4 i8 Mr. J. H. Gurncy u)i Pel's Owl. 



birds on the steps of Government House to meet the eye of 

 Mrs. O'Connor, seeming to exult in the mortality amongst the 

 feathered tribe. ' You see wid your own eye, Missus, dat Debil 

 Jumbi bird, he go kill all de fowls : Governor tink he hab long 

 head, but he no sabey owl : suppose you put him in de stable, 

 he see Nelly (Mrs. O'Connor's favourite mare) ; de horse he go 

 tumble down dead/ Death at last ceased to reign amongst 

 the poultry population, and Nero became my principal pet ; he 

 ranged over the Piazza, perching on the branch of a tree ; he was 

 fed regularly by the orderly on roasted fish, but he often came 

 to the dinner- table and flew down for scraps of meat, bread-and- 

 butter, which he took gently from myself or j\Irs. O'Connor, per- 

 mitting us to rub his head, crest, neck and back, seemingly en- 

 joying the caressing. But he would snatch meat or bones from 

 the cat or dog, and when the eagle was introduced into his 

 company, he beat him in a most unmerciful manner away from 

 his peculiar and original portion of the Piazza, — the eagle being 

 one of the fiercest and most pugnacious of African birds, brought 

 from the upper part of the Gambia River near ' Wallie,' and, 

 when in vigour, able to carry away a kid or small lamb. Nero 

 luxuriated in a tub of water, frequently washing himself and 

 perching on the rim until dry. He was wont to go out to the 

 garden or fields, where instantly an immense commotion arose 

 among all the birds : the larger ones flew round the owl, keep- 

 ing a very civil distance — the smaller birds flew away ; but Nero 

 treated both alike with sovereign contempt ; he would retui'n of 

 his own accord to the roosting-place in the Piazza, and when put 

 out and confined for some days, rejected all food, and pined until 

 restored to his perch. With me he was as tame as any canary, 

 and after an absence of two months recognized my voice when I 

 went to his cage, at Oatlands (Devon), appearing much pleased 

 by my taking him out for a walk on the grass. Many natives 

 from the interior told me ' they had not seen such a bird before ; 

 but they considered him unlucky.' I really think Nero is nearly 

 sans any relations, and certainly devoid of all friends in Western 

 Africa. 



" L. S. O'Connor." 



" St. Mark's House, Jersey, 

 Sept. 13, 1859." 



