AND THE BENEFITS IT CONFERS ON* MAN. 275 



Thinking that she had fallen down in epilepsy, my first thoughts 

 were to go and fetch the boat ; but before I had well got to the end 

 of the bridge, I saw the owl rise out of the water with a fish in her 

 claws, and take it to the nest. This fact is mentioned by the late 

 much revered and lamented Mr. Atkinson, of Leeds, in his Compen- 

 dium^ in a note, under the signature of W., a friend of his, to whom 

 I had communicated it a few days after I had witnessed it. 



I cannot make up my mind to pay any attention to the description 

 of the amours of the owl by a modern writer ; at least the barn owl 

 plays off no buffooneries here, such as those which he describes. 

 An owl is an owl all the world over, whether under the influence of 

 Momus, Venus, or Diana. 



When farmers complain that the barn owl destroys the eggs of 

 their pigeons, they lay the saddle on the wrong horse. They ought 

 to put it on the rat. Formerly, I could get very few young pigeons 

 till the rats were excluded effectually from the dovecot. Since that 

 took place, it has produced a great abundance every year, though 

 the barn owls frequent it, and are encouraged all around it. The 

 barn owl merely resorts to it for repose and concealment. If it were 

 really an enemy to the dovecot, we should see the pigeons in com- 

 motion as soon as it begins its evening flight but the pigeons heed 

 it not ; whereas, if the sparrowhawk or hobby should make its ap- 

 pearance, the whole community would be up at once ; proof suffi- 

 cient that the barn owl is not looked upon as a bad, or even a sus- 

 picious, character by the inhabitants of the dovecot. 



Till lately a great and well-known distinction has always been 

 made betwixt the screeching and the hooting of owls. The tawny owl 

 is the only owl which hoots ; and when I am in the woods after 

 poachers, about an hour before daybreak, I hear with extreme 

 delight its loud, clear, and sonorous notes, resounding far and near 

 through hill and dale. Very different from these notes is the screech 

 of the barn owl. But Sir William Jardine informs us that this owl 

 hoots ; and that he has shot it in the act of hooting. This is stift 

 authority ; and I believe it because it comes from the pen of Sir 

 William Jardine. Still, however, methinks that it ought to be taken 

 in a somewhat diluted state ; we know full well that most extraordi- 

 nary examples of splendid talent do, from time to time, make their 



