On that great day of milling, when blood lay in lakes, THE OWLERY AT ARUNDLE CASTLE. This "curious fancy" of the late Duke of Norfolk is thus described by the Rev. John Evans. "We were unwilling to leave this venerable castle without the sight of the owls, which are said to be the finest in Great Britain. We were introduced to an utterly ruined part of the ancient castle, where, upon entering the enclosure, we saw a number of these strange looking creatures, hopping about, with an ungraceful gait, and staring at us with looks of wonderful sagacity. One stood at the mouth of a subterraneous excavation, and upon the keeper pronouncing bow wow, the owl instantly returned the expression, retiring at the same time gradually back again into its hole, till it had actually got out of sight. The other owls were driven by the keeper into one corner of the yard; they ranged themselves along a piece of old timber, altogether, presenting a spectacle which raised in my mind some singular emotions. The countenance of the largest of them was marked by an unusual degree of solemnity, *Exhibit symptoms of terror. An owl of grave deport and mein, Smoke nod, and talk with voice profound, "These owls are the finest of the horned kind, and the keeper shared no small pride in the exhibition of them. Beauty, Beauty, was the name by which he called them together, and they seemed to recognise the propriety of the appellation with a becoming consciousness. Upon the justness of this term, however, the keeper and myself were by no mean's agreed. "With respect to the sight of the owls, they are so overpowered by the brightness of the day, that they are obliged to remain in the same spot without stirring; and when they are forced to leave their retreat, their flight is tardy and interrupted, being afraid of striking against the intervening obstacles. The other birds, per ceiving their constrained situation, delight to insult the tit-mouse, the finch, the red-breast, the jay, the thrush, &c. assemble to enjoy the sport. The bird of night remains perched upon a branch, motionless and confounded; hears their cries, which are incessantly repeated, but it answers them only with insignificant gestures, turning round its head and its body with a foolish air. It even suffers itself to be assaulted without making resistance; the smallest, the weakest of its enemies, are the most eager to torment and to turn into ridicule. The keep in which the owls are shown is an undoubted remnant of the original Saxon building, and well worth the attention of the antiquary." This owlery is thus spoken of by another visiter: "The owls, which are still to be seen, are uncommonly elegant birds, and extremely large, some of them measuring across the wings, when extended, from eight to ten feet. Their plumage is particularly beautiful, and their eyes brilliant. The late Duke procured them from North America." BEAR-BAITING IN OLDEN TIMES. Bear-baiting was a favourite amusement of our ancestors. Sir Thomas Pope entertained Queen Mary and the Princess Elizabeth, at Hatfield, with a grand exhibition of "Bear-baiting, with which their highnesses were right well content." Bear-baiting was part of the amusement of Elizabeth, among "the princely pleasures of Kenilworth Castle." Rowland White, speaking of the Queen, then in her 67th year, says "Her Majesty is very well. This day she appoints a Frenchman to do feats upon a rope in the Conduit Court. To-morrow she has commanded the bears, the bull, and the ape, to be bayted in the tilt yard. Upon Wednesday she will have solemne dawncing." The office of Chief Master of the Bears, was held under the crown with a salary of 16d. per diem. Whenever the King chose to entertain himself or his visiters with this sport, it was the duty of the Master to provide bears and dogs, and to superintend the baiting; and he was invested with unlimited authority to issue commissions, and to send his officers into every county in England, who were empowered to seize and take away any bears, bulls, or dogs, that they thought meet for his Majesty's service. The latest record by which this diversion was publicly authorized, is a grant to Sir Saunders Duncome, Oct. 11, 1561, for the sole practice and profit of the fighting and combating of wild and domestic beasts within the realm of England for the space of fourteen years. Occasional exhibitions of this kind were continued till about the middle of the 18th century, PORTRAIT OF A JOCKEY. From Grainger's Characters. "To ride this season-An able jockey, fit to start for Match or sweep stakes, or King's Plate, well sized, can mount 12 stone or strip to a feather, sound wind and limb, and free from blem ishes. He was got by Yorkshire Tom, out of full sister of Deptford Nan; his grandam was the German princess, and his great grandam was daughter by Moll Flanders. His sire won the King's plate at York and Hambleton, the Ladies' subscription purse at Nottingham, the give and take at Lincoln, and the sweep-stakes at Newmarket. His grandsire beat Sam Chiffney at Epsom and Burford, and Patrick M'Chatham over the Curragh of Kildare. His great great grandam rode for King Charles II. and so noble is the blood that flows in this jockey's veins, that none of his family was ever distanced, stood five feet five, or weighed more than twelve stone.' FEMALE PEDESTRIANISM. On Wednesday, October 29, 1817,, Esther Crosier undertook the fatiguing task of walking one thousand miles in 20 days, at the Washway, Brixton, but in consequence of some dispute, she gave it up, after having completed three hundred and fifty miles in seven days. ATHLETIC SPORTS IN AMERICA. From the Travels of MR. JOHN PALMER, in 1817, through the United States of America, and Lower Canada. "Off from Hagerstown, before break of day. The same magnificent scenery, and the same bad roads. It is astonishing how good the |