on the death of a tame Snoxoy oivl.



135



especially is this of the greatest importance if the aviary is floored

with earth or gravel. Grit appears to irritate the lining of the

stomach, and the bird cannot get rid of it if there be no materials

to form the pellets, which all raptorial birds (and many others) eject,

after they have digested a meal. I attribute such success as I have

had to my birds having invariably had their food given in its natural

condition, and also to the aviary having been floored with glazed

bricks.


The bird that I have just lost was brought for me from

Norway by my old friend and neighbour the late Sir Henry Boynton,

on his return from his fishing at the end of the summer of 1891.

The bird would probably be hatched early in June, so when he died

the other day he would be well over 24i years old. He survived

his mate brought over at the same time about five years.


1891 was what is called in Norway a “Lemming Year,” and

hordes of the little rodents invaded the Stordal valley, down which

the Stockholm railway runs from the Swedish frontier to the city

and port of Trondhjem. I w 7 as fishing on the same river two years

later, and though there were no living lemmings left in the valley,

their skins and skeletons were still plentiful in places where they

had perished ; in one place where thousands must have fallen over

a precipice on to the railway. As always happens, this migration

of lemmings had been accompanied by beasts and birds of prey.

Wolves were unusually numerous and bold that year. The Pastor’s

yard dog was taken, and there were raids on the farmers’ live

stock ; and wandering, half-wild, reindeer were killed. Rough-legged

Buzzards, Goshawks, and Snowy owls were particularly numerous.

Lapps brought in from the mountains, sometimes walking for several

consecutive days, several broods of Snowy owls, also some Gos¬

hawks, and a Golden eagle, which latter is, or lately was, living

in the Zoological Gardens.


One day a Lapp had just been paid for some nestling owls,

and was leaving the house when something was seen to move in a

bag slung over his shoulders. Asked what he had there, the little

man produced a pure white Snowy owl, which he was taking down

the valley to the official who gave the Government reward. The

bird was quite unhurt, and it turned out that, when the Lapp was



