376 DR. p. L. SCLATER ON NEW AND INTERESTING [NoV. 10, 



coiled up in a sitting posture, with the head between the forearms, 

 and the nose against the chest ; they always seemed to sleep close 

 to each other. When roused up, they appeared for a time to dislike 

 the light of day, but would after a time either lick each other's fur 

 or walk and play about. Their large round beautiful eyes, with their 

 gentle and mild expression, seemed to shun the light. Their affection, 

 though undemonstrative, was apparently sincere, and they seldom if 

 ever appeared to quarrel, except slightly when eating the same bird ; 

 they never played with one another, unless the licking the fur be 

 considered play. They made a peculiar chattering noise when angry ; 

 and when pleased at night they uttered a sharp though tuneful 

 whistle of one unvaried note ; this whistle is thought by Chinese 

 sailors, who take them to sea, to denote the coming of wind. They 

 remained awake, as a rule, during the whole night, moving about the 

 cage, and throwing themselves into different attitudes, hanging to 

 the bars by one, two, or three hands, or holding on by the two 

 hinder hands, seesawing themselves to and fro and rubbing the head 

 along the bars, somewhat in the manner of a bear. Their intelligence 

 seemed to be much below that of the Monkey (a fact which the ex- 

 pression of their eyes seemed to deny) ; they merely recognized my 

 calling them by the words ' old boy,' and by my uttering a whistle 

 something like their own. During a gale of wind in April, off the 

 south-east coast of Africa, a young Loi-is was born (an event which 

 was quite unexpected by me) ; the little thing was about 4 inches 

 long, and was covered with fur ; it held on by its four hands to the 

 mother's fur, and in that attitude sucked the milk from its parent's 

 breast. On looking at the cage next morning, I found it dead, with 

 part of the head and one leg eaten. In this manner they more re- 

 semble tame rabbits, who sometimes eat their young when watched. 

 For a long time afterwards I suspected the male sucked the breast 

 of his partner, and I am almost certain that he did so. I would re- 

 commend that they be fed with one or two small birds (sparrows and 

 such like) a day, some rice at night, and if possible some fruit allied 

 to the plantain or banana. They require some place where they can 

 climb and use their limbs freely. I need enter into no description 

 of their anatomical structure. Their movements are very slothful." 



AVES. 



1. Bubo fasciolatxjs. (PI. XXXIII.) 



We obtained a specimen of this very distinctly marked African 

 Horned Owl by purchase from a dealer on the 12th of August last. 

 The species has not, so far as I know, been previously brought alive 

 to Europe. The bird is not quite adult ; but as far as one can tell, 

 without bringing the specimens side by side (which is at present 

 hardly practicable), it seems to agree sufficiently with the typical 

 specimen of Bubo poensis of Fraser in the British Museum. 



Dr. Hartlaub identifies Bubo j)oensis with B. fasciolatus, Tem- 

 minck, MS. (described in Cabanis's Journal fiirOrn. 1855, p. 354). 



