356 SYRNIA NYCTEA. 



How simple and beautiful is the hidden knowledge 

 of nature when thus brought to light ! And all this 

 must be quite true. Mr Mudie has seen it, for he 

 utterly abhors compiling, and " would rather stand 

 convicted of dulness, vanity, and error jointly," than 

 have it said that he had " in any way appropriated the 

 labours of another man." " An original book always 

 adds something to the mass of knowledge." I think 

 otherwise : books, original enough, and compiled books 

 too, may add more to the mass of error than of know- 

 ledge. 



Propagation — In the northern parts of America, 

 this " noble " and most puissant bird, which is " not 

 very unlike a lump of snow," according to Dr Richard- 

 son " makes its nest on the ground, and lays thi*ee or 

 four white eggs, of which two only are in general 

 hatched." M. Temminck states that it " nestles on 

 steep rocks, or on the old pines of the frozen regions ; 

 lays two white eggs, marked with black spots, accord- 

 ing to M. Vieillot, but of a pure white according to 

 other naturalists." This account is confirmed by Mr 

 Selby : — " They breed on the ledges of precipitous 

 rocks, the eggs being two in number, of a pure white 

 according to most authors, but by Vieillot they are said 

 to be spotted with black." I have only to add, that an 

 egg in the Museum of the University of Edinburgh, 

 said to have been laid by a " Harfang," is pure white 

 and nearly globular, but unsymmetrical. The latter 

 circumstance of com'se must be accidental. 



Young. — M. Temminck describes the young as be- 



