60 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. |N.S., XIX, 1923. | 
‘*« Then he flew up into the air, cawing out: ‘ | don’t like 
it! I don’t like it!’ The owl rose and pursued him. Thence- 
forward those two nursed enmity one towards another. And 
the birds chose a golden Mallard for their king, and dispersed. 
The use of Owl in the Economy of Nature. 
In the great economy of nature, everything has its use. 
We see ee illustrated even in the case of this bird, which has 
been hated and disliked by man from the time of Kayomars, 
the very first reigning monarch of Tran, passing through the 
classica] times of Greece and Rome down to our own times, in 
all parts of the world. Mr. Robinson says: * The proof is 
overwhelming that the generality of owls aren incalculable 
benefit on man by the destruction of rats and mice and voles, 
as well as many species We insects which are ‘ noxious’ from 
the human point of view 
an generally creates o thoughts about others from what 
he sees of their nsec ics. He associates his thoughts 
about a bird, an animal, or brother-man to its or his usual 
prominent shuchatericting nature or work which strikes him 
most. Take for example the case of priests. Thoug Ag 
officiate on both occasions, joyful or sorrowful, they are more 
associated with sorrowful occasions like sickness or death, 
because grief has often more marked effects upon one than 
joy. So, their appearance on some occasions, for example. 
early in the morning, is taken as an ill-omen by some among 
several people. cue travelling in Europe I especially noticed 
this in Italy. Similar seems to be the case with the sight of 
owls. Their nacfadeas in the economy of Nature is lost sight 
of and another feature is taken into consideration in taking 
an omen from its sight. 
= 

Pe Distinguished Animals,” p. 221. 

