AMONG THE HILLS, 65 



many as in past times, for the simple reason that 

 most of the new race preserve strictly. The land 

 is their own to do as they please with ; but where 

 game is preserved, the keepers will tell you all var- 

 mints must be killed off. Now " varmints," as they 

 have it, include falcons, hawks, owls, ravens, crows, 

 rooks, magpies, jays, butcher-birds, and the poor 

 harmless goatsucker, the heave-jar or fern-owl, in 

 many cases. I was gravely informed by one author- 

 ity in the velveteen jacket that these "sucked cows 

 when they was asleep." I did not contradict him — 

 his case was hopeless. 



I am sorry to tell that I have seen the gable-end 

 of a dog-kennel covered with beautiful creatures, the 

 ornaments of the woodlands. Owls were of course 

 conspicuous by their numbers. Brown, white, long 

 and short eared owls were there, all spread out on 

 the gable -end. "A rare good show" the keeper 

 called it 



Yet the same individual told me his place was " run 

 over, an' stunk out, wi' rats and mice." When I told 

 him that I kept such varmints as companions, and 

 not only played with them but talked to them, and 

 gave them credit for having more brains and under- 



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