THE SPARROW-HAWK—THE OWL. 313

the two windows as tney passed through,” and that on
another occasion he found “a sparrow hawk deliberately
standing on a, very large pouter pigeon on the drawing-room
floor, and plucking it, having entered in pursuit of the
unfortunate bird through an open window, and killed him
in the room.” White says, in his “Natural History of
Selborne,” “About the tenth of July, a pair of sparrow-hawks
bred in an old crow’s nest on a low beech in Selborne-
hanger; and as their brood, which was numerous, began to
grow up, they became so daring and ravenous, that they
were a terror to all the dames in the village that had chickens
or ducklings under their care. A boy climbed the tree, and
found the young so fledged that they all escaped from him;
but discovered that a good house had been kept; the larder
was well stored with provisions; for he brought down a
young blackbird, jay, and house martin, all clean picked, and
some half devoured. The old birds had been observed to
make sad havec for some days among the new flown swallows
and martins, which, being but lately out of their nests, had
not acquired those powers and command of wing that enable
them when more mature to set enemies at defiance.”

The Owl Great interest attaches to the owl from the sin-
gularity of its appearance and habits. There are many
varieties, the Common Bam Owl; the Long-eared Owl; the
Great Eagle Owl; and the American Horned Owl being some
of these. The Barn Owl measures about twelve inches in
length. This bird does great service in the destruction of
mice, rats, and other vermin, and it is the nemesis of fate
that it is destroyed by those it serves. Its movements are
noiseless, the peculiar form of the feathers of its wings enabling
it to fly without making any sound, and so surprise its prey.
“Its method of devouring a mouse,” says Mr. Wood, “is quite
different from the mode in which it eats a bird. Ifa mouse
is given to an owl, the bird seizes it across the back, and
gives it one or two smart bites, much as a terrier handles a