BRITISH BIRDS. 63 



alive in a pigeon-house near Brighton. There were two ; but the other 

 escaped, reminding one of the ale-house sign and inscription — 



" A bird iu hand is better far 

 Than two that in the bushes are." 



Mr. Henry Stevenson, in his ' Birds of Norfolk ' (vol. i. p. 53), gives an 

 instance of a similar specimen killed near Norwich, December 13, 1864, and 

 calls attention to the figure in Kjasrbolling's ' Danmarks Fugler,' pi. vii. He 

 adds, " It is rather rare in all parts of Denmark." As, however, the above 

 illustration is small and, perhaps, not in the hands of all my readers, and this 

 is (as far as I know) the first occasion of this Owl's appearance on the south 

 coast of England, a representation of such a remarkable deviation from the 

 usual type is not out of place. These Danish birds, as they are called, have, 

 I suspect, come across from the Continent ; Professor Reinhardt appears 

 first to have noticed them. At present no authority makes a new species ; 

 neither shall I. Mr. Hancock states, in his ' Birds of Northumberland,' 

 p. 21, that an example was shot in his district a few years ago. The Barn- 

 Owl has a tendency to stand upon one leg ; and I have seen seven in a row 

 asleep, each with one leg up, looking very funny. 



Speaking of the attitudes of Owls, in every illustration of the Long- 

 eared species (^Asio otus) the ears are sticking up ; but they are frequently 

 down, and sometimes one is up and the other down. The difference of the 

 bird drawn up to its full height and puffed out is very great. Mr. Gould has 

 not missed this in the beautiful plate in his ' Birds of Great Britain.' 



We have seen instances, mentioned as above, of this Danish variety on 

 the east and south coasts, from Northumberland to Brighton. It will be a 

 matter of interest to trace it inland and record it ; and I hope to give more 

 information respecting it in a future Part of this work. 



