246 
OUR HOME BIRDS. 
no small resemblance on a dusky night, though this 
description applies only to the white owl, which is 
not very common with us. 
4 4 Their noiseless flight seems also intended to pre- 
vent the mice from hearing the approach of their 
destroyer ; for the mouse is a night animal too, and 
goes abroad looking for a breakfast just at the time 
when the owl wants his. Very often the mouse fur- 
nishes a breakfast instead of finding one. Mistakes 
as to who shall eat and who shall be eaten sometimes 
occur, as the following story will show : 4 Some time 
since one of my servants brought me an owl which 
he had captured. It was a fine, vigorous bird. I 
placed it on a side table, where it sat with the solem- 
nity of a judge ; but a cat that happened to be in the 
room eyed his lordship with no sort of reverence, 
and watching her opportunity when she thought he 
was wrapped in his intensest day-dream, she sprang 
on the table, and seizing the breast of the dignified 
bird, was about to devour him ; but with surprising 
activity he instantly liberated himself from the 
claws of his antagonist, and rising into the air a few 
feet darted down rapidly on the back of the aston- 
ished cat, who ran round the room in an agony, with 
her assailant riding triumphantly upon her back 
and pinching her severely with claws and beak.’ ” 
It made a funny picture, and the children all ac- 
