OR LITTLE ITALIAN OWL. 17 



The inhabitants of this country are apparently- 

 blessed with stomachs as keen and strong as 

 that of my old black friend Daddy Quasshi, 

 who could fatten on the grubs of hornets, and 

 on stinking fish. Indeed, it would appear from 

 what I have seen, that scarcely any thing which 

 has had life in it comes amiss to the Italians in 

 the way of food, except the Hanoverian rat, 

 for I could often see this voracious and needy 

 intruder lying dead in the streets, and trodden 

 under foot. 



Thinking that the civetta would be pecu- 

 liarly useful to the British horticulturist, not, 

 by the way, in his kitchen, but in his kitchen- 

 garden, I determined to import a dozen of these 

 birds into our own country. And still, said I 

 to myself, the world will say it was a strange 

 whim in me, to have brought owls all the way 

 from Italy to England ; seeing that owls, ay 

 and hawks too, are by no means scarce in our 

 palaces, and in parliament, and on the magis- 

 terial benches. Be this as it may, I agreed 

 with a bird-vender in the market at the Pan- 

 theon for a dozen young civettas ; and, having 

 provided a commodious cage for the journey, 



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