Houses S^ Gardens 21 



have beautiful yellow eyes, and can see quite comfort- 

 ably in the daylight, so that one had not to turn night 

 into day in order to enjoy his company. My owl 

 would sit on the hearth-rug, playing with one corner 

 like a puppy with a slipper ; or he would take up his 

 position on the back of a chair, from which he would 

 fly so noiselessly across the room to some other perch, 

 that one would be unaware that he had moved unless 

 one happened to be watching. 



He would let me stroke his downy head and back, 

 and always uttered a soft chattering noise when I did so. 



Those miniature owls, to be seen from time to 

 time in Leadenhall Market, have been turned loose by 

 bird-lovers, such as the late Lord Lilford and Mr. 

 Walter Rothschild. Dear little fellows are these 

 pigmy owls, and worthy of a snug home in an old 

 garden or park tree, rather than a stuffy and cramped 

 captivity in the heart of the City ! Moths form a 

 large proportion of their diet, I am told, and mice 

 also, I imagine. As to the larger owls, no small 

 amount of the abuse heaped on their round heads is 

 unnecessary and mischievous. Individual birds may 

 be guilty of a partiality for baby pheasants, but that 

 the rats and the mice disappear by the dozen in the 

 owl's talons there can be no doubt. Those horrible, 

 sneaking, grab-all rats have worked into your aviary 

 and slaughtered half your birds. There is no getting 

 rid of them. But go first to the gamekeeper and ask 

 him what happens to the owls ; tell him you ivi// have 

 a percentage spared, and t/ien see whether the rats are 

 as numerous. I expect not ! 



