240 ]S!esthig of the Eagle Owl. 



may be doing she hastens back to her eggs the moment she, 

 hears or sees any one approaching. The cock meanwhile 

 sits on a high perch, keeping a look out; his business is to 

 keep the larder supplied, and he carries everything edible that 

 he car collect straight to the nest. If the hen does not want 

 it at once he lays it beside her and returns to his post. When 

 young are hatched his exertions are redoubled, and one can 

 easily see how these great Owls must harry the countryside 

 when they are in a state of nature. The hen meanwhile takes 

 entire charge of the young and will fight anything in their 

 defence. Most formidable she must appear to any prowling 

 fox or dog when she stands over her young hissing and 

 snapping, all her feathers puffed out and her orange eyes 

 glaring, ready to launch herself at the enemy and fix flier 

 terrible talons in his flesh. Even in the cramped quarters of an 

 aviary with her instincts dulled by captivity, and a never 

 failing supply of food, her courage is undeniable and she is not 

 to be trifled with. She prepares the food and teaches the 

 young how to tear it, she moves them to their day nursery and 

 hustlet them back to concealment at the approach of real or 

 fancied danger. The young feed themselves and fly well when 

 about six weeks old but their parents guard and tend them 

 for fully three months, by which time their " down " has given 

 way to adult plumage. 



■■ 



Breeding of the Great-Tit (Pams major j in 

 Captivity. 



By Dr. Maurice Amslbr. 

 Having noticed that none of the genus Par us had 

 been bred in captivity, I determined early this year to try my 

 luck with the Blue -Tit and Great -Tit. My attempts with the 

 former, a cage-moulted prize-winning pair weie not success- 

 ful, but I succeeded in rearing the Great-Tit from a freshly 

 caught pair of this species. Being unable to buy a {)air of 

 Pants major through the usual sources I profited by a few 

 days holiday in Hertfordshire, and caught a couple pretty 

 quickly in a 'home-made trap. Tliese two birds although a 

 pair, were obviously not mated, for when placed together in 

 a cage, the hen soon began to make her \voiild-l,xi 'spouse's 



