110 STRIGIDE. 



and its nest on one of the highest hills of that country on the 

 17th of May. The nest contained an addled egg and two 

 young birds : these last were of small size, with a soft whitish 

 covering like wool. On the 16th of June he found two 

 other young birds of the same species which were nearly full 

 grown, but unable to fly. In these young specimens the bill 

 was black ; irides saffron yellow ; pupil bluish black ; the 

 general plumage soft ; the wings dark, with reddish brown 

 spots ; feathers of the breast brick red, with a dark indented 

 longitudinal stripe ; tail-feathers still short, dark, with round- 

 ish red spots ; feet reddish brown. 



" Owls have been noticed for an extraordinary attachment 

 to their young. An instance in point was witnessed by a 

 Swedish gentleman, who resided several years on a farm 

 near a steep mountain, on the summit of which two Eagle 

 Owls had built their nest. One day in the month of July, 

 a young bird, having quitted the nest, was caught by the 

 servants. This bird was, considering the season of the year, 

 well feathered ; but the down appeared here and there be- 

 tween those feathers which had not yet attained their full 

 growth. After it was caught, it was shut up in a large hen- 

 coop, when to his surprise, on the following morning, a fine 

 young Partridge was found lying dead before the door of the 

 coop. It was immediately concluded that this provision had 

 been brought there by the old Owls, which no doubt had 

 been making search in the night time for their lost young 

 one. And such was, indeed, the fact ; for night after night, 

 for fourteen days, was this same mark of attention repeated. 

 The game which the old ones carried to it consisted chiefly of 

 young Partridges, for the most part newly killed, but some- 

 times a little spoiled. On one occasion, a Moor-fowl was 

 brought, so fresh that it was actually Avarm under the wings ; 

 and at another time, a putrid stinking lamb was deposited."* 



• Familiar History of Birds, by the Rev. E. Stanley, Bisliop of Norwich, 

 vol. i. p, 184. 



