128 



THE ADVENTURES OF 



Suddenly it started, and slightly bending its body, winked 

 its great yellow eyes several times ; then, skimming over 

 the ground with the swiftness of an arrow, it darted into 

 the high grass. It soon made its appearance again, with 

 its feathers erect and flapping its wings. It held in its 

 mouth a poor little mouse, which it carried oft into its sub- 

 terraneous retreat. It was the species of owl called Athene 

 hypogcea, which is often met with in the savannahs, and 

 hunts in the day-time as well as in the night. 



"What a comical-looking bird!" said Lucien; "and yet 

 I'm half afraid of its brilliant eyes and hooked nose." 



" Every one is frightened at him, Chanito," replied l'En- 

 cuerado ; " and when he settles near a hut at night, and 

 raises his dismal cry, he predicts the early death of some 

 one of those who hear him." 



" That can't be," replied Lucien, " for there was an owl 

 in a hole in our garden wall, and papa would never have it 

 disturbed ; yet the owl made its cry every night." 



"Your father knows how to avert the spell. Besides, 

 the bird that lived in the wall was a common owl." 



"Both in Europe and America," interposed Sumichrast, 

 " screech owls, and their kinsmen, the common owls, barn 

 owls, buzzards, and all nocturnal birds of prey, are looked 

 upon by the ignorant as birds of ill omen. Their strange 

 appearance and their mysterious habits give rise to a re- 

 pugnance which often changes into fear. It is quite wrong 

 to have any dread of them ; as a matter of fact, the bird 

 you have just seen is, like all its species, more useful than 

 injurious to man, for it destroys a vast number of small 

 mammals — jerboas, shrew-mice, dormice, and field-mice, 

 which ravage the farmer's crops. You will recollect that 

 the owl, among the ancient Greeks, was the bird of Miner- 

 va ; with the Aztecs it represents the goddess of evil." 



A little way from the spot where we lost sight of the 



