344 Banffshire Fauna. [APPENDIX. 
with all truth and justice, be applied to this shining species. What 
a noble-looking bird! What beautiful eyes! the pupil dark, and 
the iris like two rings of the finest burnished gold, set, as it were, 
in a casket of polished silver. I am glad, nay, proud, of being 
able to give this king of British owls a place in my list, and of 
being able, perhaps for the first time, to say that at least one pair 
have been known to breed within the district. A few miles west 
of Portsoy, and not far from Cullen, stands the bold and towering 
form of Loggie Head. In connection with this rocky promontory, 
and about midway up its rugged height, there is a narrow cave or 
chasm called “Dickie Hare.” In this cave a pair of these owls 
bred in 1845. Unluckily, however, for them, a party of fishermen 
belonging to Cullen, returning one morning from their vocation, 
discovered their retreat by observing one of the birds go in. This 
was too good to lose sight of, so up the dangerous and jagged 
precipice scrambled one of the crew, and managed to reach the 
aperture where the bird disappeared; but instead of only one, as 
he expected, he was not a little surprised to find that he had four 
to deal with—two old and two young ones well fledged; and the 
apartment was so narrow that only one person could enter at a 
time, so that help was out of the question ; and his ambition grasp- 
ed the whole. What was he to do, or what couldhe do? Turn? 
—then the birds would have flown. No! but, just as I would 
have done had IJ been in his place, he set upon them all; and, 
after a prolonged and pretty severe battle, in which he got him- 
self a good deal lacerated and his clothes torn by the claws of the 
birds, he succeeded in capturing them all alive, except one of the 
young ones, which fell a sacrifice to the struggle. The state of 
excitement which the little town was in as the man landed with 
his prizes, and the news of his morning’s achievement spread, may 
in some measure be imagined, but can hardly be described. 
Sraix passerina [The Litile Owl]. 
I gave this bird a place on the authority of a Mr. Wilson, who in- 
forms me he saw one in a wood near this place. 
Moscicapa ertsota [ The Spotted Fly-catcher]. 
It is somewhat strange, but not less strange than true, that this syl- 
van and garden-loving species should also be found nestling and 
inhabiting our wild and rocky ravines; yet such is the case. I 
have met with them twice. 
Muscicapa atricaPiLua [ Zhe Pied Fly-catcher]. 
T have a specimen of this bird, a male, in my possession, which was 
shot about thirteen miles from this place. 
