‘THE ZooLocisTt—Marcu, 1875. 4353 
country, he greatly surprised us by saying that our largest “ king- 
fisher” was as big as a turkey, but on further inquiry we found 
that he referred to this eagle, which, on account of its dexterity in 
catching fish, he supposed to be a kingfisher. 
We have watched the sea eagle with great interest capturing its 
prey. Being possessed of a wonderful power of vision, it can, 
while flying high overhead, distinguish a fish rise to the surface of 
the water, and, darting down with inconceivable rapidity in an 
almost perpendicular line, it seizes the fish in its claws before it 
has time to escape: in performing this feat it does not even wet its 
plumage. There is no doubt that the sea eagle will kill and 
devour small animals, such as the hare and blue-buck, when 
pressed for food. 
Eagle Owl (Bubo capensis).*—The general colour of this large 
owl is brown, beautifully mottled with orange; the eyes are of a 
bright golden yellow, very large and brilliant. It is about twenty- 
four inches in length, and is the largest owl known. This species 
is pretty largely scattered over the Old World, and if it is identical 
with the Bubo virginianus, is also common in America. In Natal 
they are frequently met with, where they enliven the woods at 
night with their loud hooting, which can be distinguished from 
that of the three smaller species found here. Although by day , 
it confines itself to the densest parts of the bush, it may often be 
seen of a moonlight night out in the open plains hunting for the 
jumping hare [? Helamys capensis—Ed.], which seems to be the 
largest animal on which it preys: like other owls, it is fond of rats 
and mice. It usually lays from two to four eggs, which it places 
in a hole of a clitf or steep bank, where it makes a nest of sticks 
like that of a hawk; but before the young are hatched there is a 
pretty fair layer of pellets ejected by the sitting bird, and this 
forms a soft bed for the little ones, 
In June, 1873, we obtained a fine female owl along with its 
half-fledged young one. We gave the old owl to a friend, but 
being very wild it soon contrived to make its escape. The young 
one we have had ever since: it is very tame, and has been fully 
* Lincline to suppose this bird to be the spotted eagle owl (Bubo maculosus) of 
Vieillot, and of Layard’s Catalogue, No. 50, and not the Otus capensis of authors, 
Phasmaptynx capensis of Gray’s ‘ Hand-List of Birds,’ No. 553. I trust no reader 
will suspect me of a desire to intermeddle with bird-nomenclature, but the two 
species of owl known as Maculosus and Capensis are extremely different, and I think, 
from the comparison with Bubo virginianus, the former is intended.—E. N. 
