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 mein !" 



This fantastic officer of the night ruffles his 

 feathers in such a manner as to make himself ap- 

 pear twice his actual size. Naxmiann 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 



