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In the Neighbourhood of Salisbury. 119 
Bubo Maximus, “The Eagle Owl.” This bird seems naturally to 
head the list, being the largest and most powerful of all its tribe 
not only in the Old World but in the New as well; the American 
bird, the Virginian Eagle Owl being rather smaller that its European 
congener. There is an authentically recorded capture of one of these 
fine birds on Handley Common, on the borders of this county. 
This bird was captured alive and kept for some time by a Mr. King, 
of Alvediston. It came then into the possession of Mr. Hayter, of 
Woodyates, who writes thus to me concerning it: “ In reference to 
the Eagle Owl—I have a very beautiful one, but I am afraid I 
eannot give you as much information about the bird as you would 
wish. It belonged to Thomas King, Esq., of Alvediston, Wilts, 
and about the year 1853 or 1854 I had it from him; and I know 
he had the bird alive for some years, perhaps seven or eight, and 
then it died. I never heard from him how he became possessed of 
it, but I believe I have heard some one say that Mr. King thought 
it must have escaped from some menagerie.” I would remark that 
this is the immediate and somewhat natural conclusion concerning 
every very rare bird which is captured amongst us. But let us 
remember it does not, of necessity, always follow that it is the right 
conclusion to draw. 
Otus Vulgaris, ‘ ong-Eared Owl.” This may be reckoned as 
being one of our commoner Wiltshire birds; and there would be but 
little difficulty in procuring specimens either of old birds or young. 
I remember hearing on one occasion that, in a copse near here, 
called the “ Great Yews,” belonging to the Earl of Radnor, (a copse 
on the open down, consisting of some acres, formed entirely of ancient 
yew trees, almost any one of which would be a grand feature in any 
of our parish churchyards,) that as many as eleven of these birds 
were started from the same tree, having congregated together during 
the hard weather in the winter months. At one time I had four of 
- these birds alive, which I kept for some months, and found them 
by far the most vivacious and quarrelsome of any of the Owl tribe 
_ that I have had anything to do with. My aviary, at the time lam 
speaking of, may strike some of my readers as being rather a curious 
one, consisting as it did, of four Long-Eared Owls, two Brown 
