394 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



from which spring nettles, thistles, &c, with alder bushes scat- 

 tered about singly or in clumps. 



Left at i.30, the bird not having moved perceptibly.* During 

 most of the time the eyes were closed. 



June 25th. — Found bird sitting at 8.15 p.m. Position a little 

 varied from the usual one. The eye shut, the bird seeming to be 

 asleep or dozing. 



8.21. — A bird churred sleepily, but soon ceased. 



8.30. — The first prolonged churring. I shall referf to the 

 occasional modification of the " churr " when it becomes less 

 instrumental, and more voice, as it were, enters into it (for the 

 ordinary " churr " sounds more instrumental than vocal). I shall 

 also allude to the " chu-oo chu-oo chu-oo " uttered just after the 

 " churr." But besides these the " churr " (as heard by me at 

 this moment) sometimes ends in a sort of jubilee of gurgly notes 

 impossible to describe. 



8.35. — First bird seen flying slowly and clapping its wings in 

 a very leisurely manner. Upon the sound of a gun fired near 

 the noisy " churr " sinks into a low bubbling note. 



8.37. — The Owl flies high in the air in same direction as 

 night before. 



8.49.— Sitting bird relieved. Her mate came, I think, from 

 neighbouring plantation, uttering the " quaw-ee " note, which 

 she acknowledged with a soft churring. The newly-come bird 

 then seated itself beside the other in exactly the same attitude 

 (like a Swift on the ground) at a distance of about six inches, and 

 both birds churred together,! wagging (it is the best word) their 

 whole bodies, as well as their tails, from side to side, especially 

 the one on the eggs. In a second or so this latter rose from the 

 eggs, and flew away to the plantation from which the other had 

 come. This one did not move on to the eggs, but continued to 



* Except blinking the eyes. 



f In concluding " General Observations." 



| "This churring note ... is said to be confined to the male bird, and 

 only uttered when it is perched " (cf. Seebohm, ' History of British Birds '). 

 " The well-known vibrating 'churr' is believed to be uttered by the male 

 only " (cf. Howard Saunders, ' Illustrated Manual of British Birds'). "As 

 the season advances the song of the cock," &c. (cf. Prof. Newton in • Ency. 

 Brit.' (last edition), and also in ' Dictionary of Birds '). 



