l72 British Owls. 



their beaks — a short, sharp, vicious snap — they all do it, from 

 the Great Eagle Owl down to its small relative, the Scops. 

 A Scops resembles an Eagle-owl in everything but size. 

 Mine are fond of beetles in addition to birds and mice, and 

 they also take full advantage oi their bathing tank. Certain 

 species bathe, but others never appear to touch water. 

 Among the former are the Eagle, Tawny, Long -eared, and 

 Scops Owls, while the Little, the Barn, the Short -eared and 

 Tengmalm's Owls are those that eschew water. 



The last named, Tengmalm's {JSyctala tengmalmi, 

 Gmelin) is a very rare visitor to England. My si)ecimen — I have 

 only one — came "from Austria, and is the most attractive Owl 

 I have kept. They are described, by some people, as being 

 " like a Little Owl," but on looking at a specimen in an aviary 

 [there could be no confusion. The Little Owl has a sinister 

 expression, with a hard fixed stare, but the Tengmalm's posi- 

 tively radiates benignity and virtue! 



Owls are not at all difficult to cater for. I give them 

 " fur and feather " when obtainable and fill up the intermediate 

 time with any kind of raw lean meat. A certain amount 

 of "fur and feather" is necessary to their well-being; mice, 

 small ra,ts, and birds. "Fluff" is very partial to sheep's 

 paunch, and fleshy bits of fresh fish. . 



I fear I have encroached too much already on the 

 space available in Bird .Notes, otherwise I could enlarge 

 a good deal on the subject of Owls. Still, I think I have 

 said enough to prove that Owls are extremely interesting and 

 beautiful birds, well worth the consideration and attention of 

 intending aviculturists. 



Bird Notes from Trieste to Bombay. 



By Hugh Whistleb, I. P., M.B.O.U. 

 As there are doubtless many of our members who have 

 bad occasion to make a long sea -voyage, it has occurred to 

 me that they might find some interest in an account of the 

 birds noted in a recent trip from Europe to India; since from 

 it some idea may be gained of the material which passes un(ier 

 the observation of the traveller and helps to vary the monotony 

 of the long days on board. Also, since I know from personal 



