278 TENGMALM'S OWL. 



what too large and powerful assailant. Whether it was 

 that the owl did not like the flesh of the magpie, or that 

 she had taken disgust at the bird from its rough treatment 

 of her, I know not ; but so it happened, that though the 

 dead magpie remained in the cage for several days, and 

 in the while no other food was given to her, she never 

 touched a morsel of it." 



Tengmalm's Owl (Perl-Uggla, or Pearl Owl, Sw. ; 

 N. Tengmalmi, Selby) was only occasionally seen with 

 us. This bird, as regards the summer time at least, 

 would appear to be chiefly confined to the more northern 

 parts of Scandinavia ; its resorts are the depths of the 

 forest. Swedish naturalists, who seem somewhat in the 

 dark as to its habits, describe it as but little shy, as hunt- 

 ing only in the night-time, and as being inconvenienced 

 in the highest degree by the daylight. It is said to build 

 in a hollow tree, and that the female lays from three to 

 four white eggs. 



It is remarkable that this species can inflate the membrane 

 forming the upper eye-lid in such a way that a tuft of feathers 

 is raised above each eye, the bird then looking as if provided 

 with short feathered ears. 



In confinement this owl becomes readily tamed, and is 

 very amusing from its comical ways and the singular postures 

 it puts itself into. It may besides be used to decoy small birds 

 to lime-twigs, in the manner practised in Italy that is, by 

 tethering it by the leg with a long string ; and it is thus kept 

 hopping and beating the ground without being able to 

 escape. The bird-catcher then hides himself behind a tree, 

 and makes a chirping, which calls the small birds together, 

 and on seeing the owl they gradually approach nearer, and 



