108 THE BIRDS OF CALCUTTA. 



rule that might otherwise be framed to the effect that 

 " insular tropical forms of this owl are very dark." The 

 Andaman Barn-owl certainly bears out the rule to the 

 letter, but as it is also conspicuous by having very much 

 shorter wings than the continental birds, while the bill and 

 feet are just as big if not bigger, it may really be a distinct 

 species altogether. This raises the interesting question 

 as to whether the dark insular-tropical Owls of this kind 

 are a primitive race like the small dark human races which 

 have a way of cropping up in out-of-the-way places, or 

 whether the Barn-owl when it gets on a tropical island pro- 

 ceeds with singular uniformity to degenerate in complexion 

 and power of wing. One might argue a point like thi? till 

 doomsday, and so as the Barn-owl is an eminently useful 

 bird, it is fortunate that he has been introduced into New 

 Zealand, which is sufficiently insular, if not tropical ; 

 there he can evolve for such of our great-grandsons as 

 take an interest in natural history. 



Unfortunately, and this another point of interest about 

 the Barn-owl, he is not popular. Owls, generally speaking, 

 are considered uncanny as well as stupid ; and the Barn- 

 owl, both in Europe and in India, is the worst reputed of the 

 lot. From Spenser, who called him " the rueful 

 shriek, still waiting on the here," to the modern Spaniard, 

 who thinks he is of the devil's poultry and drinks the oil 

 out of church lamps, his reputation has been hopelessly 

 bad in the west. And out here the native calls him the 

 'bad bird" or " death -bird," and dreads his weird 

 screech accordingly ; but he does not kill him wantonly 

 or for the purpose of mounting him as a hand-screen. The 



