5202 Birds. 



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 tawny form of Loggie Head. In connexion 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, in the 

 summer of the year just mentioned, from their vocation rather earlier 

 than usual, discovered their retreat, by observing one of the birds go 

 in. This was too much 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 w r ith, two old and two young ones, well fledged ; and the apart- 

 ment was so narrow that only one person could enter at a time, so 

 that help was out of the question; and his ambition grasped the 

 whole. What was he to do, or what could he do ? Turn, and then 

 the birds w T ould have flown. Oh, no ! but, just as I would have done 

 had I been in his place, he set upon them all ; and, after a prolonged 

 and pretty severe battle, in which he got himself a good deal lace- 

 rated 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 it can hardly be described. They were sold, I believe, a few days 

 afterwards, to a doctor; but what became of them afterwards I could 

 never learn. 



The Little Owl {Strix passerina). I give this bird a place here on 

 the authority of a Mr. Wilson, late of this town, who says he saw one 

 in a wood near this place* 



T. Edward. 



Banff, June, 1856. 



* Not Portsay, as printed in the 'Zoologist' (Zool, 5118). 



