THE EAGLE OWL. 91 



feathers which partically defines the outlme of the 

 face, and a general lightness and buoyancy of 

 frame, evince an obvious departure from the cha- 

 racter of the falcons and hawks, and an approach 

 to those birds of night which have not unaptly 

 been termed the moths of the feathered race. 



The eagle owl {Bubo maximus) is said by Mon- 

 tagu, Yarrell, and Jen3nis, to have been met with 

 in Sussex: such high authority is of course suffi- 

 cient to entitle it to a place in our local Fauna; 

 but although I have not been able to ascertain a 

 second instance of its occurrence here in the wild 

 state, I cannot refrain from alluding to the unri- 

 vailed living collection of these magnificent birds 

 at Arundel Castle, existing in a condition more 

 nearly approaching to a state of Nature than, I 

 believe, ever before fell to the lot of any animal 

 which liad been partially deprived of its liberty by 

 man. They inhabit a considerable space circum- 

 scribed by the massive ivy-covered walls of the 

 old Donjon keep, where they withdraw to rest 

 during the broad day, and emerge from these 

 retreats on the approach of evening. The fict 

 that these owls have here not only performed the 

 duties of incubation, but even reared their young 

 occasionally — the only instance, I believe, on re- 

 cord of any bird of prey breeding when deprived 

 of its liberty — would alone prove their perfect 



