96 , 
THE OWL. 
twilight comes. Then he dilates them to 
their fullest extent, and takes in the most 
feeble ray, and can see in places which to us 
would be quite dark. An owl, shut up in a 
barn, can spy the smallest mouse that peeps 
from its hole, and is down upon it instantly ; 
so that one owl can catch more mice than half 
a dozen cats. 
The eyes of the owl are protected by a 
bony ring, and are fixed immoveably in their 
sockets ; so that the bird cannot move them 
about as we do. He is obliged to turn his 
head towards the object at which he wants to 
look ; but this he can easily do ; for the joints 
of the neck are so flexible, that he can turn 
his head right round without moving his 
body. 
No doubt his acute sense of hearing helps 
the owl very much in discovering his prey. 
In shape, his ears are a little like the human 
ear ; and are covered by a lid, or flap, that 
he can throw open when he pleases, and expose 
a considerable surface to receive the sound. 
As he sits perched on some elevated spot, 
his ears at full stretch, the slightest vibration 
strikes upon them. The rustling of a mouse, 
