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With Eagle Owls one can take great liberties, either as to

quantity or quality. But it is not so with the far more delicate

“ Snowies.” They must have what falconers call “ castings,” at

every meal, that is fur, and small bones. The only easily

obtained food that seems to suit these birds perfectly is rabbit;

and it must be fresh and not tainted in the least, or the Owls will

go amiss. They will not eat birds in confinement, at least that

is my experience, though when at liberty it is otherwise ; and

they are said to feed on Ptarmigan, etc., and sometimes even on

fish. My birds sometimes have freshly-killed young rats or

mice ; but, I repeat, they must not have the rougher food on

which the Eagle Owl will thrive.


A pair of Jays, which I have had for some years, for the

first time nested this summer, on the lid of a basket fixed up in

their aviary. One young one was hatched, but apparently it

died and was removed : for on the old birds deserting the nest a

week later, two eggs were found, each with a young one dead in

the shell. As the Jays are very tame, if they go to nest again, I

intend to leave the aviary door open, so that they may obtain a

supply of natural food.



A MISTAKE.


By Reginald Phillipps.


Years ago, when Stnithidea cbieria was rare—it is almost

common now — a lady was looking at my birds, and asking

questions about those which took her fancy. Pointing with her

finger, she said, “What is that—that thing up there?” “A

Strutliidea,” I replied. “A er-r-r, what?” “A Struthidea ; a

Grey Struthidea from Australia.” “Yes, yes,” she rejoined

petulantly, “ but what is its name? what is it called generally? ”

“The Grey Struthidea,” I blandly remarked. “But hasn’t it

any other name ? ” And the only other name I could give was

Struthidea cinerea, which did not tend to soothe her irritation.

She seemed to think that I was humbugging her, or wanted to

show off, for she was unable to comprehend that the species has

not any simple English name.


One day in the spring of 1900, a clerical gentleman, who

lives next door, and has the benefit of the dulcet (and other)

strains that proceed from my aviary, who has many an ear for

music but hardly an eye for a bird, was with us taking tea.

“ What bird is it,” he asked “ that has such a pleasing bubbling



