48 Favourite Foreign Birds. 



more deeply marked round the face, and has a slimmer 

 appearance than his mate." 



THE PASSERINE OWL, Glaucidium passerinum, is 

 about the same size as the last species, and, like 

 it, inhabits the southern parts of Europe, occurring 

 at rare intervals in the British Islands, where, of course, 

 it is invariably caught or destroyed as soon as seen. 

 In confinement it should be fed on small mice and birds 

 cut into pieces with the hair or feathers left on, as 

 the hair of the mice and the feathers of the birds have 

 a beneficial effect on the Owls, which seem to need a 

 cleansing process in their interior. They do not 

 thrive on a dietary of which they are unable to reject 

 a portion in the form of pellets ; but when they are 

 " sick " after eating, they are in good health. I have 

 not heard of their having bred in this country, either 

 in the woods or in captivity. 



The eggs are two or three in number, of a white 

 colour, and the male and female take turn about to 

 incubate them ; the nest is usually placed in a hollow 

 tree. The young are said to be readily brought up by 

 hand, if care is taken to feed them at night and not 

 during the day, when they are sleepy and sometimes 

 will not open their mouths. 



THE PRAIRIE, BURROWING, or COQUIMBO OWL, 

 Speotyto cunicularia, or Athene cunicularia (Wood), 

 is a native of the New World, and is well known 

 by reputation to bird-fanciers, if not as frequently 

 imported as many less interesting species. It makes 

 a very nice pet, and is capable of being perfectly 

 tamed. It is nearly twice as large as either of the two 

 species just described, and should be fed and treated in 



