THE BARN OWL. 



7 



THE HABITS OF THE BARN OWL, AND THE 

 BENEFITS IT CONFERS ON MAN. 



This pretty aerial wanderer of the night often 

 comes into my room ; and after flitting to and fro, 

 on wing so soft and silent that he is scarcely heard, 

 he takes his departure from the same window at 

 which he had entered. 



I own I have a great liking for this bird ; and I 

 have offered it hospitality and protection on account 

 of its persecutions, and for its many services to me, 

 — I say services, as you will see in the sequel. I 

 wish that any little thing I could write or say might 

 cause it to stand better with the world at large than 

 it has hitherto done : but I have slender hopes on 

 this score; because old and deep-rooted prejudices 

 are seldom overcome ; and when I look back into 

 the annals of remote antiquity, I see too clearly that 

 defamation has done its worst to ruin the whole 

 family, in all its branches, of this poor, harmless, 

 useful friend of mine. 



Ovid, nearly two thousand years ago, was ex- 

 tremely severe against the owl. In his Metamor-^ 

 phases, he says, — 



Foedaque fit volucris, venturi nuncia luctus, 

 Ignavus bubo, dirum mortalibus omen." 



In his Fasti he openly accuses it of felony : — 



" Nocte volant, puerosque petunt neutricis egentes." 

 B 4 



