually in 

 the loneliest forest, among ancient walls, monas- 

 teries, ruins, or on a steep precipice near a small vil- 

 lage; even in an old church tower they are found. 

 Wordsworth justly speaks of this king of the night 

 in the following lines: 



"Grave creature ! whether, while the moon shines bright 

 On thy wings opened wide for smoothest flight, 

 Thou art discovered in a roofless tower, 

 Rising from what may once have been a lady's bower; 

 Or spied where thou sitt'st moping in thy mew 

 At the dim centre of churchyard yew; 

 Or, from a rifted crag or ivy tod 

 Deep in a forest, thy secure abode, 

 Thou giv'st, for pastime's sake, by shriek or shout, 

 A puzzling notice of their whereabout 

 May the night never come, nor day be seen, 

 When I shall scorn thy voice, or mock thy mem !" 



This fantastic officer of the night ruffles his 

 feathers in such a manner as to make himself ap- 

 pear twice his actual size. Naumann in referring 

 to him says : "In that large, shapeless mass of feath- 

 ers, one can scarcely distinguish the limbs ; the half- 

 closed eyes hide their glorious rays; suddenly the 

 bird opens them wide, bends the head and upper 



