Birds. 2141 



The next day, at sunset, I watched them flying to their wonted roost ; but I could 

 number only three. What had become of the two others ? And day after day they 

 came, until my departure for England, two months later, — nearly ten months after I 

 had adopted them. Does it not look like gratitude for my having rescued them from 

 their untimely fate, from death by pestle and mortar ? — S. C. Malan ; Broadwindsor, 

 Dorset, April 4, 1848. 



Parental Affection in the Owl (Strix flammea). — During the last spring an old ivy- 

 clad tree was blown down by the wind at Chesterton, Oxfordshire. Its fall dislodged 

 a family of white or barn owls. The parent bird placed the young ones under the 

 shelter of the tree, and continued her maternal duties, undisturbed by the frequent vi- 

 sits of the keeper on his rounds. One morning, however, after looking at the young 

 birds, he was turning to go away, when the old bird flew at him, knocked his hat off, 

 and inflicted a wound on his face, narrowly missing his eye. — Thomas Prater ; Bices- 

 ter, April 18, 1848. 



Occurrence of the Tawny Owl (Strix stridula) in Ireland. — I have received a fine 

 specimen of the tawny owl from Queen's County, and have seen a second. Mr. Yar- 

 rell observes of this bird, that it has not been recognized by practical ornithologists as 

 existing in Ireland. — Robert J. Montgomery ; Manor House, Raheny, near Dublin, 

 May 18, 1848. 



Long Captivity of a Specimen of the Little Owl (Strix passerina). — It may be worth 

 recording, that the Strix passerina which was stated to have been captured near 

 Derby, in an early number of the ' Zoologist ' has lived in confinement ever since, 

 till it was killed by a cat a few days ago. This is a longer period of captivity 

 than it is said in Yarrell to be able to endure. Shortly after I obtained it, it re- 

 fused its food, and I was afraid it would die ; but it was suggested that it wanted 

 water, and so it proved, for it drank greedily what was given it, and with a constant 

 supply of water has ever since remained in good health. It has been fed with raw 

 meat, and only occasionally a mouse or bird has been given it. Though placed in a 

 cage, in a passage where people are constantly passing, it never got over its natural 

 wildness ; but it knew the persons who were in the habit of feeding it, and made a 

 plaintive noise when they were present. Now and then, at night, it raised its sharp 

 cries. Its winking, courtesying and snapping made it appear singularly grotesque, as 

 mentioned by Mr. Yarrell. The edges of the eyelids being everted gave a remarkable 

 appearance to its large white eyes. I do not myself know the circumstances of its 

 capture, but it seems not improbable that it was one of those turned out by Mr. Wa- 

 terton at Walton Hall, if it is of the same species, as I suppose it is. — J. Wolley ; 3, 

 Roxburgh Terrace, Edinburgh, March, 1848. 



Egg of the Redwing (Turdus iliacus). — It is somewhat singular that there should 

 exist any difference of opinion as regards the colour of the eggs of the redwing, which 

 is by no means a rare bird in many parts of Europe. Temminck, who ranks among 

 the first ornithologists, seems to rest satisfied with the testimony of the Swedish natu- 

 ralist, Nilsson, and says, after him, that the eggs of the redwing are " blue spotted 

 with black." I have not Dr. Thienemann's figure by me ; but several specimens of 

 the eggs of the redwing, in the possession of a friend of mine, who received them from 

 Dr. Thienemann himself, entirely agree with Temminck's description of them. I have 

 also examined a great number of eggs, said to be those of the redwing, in oological 

 collections abroad, which correspond exactly with Nilsson's " blue spotted with black." 

 They resemble small rounded eggs of the song thrush, so as not to be distinguished 

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