The Prairie Owl 195 



beginning- with the head, eating downwards as far and as fast 

 as he was able, and when he coukl positively stow away no 

 more, placing the remainder in that corner of his cage which 

 he usually devotes to the same purpose. After a short rest, 

 however, he returned bravely to the work, and succeeded in 

 disposing of the last remaining morsel of the young "domes- 

 ticated feline." 



From the very strong partiality which he displays for young 

 prey, to wit, Pigeons in the squab stage of their development, 

 young Sparrows, and lastly newly-born kittens, I think we 

 must consider it more than likely that the report which 

 credits him with demolishing a young marmot now and then 

 must be not very far from the truth, notwithstanding the 

 fact that nothing but wings of beetles were found in his 

 stomach on dissection: he prefers a young mouse to an old 

 one, and will scarcely touch a full-grown bird, as for instance 

 a venerable Canary I recently gave him, which had departed 

 this life after a somewhat lengthened career. Possibly he found 

 her carcase tough, for he would not touch it for three days, 

 when it began to get ''high", then he eat it, not as if he 

 cared about it, but felt it to be a disagreeable duty which 

 it was incumbent upon him to perform. 



I have said I never saw him bathe, but I find he does, 

 for the other evening when I went to give him his supper, 

 his breast and wings were quite wet, and the water in his 

 pan splashed about, as if he had been having a tub, and on 

 taking out the pan to replenish it, I saw that what water 

 was left was dirty, just as might have been expected, from 

 his trampling about in it. 



I believe these birds are not often brought to Europe, and 

 that at this moment the Zoological Gardens of London are 

 without an example of the Prairie Owl. 



As I have said, my Coquimbo develops new traits of character 

 every day: for instance, I wanted to have his portrait taken, 

 but for reasons best known to himself he objected, objected 



