30 THE GLOAMING. 



Their breakfast disposed of, I used to abandon 

 my post, and, like the owls, eat and sleep under 

 some shady covert. 



As near as possible to the mergence of twilight 

 into night what the Scotch call the ' gloaming,' 

 and in our country is known as 'cock-light' when 

 the woodcock skims through the grove and the 

 blackbird chink-chinks his vesper hymn exactly 

 at this time the owls invariably came out ; and, as 

 if for the purpose of stretching their wings rather 

 than feeding, took erratic flights round the tree, 

 and up and down the plain, chasing one another, 

 and performing all kinds of inexplicable manoeu- 

 vres. Occasionally they settled on the ground, but 

 never remained long. I do not think they ever 

 capture an insect whilst it is on the wing, and a 

 very small quantity of food appears to satisfy their 

 wants. As it became dark, having supplied their 

 evening necessities, they again returned to their 

 dormitory, and, as I imagine, slept away the night. 



In their habits they appear to have nothing in 

 common with the typical owls (Strigince\ and 

 approximate, though slightly, to the day-owls 

 (Nycteinince). Cassin, in his ' Birds of Califor- 

 nia,' calls this owl Glaucidium infuscatum, regard- 

 ing it as the Strix infuscata of Temminck. Dr. 

 Sclater, however, proposes to call it Glaucidium 



