Music of the Wild 



but a toucli of fear of the forest at niglit. yet in tlie 

 system. A taint of an inheritance from chiys wlien 

 our ancestors battled there for existence, that l)e- 

 comes manifest at unexjjected sonnds, the gleam- 

 ing snrfaces oi' ])ools, the Avavering shafts of 

 moonhght, the vibrant tree-rnstle of tlie wind, the 

 stealtliy stej) of animals crossing the leafy floor, 

 the gutteral scream of niyht-hunters fighting over 

 ])rey. So because this bird of silent wing conies 

 hooting JVom a place of which they stand a little 

 in awe they vent tlieir displeasure on its voice. 



Of all the scientists, ornithologists, and nature 

 -writers A\hose Mork graces my lii)rary shelves not 

 The Owls' one goes on record with the fact that the owl nt- 

 Serenade ^erance most loudly condemned is his lox'c song, 

 used in coin'ting his mate, and A\hen these Avriters 

 shudder they do not ex])lain that jNTi'. IToi'ned Owl 

 is throw ing in es])ecially intoned and emphatic sen- 

 timent. He is ini])loring with all his might for the 

 mate he covets to ])air Avith him and record a title 

 to the first location he finds suitable for their 

 ha])])y home. Just singing out his heart in the 

 best and oidy serenade he knows. 



Because they are of night and silent flight, no 

 doubt, bats ai'c i)laced in the same class with owls — 

 at the very foot. INIost fastidious ]ieople imagine 

 that they draw the line at a A\orm. but they do 

 not. They draw it at a bat, and this, again, on 

 account of the prejudicial history surrounding a 



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