GOLD-VENTED THRUSH AND SPOTTED EAGLE OWL. 103 



Dr. Burkitt generously gave this bird (as well as his specimens 

 of the Hawk Owl and the Great Auk) to Trinity College Museum. 

 In a note in which he vehemently deplores the subsequent dis- 

 appearance of the Pycnonotus from that Museum, he states, " it 

 was poisoned with arsenical soap, so was safe from insects." The 

 coloured sketch mentioned above was inspected by Prof. Newton 

 in 1871, and is now in the Science and Art Museum, Dublin. 



Dr. Burkitt's collecting-book contains an entry of the Spotted 

 Eagle Owl as "Hawk Owl? Preservative, arsenic. Tow. Jan. 27, 

 1851. John Dobbyn, Esq., Woodlds. Shot near Belle Lake. 

 This is not at all like Short-eared Owl, being twice size and much 

 darker." The label on the specimen runs thus : — " Strix bubo ? 

 Linn., nondescript, or is it Eagle Owl? Shot near Belle Lake, 

 Co. Waterford, Jan. 1851. Presented by John Dobbyn, Esq., of 

 Woodlands. Marked this Owl formerly as Strix ulula, or Hawk 

 Owl. R. B. 1862." The words "nondescript, or is it" having 

 been written in different ink, apparently at a different time. 



In his copy of Thompson's work, Dr. Burkitt interleaved this 

 notice regarding it : — " The Spotted Owl, Bubo maculosus, Vieillot. 

 A specimen of this bird was presented to me by the late John 

 Dobbyn, Esq., and skinned, stuffed, and mounted by me Jan. 27th, 

 1851. It was placed among my native birds, where it lay upwards 

 of thirty years unnoticed, till Mr. JEUchard Ussher, of Cappagh, 

 discovered it there, and first brought it into notice, having been 

 marked by me when mounted as a ' Hawk Owl' or Eagle Owl ? 

 (doubtfully), shot near Belle Lake, Co. Waterford, Jan. 1851. 

 Not being able to find any description of this bird in any of my 

 books of native birds, it was then forgotten, and neglected, till 

 Mr. Ussher on inspecting my collection of native birds called my 

 attention particularly to it in 1881, and requested me to send it, 

 with some two other birds, to Mr. A. G. More, of the Natural 

 History Department of the Science and Art Museum, Dublin, for 

 inspection and decision as to its species, in 1882. Mr. More, 

 understanding that it was my intention to leave Waterford for a 

 distant part of Ireland, and that I was willing therefore to part 

 with my collection of Irish birds, appeared anxious to purchase 

 this and the other birds which I had sent him for the Dublin 

 collection. This, of course, I would not listen to, being anxious 

 to dispose of all together did I find a purchaser. However, a 

 short time afterwards, some doubts having apparently arisen 



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