THE OWL AND THE THRUSH [To the Editor of the
SPECTATOR.]
Sra,—I was awakened early one - morning by angry cries from birds and on looking out of the window saw a troop of• birds driving before them across the lawn an owl. The latter shortly flew into a beech tree and there remained for the day.
About 8 p.m. I heard a blue tit whose nest was -in a wall near the beech and a thrush who had a nest in the beech both crying out angrily. I found the owl at the foot of the tree; having evidently been disturbed whilst the light was too strong for it to fly easily. I sent it over the wall into a narrow path to relieve the fear of 'these birds, but the thrush followed, and swooping down; knocked it over on to its back—the owl trying to seize the bird with outstretched claws and open beak; This continued for quite a quarter of- an hour—each . time the owl got on to its feet, the thrush swooped down and up again, knocking the owl over on to its back. After watching this for some time, I pushed the owl on to its feet and it flew away—the thrush going back at 'once to its nest in the
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