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That excellent observer of nature, the late Mr. Charles Waterton, in the second series of his 

 ' Essays on Natural History,' has written an article on the " Civetta, or Little Italian Owl," from 

 which we extract the following : — 



" This diminutive rover of the night is much prized by the gardeners of Italy for its uncom- 

 mon ability in destroying insects, snails, slugs, reptiles, and mice. There is scarcely an outhouse 

 in the gardens and vineyards of that country which is not tenanted by the Civetta. It is often 

 brought up tame from the nest, and in the month of September is sold for a dollar to sportsmen, 

 who take it with them in their excursions through the country to look for Larks and other small 

 birds. Perched on the top of a pole it attracts their notice and draws them within the fatal 

 range of gunshot by its most singular gestures ; for, standing bolt upright, it curtsies incessantly, 

 with its head somewhat inclined forwards, while it keeps its eyes fixed on the approaching object. 

 This odd movement is peculiar to the Civetta alone ; by it the birds of the neighbourhood are 

 decoyed to their destruction ; hence its value to the ranging sportsman. Often and anon, as the 

 inhabitants of Rome pass through the bird-market at the Pantheon, they stop, and look, and 

 laugh at this pretty little captive Owl whilst it is performing its ridiculous gesticulations. 



" Its flesh is relished by the natives of Italy. You may see the Civetta, plucked and ready 

 trussed for the spit, at the same stall where Hawks, Crows, Jackdaws, Jays, Magpies, Hedgehogs, 

 Frogs, Snails, and Buzzards are offered for sale to the passing cognoscenti who frequent the bird- 

 market in quest of carnal delicacies. The inhabitants of this country are apparently blessed with 

 stomachs as keen and strong as that of my old black friend Daddy Quasshi, who could fatten on 

 the grubs of hornets and on stinking fish. Indeed it would appear from what I have seen, that 

 scarcely any thing that has life in it comes amiss to the Italians in the way of food, except the 

 Hanoverian Rat ; for I could often see this voracious and needy intruder lying dead in the streets 

 and trodden under foot. 



" Thinking that the Civetta would be peculiarly useful to the British horticulturist, not, by 

 the way, in his kitchen, but in his kitchen-garden, I determined to import a dozen of these birds 

 into our own country. And still, said I to myself, the world will say it was a strange whim in 

 me to have brought Owls all the way from Italy to England, seeing that Owls, aye, and Hawks 

 too, are by no means scarce in our palaces, and in parliament, and on the magisterial benches. 

 Be this as it may, I agreed with a bird-vendor in the market at the Pantheon for a dozen young 

 Civettas ; and, having provided a commodious cage for the journey, we left the eternal city on 



the 20th of July, 1842, for the land that gave me birth All went well till we reached 



Aix-la-Chapelle. Here an act of rashness on my part caused a serious diminution in the family. 

 A long journey, and wet weather, had soiled the plumage of the Little Owls; and I deemed it 

 necessary that they, as well as their master, should have the benefit of a warm bath. Five of 

 them died of cold the same night; a sixth got its thigh broke, I don't know how; and a seventh 

 breathed its last, without any symptoms of indisposition, about a fortnight after we had arrived 

 at Walton Hall. The remaining five have surmounted all casualties, having been well taken care 

 of for eight months. On the 10th of May, in the year of our Lord 1843, there being abundance 

 of snails, slugs, and beetles on the ground, I released them from their long confinement. Just 

 opposite to the flower-garden there is a dense plantation of spruce fir-trees. Under these, at 

 intervals, by way of greater security, I placed the separated parts of two dozen newly killed 



