2 Dr. H. H. Giglioli — The strange 



three consecutive years (1900, 1901, 1902), during the 

 month of July, and bearing no small hardships, has been 

 able to supply the materials for a complete history of the 

 singular case on which I am now writing and the details 

 for its elucidation as far as we can go. I here offer him my 

 cordial thanks, and am sure that he will have those of all 

 true ornithologists. 



The nest from which my strange small Owl was taken was 

 discovered by a shepherd-girl about twelve years old, not, 

 as 1 had been previously informed, by a boy : as she was 

 looking after her flock one afternoon towards the middle of 

 July 1899, she noticed a small Owl carrying a big insect 

 enter a hole in a wall hard by ; on climbing up to the place 

 she found, in a very rudimentary nest amongst the loose 

 stones of the wall, four nestlings nearly fledged, which she 

 carried away to her home and endeavoured to feed on . 

 insects. After a few days three of these nestlings managed 

 to escape; the fourth was shortly after sold to a shoemaker 

 at Caneva di Sacile, who used it, tied to a stick, a couple of 

 months later, to attract Robins and Redstarts, which were 

 caught with bird-lime; in this primitive sport the little Owl 

 showed itself very proficient. Later still, my friend Comm. 

 Chiaradia, a keen sportsman and good observer, saw the 

 small Owl, and noticing its strange peculiarities, purchased 

 it from the shoemaker and presented it to me. 



This very singular small Owl came into my hands on the 

 13th of November, 1899 ; it was so wild that, after a care- 

 ful examination, feariug that it might further damage its 

 feathers, already in a rather dilapidated condition, I caused 

 it to be killed, and had it mounted by one of my taxidermists. 

 On dissection it proved to be a male. 



What struck me at once in the aspect of this small Owl, 

 and what attracted " a prima vista" the attention of all who 

 saw it, was the colour of the eyes, the iris being of a deep 

 brown, which looked black in the living bird. I may add 

 here that the little girl who captured it with its fellow nest- 

 lings, on being closely questioned a year later by my friend 

 Mr. Yalion, repeatedly asserted that the four nestlings she 



