AXn NEIGHBOURHOOD. 57 



from Sir William Jardine's account, quoted at p. 104, 

 vol. i. Yarrell's ' British Birds ' (4th ed.), that this 

 Owl is a very late breeder, as the young birds are 

 barely able to fly by August 12th. The eggs are 

 from three to five. I have kept a few of these birds' 

 in confinement, but, with one exception, never suc- 

 ceeded in really taming them. The exception was a 

 most delightful bird, which would follow me about, 

 come to whistle, and sit upon and feed from my 

 hand, but did not live long. The stomachs of several 

 of this species which I have examined contained the 

 indistinguishable remains of small birds and fishes, 

 of which last article of diet all the Owls of my 

 acquaintance are very fond. 



19. SCOPS OWL. 



Scopy. gill. 



This is a rare and irregular visitor to our Islands, 

 and I admit it to my list of Northamptonshire birds 

 solely on the following evidence. In a list of birds 

 in the neighbourhood of Stamford, kindly sent to me 

 by Mr. A. G. Elliot, of that town, in February 1876, 

 he states : — " One little Owl I saw fresh killed when 

 a boy, quite thirty years ago, by EI. Burbidge at the 

 Dog-kennels or Life, close to Duddington ; and it 

 was stuff"ed by John Taylor, of Barrowden ; I think 

 it was Strix scops^ having noticed it for years after- 

 wards, but now lost sight of it." Mr. Elliot came to 

 see me at Lilford a few days after I received his list 

 above mentioned, and on my showing him the skins 

 of various small Owls, immediately selected one of 



