159



so fiercely and ominously that the Rorikeet thought better of it

and withdrew.


But their hopes and mine were doomed to disappointment,

for the four eggs were clear.


Whether this was the fault of the individual Redrump, an

aviary-bred specimen I am told, which never seemed to have half

the life and energy of my former Redrumps and has not grown a

full-length tail to this day, or whether the sterility was owing to the

birds being of different species, I am not able to say. It does

seem a pity that a male Golden-shoulder should be unobtainable.


The eggs are small, of a stout oval in shape, of precisely

the same length as those of the Peach-faced Rovebird but

thicker.


A few preliminary attempts at a second nest were made,

but without results; and both birds soon afterwards fell into

moult.



NESTING OF THE SCOPS OWL


(Scops giu.)


By E. G. B. Meade-Waldo.


Two pairs of this delightful and grotesque little Owl have

nested and successfully hatched and reared all their young ones

in our aviaries this summer. The Owl family have always held

the first place in our affedtions amongst the birds kept here, both

as aviary inmates, and as wild inhabitants of our woods and

farms. The Scops Owl, a very occasional straggler to these

islands, is a regular summer visitor to Southern Europe, and is

almost or entirely an insedt eater.


I have always found them very difficult to start in confine¬

ment, as they require a most astonishing supply of insedts and

other tender food. However, they seem to get hardier after a

time, and, provided they have sufficient suitable food, have

thriven. They become delightfully tame. For the last two

years we have had a pair flying loose in a conservatory attached

to the house, who, when a door was opened, used to come into

the hall, perching on the pidtures and the tops of the doors ;

and who would come down to be fed, and allow themselves to be

picked up, without showing the slightest fear. The sight of

a stranger will, however, transform them at once into what

appears to be a broken-off piece of decayed wood with rough

bark on it. This is done by quickly but almost imperceptibly



