WILD ANIMALS IN CAPTIVITY 



MEMORANDUM BY COL. o'CONNOR, C.B., LIBUT.-OOL. 1ST W. I. EEGT. 



(Sketch of Nero, the Owl, a " Feetish Bird," from the Biver Oamhia, 



Western Coast of Africa.) 



" During seven years' exploration of Western Africa I only 

 met with one of the species of the owl ' Nero.' He was brought 

 ' a chicken,' full of pen-feathers, or rather down, of a delicate 

 straw-colour, and very thiqk, from a lagoon in the Barra 

 country. No native would admit ' Nero ' as a visitor ; and 

 when the bird was installed in Government House the servants 

 and head people came in a body to remonstrate, asserting 'he 

 was a Gumbi owl,' ' a Feetish ' ! ! ! and would ' destroy and kill 

 any object he looked on.' The chief groom (an old soldier, who 

 had charge of the poultry) insisted that 'every cock and hen 

 would go dead.' Strangely enough, an epidemic broke out, and 

 carried off from fifty to sixty head of fowls ; and each day the 

 groom placed the defunct birds on the steps of Government 

 House to meet the eye of Mrs. O'Connor, seeming to exult in 

 the mortality among the feathered tribe. ' You see wid your 

 own eye. Missus, dat Debil Jumbi bird, he go kill all de fowls ; 

 Govenor think he hab long head, but lie no sabey owl. Suppose 

 you meet him in de stable, he see Nelly (Mrs. O'Connor's 

 favourite mare), de horse he go tumble down dead.' Death at 

 last ceased to reign amongst the poultry population, and ' Nero ' 

 became my principal pet ; he ranged over the piazza, perching 

 on the branch of a tree ; he was fed regularly fey the orderly on 

 roasted fish, but he often came to the dinner-table and flew 

 down for scraps of meat, bread-and-butter, which he took gently 

 from myself or Mrs. O'Connor, permitting us to rub his head, 

 crest, neck, and back, seemingly enjoying the caressing, but he 

 would snatch meat or bones from the cat or dog, and when the 

 eagle was introduced into his company he beat him in a most 

 unmerciful manner away from his peculiar and original portion 

 of the piazza, the eagle being one of the fiercest and most 

 pugnacious of African birds, brought from the upper part of 

 the Gambia river, near 'Wallie,' and when in vigour, able to 

 carry away a kid or small lamb. ' Nero ' luxuriated in a tub of 

 water, frequently washing himself, and perching on the rim 

 until dry. He was wont to go out to the garden or fields, -^liere 

 instantly an immense commotion arose among all the birds ; 

 the larger ones flew round the owl, keeping a very civil dis- 



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