124 The Long-eared Oul. [CHAP. VII. 
The owl is a nocturnal bird of prey. It flits by, as the 
twilight deepens into night, and hoots or howls in hollow 
and lugubrious tones. Though Edward was by no means 
given to fear, he was once scared at midnight by the screech 
of a long-eared owl (Strix otus). It was only about the 
third or fourth night that he had gone out in search of 
specimens. When he began his night-work he was some- 
times a little squeamish; but as he became accustomed to 
it, he slept quite as soundly out-of-doors as in bed. He was 
as fearless by night as by day. No thought of ghosts, 
hobgoblins, water-kelpies, brownies, fairies, or the other sup- 
posed spirits of darkness, ever daunted him. But on this 
particular night he had one of the most alarming and fear- 
ful awakenings that he had ever experienced. 
There had been a fearful thunder-storm, during which 
he had taken shelter in a hole in the woods of Mountcoffer. 
He had fallen asleep with his head upon the lock of his 
gun. Before he entered the burrow, he had caught a field- 
mouse, which he wished to take home alive. He therefore 
tied a string round its tail, attaching the other end of the 
string (which was about six feet long) to his waistcoat. 
The little fellow had thus the liberty of the length of his 
tether. 
While Edward was sleeping soundly, he was awakened 
by something tug-tugging at his waistcoat; and then by 
hearing a terrific series of yells, mingled with screeches, 
close at his head. He was confused and bewildered at 
first, and did not know where he was, or what the dread- 
ful noises meant. Recovering his recollection, and opening 
his eyes, he looked about him. He remembered the mouse, 
and pulled back the string to which it had been attached. 
The mouse was gone: nothing but the skin of its tail re- 
mained. He looked up, and saw an owl sitting on a tree 
a few yards off. He had doubtless begun to scream when 
he found that his capture of the mouse was resisted by the 
string attached to its tail. Edward emerged a little from 
