Letters, Announcements, l^c. 517 



plete volume i. bears date 1822^ yet a large portion was issued 

 in parts previous to that date ; and I also observe that the in- 

 troduction to this volume bears date September 1818, when, 

 doubtless, the first portion of the work was issued. 



Under these circumstances I am sure that most ornitholo- 

 gists, Mr. Sharpe amongst the rest, will agree with me that, 

 as it is tolerably evident that Fleischer's and Naumann's 

 articles were published about the same time, and it is impos- 

 sible to say which was issued first, it is not advisable to adopt 

 a name which has never been in use on such trivial grounds, 

 and that Naumann's name, cenchris, should be retained, and 

 that of naumanni discarded, for the Lesser Kestrel. 



I remain. 



Yours, &c., 



H. E. Dkesser. 



G Tenterdeu Street, W. 



14th August, 1875. 



Northrepps, 4tli September, 1875. 



Sir, — Mr. Edward Fountaine, of Easton, in Norfolk, whose 

 success in breeding the European Eagle-Owl in confinement 

 was recorded in ' The Ibis ' for 1859 (p. 273), and has been 

 continued with very little intermission since that period, has 

 more recently turned his attention to breeding the Snowy 

 Owl under similar conditions. 



A female Snowy Owl in Mr. Fountaine^s aviary laid one 

 egg in 1870, four in 1871, four in 1872, one in 1873, three 

 in 1874, and five in 1875, forming a slight hollow in the 

 ground in the corner of the aviary, which served her for a 

 nest. 



In 1872 she laid her first egg on the 1st June ; but in each 

 of the other five years she commenced laying on the 30th 

 May. 



On each occasion she was paired with the same male, ex- 

 cept in 1873, when Mr. Fountaine tried the experiment of 

 putting another male with her instead of her former mate ; 

 but he reinstated the latter in his previous position in the 

 spring of 1874. 



