Note 169 — Chapter V · WORSHIP OF THE MALEVOLENT DEAD.
Reading edition
One of the beliefs entertained by Hindus about the owl is that none should throw a lump of earth at it, as the owl is believed to pick up the missile and throw it into a well or tank or any sheet of water, with the result that it gradually dissolves and disappears, and simultaneously the body of the person is said to be consumed.169