NATURAL HISTORY. 
119 
ty. But the faculty of fight differs greatly 
in the different fpecies. 
The note of the owl is truely hedious ; and 
fuch is the antipathy of the fmall birds to it, 
that, if one appears by chance in the day-time, 
they all furround, infult, and beat him. So 
great, however, is the utility of this bird, that 
one owl will deftroy, in the fame fpace of 
time, more mice than fix cats. ^ ^ 
The white, or barn-owl, which is the mofi; 
domeftic, can fee the fmalleft moufe peep 
from its hole; while the brown owl is fre- 
quently obferved to have a fight flrong e- 
Hough to feek its prey in the day-time. De- 
ftincd to appear in the night only, nature 
feems to have thought it tinneceffaiy to lavifli 
on them any beauties either offoim 01 plum- 
age, as they would have been lofl to a general 
contemplation. 
As a fubjeft of vigilcncc, this bird was con- 
fecreated to Minerva, and feems to fill that 
chafm betwen quadrupeds and the feathered 
race, which is obfervable between cats and 
birds. 
The GREAT HORNED OWL. 
H I C H is nearly as large as an eagle, 
has fomc feathers riling from liisheatl which 
he' can elevate or lower, at plealare. 1 he 
back, and coverts of the wings, arc varied 
with 
