THE EAGLE OWL. 301 



PEL'S FISH-OWL (Scotopdia peli). * 



The African Fish-Owls are exactly like the Indian as regards their bare legs, but they have 

 no tufts on their heads. Three different kinds are known, and they are all rare birds, frequenting the 

 rivers and inland lakes of the African continent. Pel's Fish-Owl was discovered on the Gold Coast by 

 Mr. Pel, the Dutch commandant at Elmina, nearly forty years ago. The specimen procured by that 

 gentleman flew across the river Boutry, and settled among some shady boughs on the other bank, 

 when it was knocked down with the blow of a gun. The following account of one of these rare birds, 

 from the Barra coimtry, Senegambia, is given by Mr. John Henry Gumey, who had the specimen 

 alive in his possession for a long time : it was presented to him by Colonel O'Connor, C.B., who is the 

 author of the accompanying "Sketch of Nero, the Owl, a Fetish Bird." The colonel writes t: 

 " During seven years' exploration of Western Africa, I only met one of the species of the Owl ' Nero.' 

 He was brought ' a chicken,' full of pen-feathers, or rather down, of a delicate straw-colom*, and very 

 thick, from a lagoon in the Barra country. No native would admit ' Nero ' as a visitor ; and when the 

 bird was installed in Government House, the servants and head people came in a body to remonstrate, 

 asserting ' he was a Gumbi Owl, a Fetish ! ! and would destroy and kill whatever object he looked on.' 

 The chief groom (an old soldier, who had charge of the poultry) insisted that ' every cock and hen 

 would go dead.' Strangely enough, an epidemic broke out, and carried off from fifty to sixty head of 

 fowls ; and each day the groom placed the defunct birds on the steps of Government House, to meet 

 the eye of Mrs. O'Connor, seeming to exult in the mortality amongst the feathered tribe. ' You see 

 wid your own eye, Missus, dat debil Jumbi bird, he go kill all de fowls. Governor tink he hab long 

 head, but he no sabey Owl. Suppose you put him in de stable, he see Nelly (Mrs. O'Connor's favourite 

 mare), de horse he go tumble down dead.' Death at last ceased to reign amongst the poultry popula- 

 tion, and Nero became my principal pet ; he ranged over the piazza, perching on the branch of a tree ; 

 he was fed regularly by the orderly on roasted fish, but he often came to the dinner-table, and flew 

 down for scraps of meat, bread and butter, which he took gently from myself or from Mrs. O'Connor, 

 permitting us to rub his head, crest, neck, and back, seemingly enjoying the caressing. But he would 

 snatch meat or bones from the Cat or Dog ; and when the Eagle was introduced into his company, 

 he beat him in a most unmerciful manner away from his peculiar and original position of the piazza, 

 the Eagle being one of the fiercest and most pugnacious of African birds, brought from the upper part 

 of the Gambia river near ' Wallie,' and, when in vigour, able to carry away a kid or small lamb. 

 Nero luxuriated in a tub of water, frequently washing himself, and perching on the rim until dry. 

 He was wont to go out to the garden or fields, where instantly an immense commotion arose among 

 all the birds. The larger ones flew round the Owl, keeping a very civil distance, the smaller birds 

 flew away ; but Nero treated both alike with sovereign contempt. He would return of his own 

 accord to the roosting-place in the piazza, and when put out and confined for some days, rejected 

 all food, and pined until restored to his perch. With me he was as tame as any Canary, and, after 

 an absence of two months, recognised my voice when I went to his cage at Oatlands (Devon), appearing 

 much pleased by my taking him out for a walk on the grass. Many natives from the interior told me 

 ' they had never seen such a bird before ; but they considered him unlucky? I really think Nero is 

 nearly sans any relations, and certainly devoid of all friends in Western Africa." 



Pel's Owl measures neai'ly two feet in length, and has the wing sixteen inches and a half. 

 Its colour is a deep rufous bay, with black transverse bars ; below it is light bay, with heart-shaped 

 bars of black ; the iris is dark-brown, whereas in the Indian Fishing Owls it is always yellow. 



THE EAGLE OWL (Bubo ignavus}.l 



This and its relative, the Virginian Eared Owl of America, are the largest of all the family. It 

 is found all over Europe and Siberia, extending even to China and the Himalayas, but the few 

 instances of its capture in Great Britain have been probably those of birds escaped from confinement, 

 as it is by no means an uncommon species in aviaries in England. As it is not, strictly speaking, 



* o-KOToy, darkness ; n-eAeia, a Dove, with a covert allusion to the name of the discoverer (Sclater). f Ibis, 1859, p. / '47. 



I Bubo, a Horned Owl (Vergil) ; ignavus, dastardly an inappropriate title for so fine a bird. 

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