426 Letters, Extracts, Notices, ^c. 



of any other bird, but both still taking their turn on the un- 

 hatched eggs. A second j'oung bird left the nest on May 18th. 

 Three days afterwards I had the nest examined, and we dis- 

 covered then that one egg had entirely disappeared, the 

 remaining one being addled. This latter resembles very 

 much in colour an average egg of the Common Peewit, but 

 in shape differs a little from those of the pure Australiau 

 bird. At the present time of writing (May 23rdj both young 

 birds are reported to be thriving. 



On May 7th, 1898, my aviary-keeper informed me that my 

 pair of Ajjteryx oweni were carrying sticks and other nesting- 

 material into a burrow which (as he states) had been made by 

 an Apteryx mantelli in the bank of an enclosed pond in our 

 pleasure-grounds. On May 16th there was an egg at the 

 end of this burrow, which can be just reached by a man 

 inserting his arm. I am, of course, very anxious that these 

 birds should not be disturbed ; but I am so interested in the 

 event that I cannot help asking my keeper to look occasion- 

 ally into the burrow, which is constantly occupied by both 

 parents. He told me yesterday that since the egg was laid 

 the birds have carried in a great quantity of dead leavrs, 

 twigs, and other rubbish, thereby considerably diminishing 

 the diameter of the tunnel, but Mr. A. Trevor-Battye, who 

 looked in yesterday, assured me that he could distinctly see 

 the egg, and was much astonished at its size. 



A pair of Burrowing Owls {Speotyto cunicularia) are now 

 sitting on five eggs in one of the compartments of my aviary 

 in a shallow burrow made by themselves. The sitting bird 

 can be seen from the front of this compartment. I may 

 mention that two individuals of this species were hatched 

 out here last year, of wliich one still survives. 



A specimen of Saviguy's Eagle-Owl [Bubo ascalaphus), 

 which has been living peaceably for some time past in the 

 same cage with two Cape Eagle-Owls [Bubo capensis), laid 

 an egg on April 7th, and a second three days later, but 

 showed no disposition to sit. 



Yours &c., 



Lilfnrd Hall, May :2;5rd, 1896. LlLFORD. 



