DZ DIVISION I. VERTEBRAL ANIMALS.—CLASS II. AVES. 
As a pet, this bird is interesting and amusing. A friend of ours, who 
had one for a long time in captivity, writes for us the following account of 
its habits : — 
"As I was walking through the streets of a village one day, I observed a 
crowd of boys around a small owl. On approaching it, I found that the 
bird was a young Mottled Owl. It was staring about in a dazed manner, 
and seemed half stupefied. I easily persuaded the boys to part with it for 
a trifle, and sent it home. At that time, June 15, 1867, it was, I should 
judge, about two weeks old, and was covered with a grayish down. I put 
it in a large cage, and gave it some meat, which it ate, but not readily, for 
it seemed frightened at the sight of my hand, and, at its near approach, 
would draw back, snapping its beak after the manner of all owls. It soon 
grew tamer, however, and, as I sat at my bench, would regard me with a 
wise stare, as if perfectly understanding what I was about. In a short time 
it took food from me without fear. I never saw it drink, although water 
was kept constantly by it. I fed it upon mice, birds, and butchers’ meat. 
It was kept in its cage for about two weeks, during which time it became 
quite tame, but would not tolerate handling, always threatening me with its 
beak when my hand approached it. As the wires of its cage broke its feath- 
ers by the bird’s moving about, and as it hardly seemed resigned to confine- 
ment, I opened its cage, and gave, it the freedom of the room, leaving the 
windows open night and day.  About- this time I gave it the name of 
Scops, to which, in a little while, it would answer, when called, with a low 
rattle, which sounded like the distant note of the kingfisher. 
“One morning Scops was missing; diligent search was made for him 
(we now regarded the bird as a male), but no owl could be found. Once 
or twice he was seen in the neighboring woods by different people, and once 
on the roof of a barn, but he was wild, and refused to be caught. Ie 
had been absent about a week, when, one morning, I was told my owl was 
eut in the garden. I hastened out, and found a half-grown Newfoundland 
dog playing with my pet. Scops was clinging to the dog’s shaggy fur with 
his claws, snapping his beak, and biting fiercely. JI immediately rescued 
lim, and carried him into the house: the rain was falling, and he was thor- 
oughly wet. On arriving in his old quarters he seemed pleased, chuckling 
to himself after his manner. He was almost starved, and ate two full-grown 
bluebirds at the first meal. After this time,-although enjoying the utmost 
freedom, he has never but once remained away more than two days at a time. 
“When a bird is given him for food he takes it in his claws, invariably pulls 
out the wing and tail feathers first; then eats the head; then puils out the 
intestines, and devours them; and then, if not satisfied, eats the remainder 
of the bird, feathers and all. While pulling the bird to pieces, he holds 
