THE MOTTLED OWL IN CONFINEMENT. 75 
side, then came down with an unerring aim, burying its 
talons deep in the head and back of the mouse. Looking up 
into my face, and uttering its rattling note, as if inquiring 
“Is’nt that well done?” it flew up to its perch with its strug- 
gling prey grasped firmly in its talons, where it killed the 
mouse by biting it in the head and back. During the whole 
act it displayed considerable energy and excitement. 
Again, I have seen it pounce on a dragon-fly which was 
unable to fly, but laid buzzing on the bench; the bird went 
through the same manceuvres as before, striking the dragon- 
fly with the greatest precision, and with both feet. I think 
that these instances prove that the bird can see nearly as 
well in the day as in the night. In both the above instances 
the sun was not shining on the objects struck, but they were 
very near the window, and the light was consequently 
strong. 
Scops will, in taking birds from my hand, almost always 
look up in my face and utter its subdued rattle. In sleeping, 
it usually stands on one foot, both eyes shut, but sometimes 
stretches out at full length, resting on its breast. When 
sound asleep it awakes instantly on its name being. pro- 
nounced, and will answer as quickly as when awake. I 
have heard it utter its peculiar quavering note,on one or two 
occasions, which, notwithstanding its reputed mournfulness, 
has much that sounds pleasant to my ears. When moving 
along a plane surface, Scops progresses, with a half walk, 
half hop, which is certainly not the most graceful gait pos- 
sible. 
When out at night among the trees Scops acts in much 
the same manner as when in the house, hopping from limb 
to limb, looking about with a quick, graceful motion of the 
head, sometimes turning the head around so that the face 
comes directly behind. 
When it returns to the house in the morning, daylight is 
often long passed, and even sunrise. The alarm note is a kind 
of low moan; this was often uttered at the sight of a tamed 
