THE OWL. 129 



{Athene noctua), which must have been as common 

 in Athena as Athene brama is here, since " to take 

 owls to Athens " was the classical equivalent ton 

 taking coals to Newcastle. Minerva's Owl was, 

 of course, the bird of wisdom, and by their seleetioa 

 the Greeks showed their own discernment, for Owls 

 are anything but the futile creatures which popular 

 tradition makes them to be both here and at home. 

 An Owl combines valour with discretion ; his nest 

 is more dangerous to rob than a hawk's, while as to 

 his habits by day he may well say with Diomed " thou 

 dost miscall retire ; I do not fly, but advantageous 

 care withdrew me from the odds of multitude," for 

 he can see well enough in the daytime, but is perfectly 

 conscious of his unpopularity with other birds. 

 Moreover, Owls are prudent and far-seeing, even to 

 laying up a store of food against time of dearth ; 

 not that our local owlet has any need to do this, as he 

 never goes into cold climates. In America, however, 

 the small horned-owl {Scops ash) has been found 

 gloating over a store of fresh fish, which he had taken 

 advantage of an artificial opening in the ice to procure 

 from a pond a mile ofE ! That Owls should fish seems 

 unnatural, somehow, and yet we have more than 

 one fishing species in India,, and the ordinary 

 " mousing owl " of barn and steeple has been known 

 to turn piscator in England. 



F, BC 9 



