THE POLICE OF NATURE. 
221 
search, of mice, which begin to run about at that time ; and 
he saw the owls quarter the ground with the greatest regu- 
larity, like well-trained pointer dogs ; and from their fre- 
quent returns to the church with mice, he had the curiosity 
to time them ; and he found that they brought a fresh 
mouse to the nest about every five minutes. 
He likewise noticed their peculiar mode of devouring a 
mouse, when they chose to have one for themselves. He 
says they first give it a sharp bite or two, as a terrier would 
a rat ; then jerk it up, and catch it head first in their 
mouth ; a second jerk sends it half down their throat, with 
only the tail sticking out at one side, like an old woman 
smoking her pipe ; and after having amused themselves this 
way for a time, they give it a third jerk, when it disappears 
altogether. Then the bird seems perfectly happy, till it 
starts off for another mouse. 
Still it must be observed that peculiar birds, in peculiar 
places, and under peculiar circumstances, like peculiar indi- 
viduals in the human family, may have their peculiarities 
and propensities, which often lead them out of the ordinary 
course, and prompt them to do things contrary to the order 
of nature. But it is anything but justice to condemn a 
whole race for the freaks of an individual. For instance, 
Mr. Waterton relates a case of one of his owls that had a 
propensity for fishing. He one day saw some fisli scales in 
one of the owl's nests. Curiosity prompted him to watch 
them in the evening ; when he saw one of them stoop, while 
passing over the lake, and carry away a fish. He directly 
went to the nest, and found a very nice perch, which he 
took away with him. 
The author of the "History of British Birds" tells us, 
that the remnants of small birds have at times been found 
in the pellets. All this no doubt is true ; but I believe 
that the finding of the remnants of small birds in the barn 
owls' rejected pellets, is a thing almost as rare as the finding 
of fish scales in their nests, which fact Mr. Waterton con- 
sidered a matter of such great curiosity, that he published 
it to the world. But all this does not prove that the owl 
destroys eggs, pigeons, or poultry. 
ISTow let us suppose that one owl in a hundred may now 
and then, either wilfully or accidentally, pick up a lark or 
