377 
highest mountain in Medalpad. My. Wolley, whom he also 
quotes, gives an account of finding two young ones and an egg, 
on the 20th of May, on a ledge of a rocky precipice. The 
young and the egg “lying upon a small quantity of compress- 
ed fur, principally of rats, the remains of the castings of the 
parent birds, their bed nearly flat, for there was not more than 
two inches of soil. The ledge was not more than two feet wide, 
and terminated abruptly just beyond the nest. I have visited 
three other sites of nests of this bird, and they were all of simi- 
lar character, upon ledges in, or over cliffs. They were all un- 
sheltered over head, sunshine seeming rather to be courted than 
avoided.” 
Eagle Owls, in confinement, have bred, laying, in all the 
cases noticed by Mr. Gurney, three eggs; “which may be as- 
sumed,” that gentleman remarks, “ to be the normal number of 
their eggs.” 
Mr. Hewitson figures a pure white egg, 2°17 in length, by 
1:94 in breadth. 
Little seems to be known, of the habits of this species, except 
that it affects mountainous and wooded countries, and preys 
upon quadrupeds and birds, such as fawns, hares, and grouse. 
As to its distribution I can, at present, add nothing to the 
following remarks of Mr. Yarrell.—‘‘ The bird inhabits Den- 
mark, Sweden, Norway, Lapland, Russia, and the Continent of 
Kurope generally, but particularly the fir-covered mountains of 
Switzerland, and the high rocky country of Aragon, extending 
southward as far as Italy, Turkey, Corfu, and Sicily. Mr. 
Strickland saw specimens at Smyrna, and it is recorded as in- 
habiting the Morea. Pennant says, itis found as far to the 
eastward as) Lake Baikal and Astrakan; and Mr. Gould has 
seen skins of this bird in collections from China.” 
