97



THE


Avicultural Magazine,


BEING THE JOURNAL OF

THE AVICULTURAL SOCIETY.


Third Series. —Yol. YIII.—No. 4.— All, rights reserved. FEBRUARY, 1917.


THE SPECTACLED OWL


(Syrnium perspicillatum).


By Miss E. F. Chawner.


Last July Mr. Cross sent me a fine specimen of this Owl, now

not often imported to this country, though formerly (teste Mr. Meade-

Waldo) often represented in the Zoological Gardens of London,

where it was called the Downy Owl. This, I venture to say, does

not well describe it, for several other species have a more downy

appearance than this rather close-feathered bird.


The same authority says that it is “ widely spread over

Central and Northern South America, and thus is a purely tropical

Owl.” It has the reputation of being a tame species, which my

bird fully bears out. The day after his arrival he sidled along his

perch and held his head down as a parrot does when inviting a

friend “ to scratch a poll,” and with the same object, for nothing

gives him greater pleasure than to have his head scratched by hand

or with a bit of stick. He is absolutely fearless, and very gentle,

and has evidently been much petted. When he reached here he was

in good plumage, only a few of the flight feathers rubbed and broken,

but his first wash showed that he had a good deal of dirt to get rid

of; he uses his bath freely, and has a curious habit, which I have

not noticed in my other Owls, of dipping his face into water after

feeding. His voice is gruff, something between a growl and a hoarse

chuckle; combined with his oddly-marked face and big, yellow,


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