AXD XEIGIIBOUIIIIOOD. 59 



a few scattered iiidividiials remain in Aiulalucia 

 throughout the winter months. In the avenues of 

 the Alamedas, or public walks of Seville, this little 

 Owl is especially common, and in the spring its 

 melancholy call of " Keeyoo " may be heard all night, 

 and often in the daytime, in those places. This 

 species has but little fear of man, and I have several 

 times watched one from a few yards distance, as it 

 sat generally tightly drawn uj) against a tree-trunk, 

 sometimes with one eye closed and the other slowly 

 Avinking with an irresistibly comic effect. Though 

 this Owl, in common with almost all others, prefers 

 the shade of thick foliage for its diurnal retreat, yet 

 it seems perfectly indifferent even to the full power 

 of the summer sun of Andalucia, and flies with a 

 quick and direct undulating flight from tree to tree 

 when disturbed in the daytime. The old olive-groves 

 of Corfu are favourite haunts of this Owl, and in their 

 hollow trunks the nest is often to be found, formed 

 of a verv few sticks and grasses, and containino; from 

 three to five eggs. In Spain, though the olive is ex- 

 tremely abundant, the Scops appears to prefer hollow 

 elms, poplars, and willows ; the cork-tree is also a 

 favourite resort. I believe that the food of this Owl 

 consists almost entirely of various insects, beetles, 

 and large moths. Be their diet what it may, they 

 are brought into the market of Yaletta, Malta, by 

 dozens in April and May at the period of the vernal 

 migration, and find a ready sale as food, being often 

 served up for dinner at the regimental messes under 

 various names, though not, so far as I know, the true 

 one. My own experience is that the flesh is very 

 good. 



In captivity these little birds become very tame, 



