4172 The Zoologist — October, 1874. 



prefaced them by the following observations previously un- 

 published. 



" Guided by the observations of others, v?hich, hke my own, had beeu 

 made only upon starving or severely wounded birds, it was my former 

 impression that the snowy owl was docile and easily tamed. It has eveu 

 been described as ' an amiable owl.' Experience has taught me otherwise, 

 as will subsequently be shown. Piobert Nicolson, a fisherman belonging to 

 Unst, once kept a snowy owl for nearly two years. He had shghtly wounded 

 it while wandering among the hills near his own cottage, and he took it 

 home with the hope of taming it ; but he only partially succeeded, the bird 

 never overcoming its natural fierceness, and showing especial animosity 

 towards strangers. At first it was rather closely confined, but afterwards it 

 was allowed the full run of the cottage, though not until the wings had 

 been clipped. It used to sit in some dark corner during the day, giving but 

 little notice of its presence ; but as soon as all was quiet at night it would 

 leave its hiding-place, and commence flapping and tumbling all about the 

 cottage, upsetting everytbing which could by any possibility be upset, and 

 tearing into rags anything in the form of clothing which had beeu in- 

 cautiously left in the way. The cottage was under the same roof as the 

 cow-house and barn, as is too generally the case in these islands, and after 

 the owl had ranged through these for a few nights, no mice were to be seen 

 or heard, although the place was swarming with them previously. Towards 

 morning the bird gradually became quiet, and resumed its state of com- 

 parative inactivity until the following evening. It was-fed upon rabbits and 

 birds, but never seemed to require drink. Ducks and fowls were never safe 

 when the door was open. Sometimes a living hooded crow was thrown 

 down to it, and then a fierce encounter was sure to follow, but it was 

 seldom of long duration, — sooner or later the head of the crow would be 

 lying in one place and the body in another. Once the owl tried to kill a 

 pig about a month old, but was detected in time; and upon another 

 occasion it had the audacity to pounce upon a full-grown cat. It imme- 

 diately attempted to bite off tbe head, and probably would have succeeded if 

 the owner had not come to the rescue, for the cat was almost powerless in 

 its grasp. The owl often escaped, and was as often recaptured, until at last 

 Kicolson, having become tired of stumbling over the rough ground in 

 pursuit, resolved next time to leave it to its fate, and accordingly next time 

 it escaped no exertions were made to recover it. It remained in the hills 

 for upwards of two months, at the end of which time it was caught upon a 

 low wall near the cottage, and was once more brought home. But there 

 was no occasion to keep the door closed. The bird, having probably become 

 aware of the inconvenience of being compelled to provide its own meals, 

 never again attempted to escape, nor could it be induced by any means to 



