as the species of owl
called _Athene hypogaea_, which is often met with in the savannahs, and
hunts in the day-time as well as in the night.

"What a comical-looking bird!" said Lucien; "and yet I'm half afraid of
its brilliant eyes and hooked nose."

"Every one is frightened at him, Chanito," replied l'Encuerado; "and
when he settles near a hut at night, and raises his dismal cry, he
predicts the early death of some one of those who hear him."

"That can't be," replied Lucien, "for there was an owl in a hole in our
garden wall, and papa would never have it disturbed; yet the owl made
its cry every night."

"Your father knows how to avert the spell. Besides, the bird that lived
in the wall was a common owl."

"Both in Europe and America," interposed Sumichrast, "screech owls, and
their kinsmen, the common owls, barn owls, buzzards, and all nocturnal
birds of prey, are looked upon by the ignorant as birds of ill omen.
Their strange appearance and their mysterious habits give rise to a
repugnance which often changes into fear. It is quite wrong to have any
dread of them; as a matter of fact, the bird you have just seen is, like
all its species, more useful than injurious to man, for it destroys a
vast number of small mammals--jerboas, shrew-mice, dormice, and
field-mice, which ravage the farmer's crops. You will recollect that the
owl, among the ancient Greeks, was the bird of Minerva; with the Aztecs
it represents the goddess of evil."

A little way from the spot where we lost sight of the mouse-eater,
there were some enormous holes dug out by the _tuzas_,[N] the Mexican
moles, so dreaded by agriculturists. This animal is about the size of a
kitten; it lives in companies, and works underneath the surface of the
soil in a way very dangerous to travellers, who suddenly find the ground
sink under their feet. L'Encuerado, who was very fond of the flesh of
the tuza, which used to be sold in the Indian markets, placed himself in
ambush in the hopes of killing one. Five minutes had scarcely elapsed
when we heard a gunshot, and the hunter made his appearance with a
rather ugly little animal, having a dark-brown coat, short feet, ears
and eyes almost imperceptible, a mouth furnished with formidable
incisors, and on each side of its jaws a vast pouch filled with earth.
Lucien declared that he would never consent to eat of this creature, and
promised his share to l'Encuerado.

Our attention was again attracted towards the f