EAGLE OWL. H7 



Linneus, when making a tour in Lapland, found this bird 

 and its nest on one of the highest hills of that country on 

 the 17th of May. The nest contained an addled egg and 

 two young birds : these last were of small size, with a soft 

 whitish covering like wool. On the 16th of June he found 

 two other young birds of the same species which were 

 nearly full grown, but unable to fly. In these young spe- 

 cimens the bill was black ; irides saffron yellow ; pupil 

 bluish black ; the general plumage soft ; the wings dark, 

 with reddish brown spots ; feathers of the breast brick-red, 

 with a dark indented longitudinal stripe ; tail-feathers still 

 short, dark, with roundish red spots ; feet reddish brown. 



" Owls have been noticed for an extraordinary attachment 

 to their young. An instance in point was witnessed by a 

 Swedish gentleman, who resided several years on a farm 

 near a steep mountain, on the summit of which two Eagle 

 Owls had built their nest. One day in the month of July, 

 a young bird, having quitted the nest, was caught by the 

 servants. This bird was, considering the season of the 

 year, well feathered ; but the down appeared here and 

 there between those feathers which had not yet attained 

 their full growth. After it was caught, it was shut up in 

 a large hencoop, when to his surprise, on the following 

 morning, a fine young Partridge was found lying dead be- 

 fore the door of the coop. It was immediately concluded 

 that this provision had been brought there by the old Owls, 

 which no doubt had been making search in the night time 

 for their lost young one. And such was, indeed, the fact ; 

 for night after night, for fourteen days, was this same mark 

 of attention repeated. The game which the old ones carried 

 to it consisted chiefly of young Partridges, for the most 

 part newly killed, but sometimes a little spoiled. On one 

 occasion, a Moor-fowl was brought, so fresh that it was 



