ct of "Justifiable homicide." The gentleman or lady
who has honoured us so far with perusal, knows enough of human life, and
of their own hearts, to know also that there is no other subject which
men of genius--and who ever denied that we are men of genius?--have been
accustomed to view in so many ludicrous lights as this same subject of
death; and the reason is at once obvious--yet _recherche_--videlicet,
Death is, in itself and all that belongs to it, such a sad, cold, wild,
dreary, dismal, distracting, and dreadful thing, that at times men
talking about it cannot choose but laugh!

Too-hoo--too-hoo--too-whit-too-hoo!--we have got among the OWLS.
Venerable personages, in truth, they are--perfect Solomons! The
spectator, as in most cases of very solemn characters, feels himself at
first strongly disposed to commit the gross indecorum of bursting out
a-laughing in their face. One does not see the absolute necessity either
of man or bird looking at all times so unaccountably wise. Why will an
Owl persist in his stare? Why will a Bishop never lay aside his wig?

People ignorant of Ornithology will stare like the Bird of Wisdom
himself on being told that an OWL is an Eagle. Yet, bating a little
inaccuracy, it is so. Eagles, kites, hawks, and owls, all belong to the
genus Falco. We hear a great deal too much in poetry of the moping Owl,
the melancholy Owl, the boding Owl, whereas he neither mopes nor bodes,
and is no more melancholy than becomes a gentleman. We also hear of the
Owl being addicted to spirituous liquors; and hence the expression, as
drunk as an Owl. All this is mere Whig personality, the Owl being a Tory
of the old school, and a friend of the ancient establishments of church
and state. Nay, the same political party, although certainly the most
shortsighted of God's creatures, taunt the Owl with being blind. As
blind as an Owl, is a libel in frequent use out of ornithological
society. Shut up Lord Jeffrey himself in a hay-barn with a well-built
mow, and ask him in the darkness to catch you a few mice, and he will
tell you whether or not the Owl be blind. This would be just as fair as
to expect the Owl to see, like Lord Jeffrey, through a case in the
Parliament House during daylight. Nay, we once heard a writer in Taylor
and Hessey call the Owl stupid, he himself having longer ears than any
species of Owl extant. What is the positive character of the Owl may
perhaps appear by-and-by; but we have seen that, desc