NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. 3 



three weeks old became covered with brownish-grey 

 down, through which the primary feathers of the 

 wings were just beginning to appear. The old 

 birds were very attentive in supplying them with 

 food, and I noticed that, while the male bird 

 usually carried in rats and birds to them, the female 

 invariably tore the prey up, and distributed it to 

 the young. The feathers now began gradually to 

 appear, and the young owls increased rapidly in size 

 and strength, stretching out and flapping their 

 wings constantly, also making attempts to tear up 

 food for themselves. They were abundantly 

 supplied with rats, their favourite food, and the 

 family usually consumed seven or eight in the 

 course of the day. When two months old the 

 young owls had, with the exception of the head, 

 which remained downy, obtained the whole of their 

 plumage, being able to fly up to their perches, and 

 were nearly as large as their parents. During the 

 next three weeks the down on the head was replaced 

 by feathers, and the peculiar tufts, so noticeable in 

 this species, appeared. The old birds commenced 

 moulting about the time the young were hatched, 

 and had regained their fresh plumage as soon as 

 the young were full feathered. They lived together 

 during the summer and autumn, remaining on 

 perfectly good terms till the commencement of 

 winter, when the old pair began to drive their young 



B 2 



