NATURAL HISTORY: By 
Bird ; which latter, although not much larger than a 
titmoufe is a bird of prey. The head is of a fine Breys 
and beneath each eye there is a tuft of black feath- 
res 
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OWL, | 
Havinc defcribed the rapacious birds of day, we 
proceed to thofe of night, which are equally cruel, 
and’ moretreacherous. hat no link in the chain of 
nature fhould be incomplete, thefe birds employ the 
night in*devafiation, preventing by this. means any. 
chafm inthe round ef time. They are diftinguifhed 
from all other birds by their eyes, which are better 
adapted for the purpofes of darknefs than of light. 
Like tigers and cats which fubfift by their noéturna}’ 
watchfulnefs, they are endued with the power of dif- 
cerning objects, at a time when we fhould conceive it 
to be totally dark. The idea, however, that they fee 
beft in total darknefs, is erroneous; twilight, which 
is the medium between the glare of day, and the 
gioom of night, being the timethey fee with the great- 
eft per{picuity. But the faculty of fight differs greatly 
in the different frecies. on) ee ' 
The note of the owlis truly hideous; and fuch is 
the antipathy of the fmall birds to it, that, if one ap- | 
ears by chance in the day time, they all furround, © 
infult and beat him. So great, however, is the util-"’, 
ity of this bird, that one owl will deftroy, in the fame . 
{pace of time, more mice than-fix cats. © 
- The white, or barn owl, which is the moft domef- 
tic, can fee the {malleft moufe peep from its hole; 
while the brown owl is frequently obferved to have 
a fight ftrong enough to feek its prey in the day time.” 
: Deitined to appear by night only, nature'feems to. 
i have thought it unneceflary to lavifh on them any” 
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