68 THE BIRDS OF DEVONSHIRE. 



second was trapped on Exmoor upon the 22nd of the 

 same month, having previously been observed by a 

 shepherd to kill two hares in succession. " A trap 

 baited with the remains of one of these two hares," 

 writes the Rev. M. A. Mathew, "soon proved fatal 

 to the splendid bird " (Zool. 1876. p. 4900). The 

 Exmoor bird turned out to be a female ; it is 

 possible that the two birds were migrating North in 

 company, but had become separated before the first 

 was killed on Dartmoor. 



LITTLE OWL.— Athene noctua (Scop). 



A EARE visitant. Dr. Moore writes in 1837 :" Very 

 rare ; one was shot by Mr. Comyns of Dawlish ; 

 another was sent to Mr. Howe for preparation." 

 A third is said to have been killed at Downes near 

 Crediton, in 1851, but Mr. Rowe did not apparently 

 know of it, for he writes in 1863 that: " Only two 

 specimens have been obtained, both many years 

 since." 



EAGLE OWL.— [i?w5o ignavus, Forst.] 



[A DOUBTFUL visitant. Dr. Moore writes in 1837 : 

 *' I have only seen one specimen in Devonshire, and 

 that in a living state, near Honiton, in 1820 " (Mag. 

 of Nat. Hist. 1837. p. 115). If Dr. Moore was 

 correct in his identification, and the bird had not 

 escaped from confinement, no doubt the species may 

 be retained in the county list ; but the absence of 

 fuller particulars renders its inclusion open to 

 criticism.] 



