]88 OWLS. 



nesses whose veracity it would be impossible to 

 doubt. This bird, which lives almost entirely on 

 fish, when in pursuit of prey, decoys them within 

 reach by a light from its breast of considerable bril- 

 liancy, -described by those who have seen it, " as 

 equal to the light of a common torch." Whether 

 it has the power of increasing or diminishing, or 

 entirely putting out this light, is not known, but its 

 use to it as a fishing-bird is very great, for it not only 

 attracts the fish within reach, but when they are 

 there, enables the Bittern to see them without 

 difficulty. 



Owls have been noticed for an extraordinary 

 attachment to their young; whether, however, it 

 exceeds that of other birds or animals may be diffi- 

 cult to say, but they will certainly visit and feed 

 them long after they have been separated from the 

 nest. Some young Owls, which had been so far 

 tamed as to take food from the hand, were observed 

 to lose all their familiarity on being hung out during 

 the night, in consequence of renewed visits from the 

 supposed parent birds, who fed them with as much 

 care and attention as if they had been with them 

 without interruption. 



Another 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 (Strix bubo) 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 



