346 



8 



Fountaine (Ibis, 1859, p. 273) forty-nine young ones have been reared between 1849 and 1873, 

 they having laid altogether seventy-one good and several bad eggs. Besides this, both Mr. 

 Fountaine and Mr. Gurney reared several grandchildren of the original pair, bred from their 

 young. 



The Eagle Owl breeds early in the season, the eggs being usually laid in March or early in 

 April. The nesting-place is usually on a ledge of rock or in a convenient cleft, except in the 

 large forests, where they are said to be equally often in a tree or else on the ground. So far as I 

 know, but little attempt is made to collect materials to form a nest or a bed on which the eggs 

 are placed, but usually these latter are deposited almost on the bare rock or soil, in the latter 

 case a hole being scratched by the bird. Professor Newton, however, states that, according to 

 some authors, the nest is large, the materials collected being spread over a surface of several 

 square feet. 



Of the eggs of this Owl I have a fair series in my collection, some obtained by myself in 

 Pomerania, and others sent to me by my friend Mr. Carl Sachse, of Altenkirchen, these latter 

 being from Gerolstein, Trarbach on the Mosel, Honingen on the Ahr, and Luxemburg. In 

 shape they are somewhat variable, some being stumpy oval, others almost round, tapering sharply 

 at each end, or tapering but slightly, and in colour pure white, the shell of almost all of them 

 being somewhat rough in grain. In size they vary from 2- 4 a j by If ^ to 2f^ by lf^j and 2\^ by 2^. 

 The number of eggs deposited is usually two or three ; but I know of instances where four have 

 been found in one nest. 



The adult birds described, and the one figured, are in my collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 



a, $. Upland, Sweden, April, b, S. Norrkoping, Sweden, September, c, ?. Norrkoping, August (Meves). 

 d, e,f, 3. Archangel (Piottuch). g, ?. Bulgaria, April (Farman). h, 3. Olympus, Macedonia, January 

 19th {Dr. Kriiper) . 



E Mus. Baron A. von Hiigel. 



a, 2 ■ South of France, b, ? . Dobrudscha, May. c, <3 . Astrachan {Moschler) . 



E Mus. Berol. 

 a, b. Ural (var. sibiricus). 



