64 Messrs. A. and E. Newton's Observations 



viduals vary very greatly in the size of their bills. Specimens 

 from St. Croix are in the Norfolk and Norwich Museum. A 

 female, killed March 12th, 1857, had the skin of the chin of a 

 bright straw-colour plainly showing through the feathers. The 

 name by which this bird is known in the island sounds like a 

 good imitation of its cry. 



" May 6th, 1858. — On sending a negro up a Thibet Tree 

 {Acacia lebbek, W.) to examine a hole, in which I had been told a 

 young Owl had been found last year, out flew a female ' Killie- 

 killie,' and perched immediately on a tree close by. In the 

 hole were three eggs, laid without any nest, as the man informed 

 me. They are very like those of our own Kestrel, but do not 

 seem ever to have the crimson colouring, and are of course very 

 much smaller." — E. N. 



4. Bare-legged Owl. Gymnoglaux nudipes, Cabanis, 

 Journ. f. Ornith. 1855, p. 466. Strix nudipes, Daud., Vieill. 

 (pi.), Shaw et Latham, nee Nilsson & Gould. (Plate I.) 



This bird, so scarce in collections, seems to be the only Owl 

 found in the island; and there even, its existence is known but 

 to few. It appears to be very local, and to be confined to the 

 so-called " gardens" by the sides of the streams, which are shaded 

 by thick groves of Mangoes and Maramees, probably because in 

 these places only it finds the shelter and retirement it needs ; 

 but it is possible that here it may not be uncommon, as amongst 

 the dense foliage it may easily escape notice. 



" A young bird, nearly full-grown, but still covered with down, 

 was sent to me alive on May 30th, 1857, by the manager of the 

 Great Fountain Estate, where it had been taken the previous day, 

 in a hollow tree, — there being no nest or other bird with it. I 

 kept it in a cage until June 23rd, during which time it hardly 

 changed in its appearance, except that the quill-feathers showed 

 themselves. It was peevish in its tempei', and showed its dis- 

 pleasure by snapping its bill and uttering guttural sounds. It 

 displayed none of the activity which so distinguishes some of 

 the small Owls of Europe, but would sit, even at night, sulkily 

 dozing on its perch. If a finger were held towards it, it would 

 take no notice until it came within easy reach of its beak or claws, 

 when the approach was resented by a vicious attack. If the 



