74 THE MOTTLED OWL IN CONFINEMENT. 



















seemed resigned to confinement, I opened its cage and gave — 
it the freedom of the room, leaving the windows open night — 
and day. About this time I gave it the name of “Scops,” to d 
which in a little while it would answer, when called, witha ` 
low rattle, which sounded like the distant note of the king- | ) 
fisher. l 
One morning Scops was missing ; ; diligent search was 4 
made for it, = no owl could be found, mid, reluctantly, we d 
gave it up for lost. Once or twice it was seen in the neig 
paii woods by different people, and once on the roof of a 
barn, but was wild and refused to be caught. It had been 
absent about a week, when, one morning, I was told that my — 
owl was out in the yard. I hastened out and found a halt — 
grown Newfoundland dog playing with my pet. The owl | 
was clinging to his shaggy fur with its claws, snapping its 
beak, and biting fiercely. I immediately rescued poor Scops — 
and carried it into the house. It was raining hard, and the 
bird was wet through. On arriving in its ola quarters it 
seemed pleased, chuckling to itself after its manner. It was 
almost starved, and ate two full-grown blue-birds at the first 
meal. After this time I gave it the privilege of going ¢ 
coming when it pleased, but, mindful of its former experi- 
ence, it never has but once remained away more than two 
days at a time. It now became more attached to me t 
ever, and will, at this time, permit me to pat it gently. — 
When a bird is given it for food, it takes it in its claws 
and with its beak invariably pulls out the wing and t 
feathers first, then eats the head, then devours the intestines: 
then, if not satisfied, it eats the remainder of the bird, feath- 
ers and all. i” 
That this owl sees tolerably well in the daytime I have 
proved to my satisfaction. I caught a mouse and put 
upon a bench near Scops, who was attentively watching ™ 
movements ; the moment it saw the mouse, the owl op 
