
76 THE MOTTLED OWL IN CONFINEMENT. 
gray squirrel (but with which it has now become better iac- | 
quainted), and always at the sight of its old enemy, the dog. ; 
While flying, Scops moves thanieh the air with a quick, — 
steady motion, alighting on any object without missing a : 
foothold. I never heard it utter a note when thus moving. — 
= When perching, it does not grasp with its claws, but holds 
them at some distance from the wood, clasping with the 
soles of the toes. When it has eaten enough of a bird, it 
hides the remaining portions in any convenient place near : 
by; if its hiding-place is then approached, the owl from its — 
perch watches the intruder jealously, and when its hidden 4 
spoils are touched, it lays back its ear-like tufts, snaps its 
beak once or twice, and drops down on the unlucky hand : 
iy 










like an arrow, striking it with its sharp claws until the hand . 
is withdrawn; then, ascertaining that its treasure is safe, 
Scops resumes its perch, idohing at its late disturber with ~ 
most unfriendly eyes. : 
metimes in the daytime it will take a sudden start, flit- : 
ting about the room like a spectre, alighting on different 
objects to peer about, which it does by moving sideways J 
turning the head in various directions, and going through — 
many curious movements ; but it always returns to its perch : 
and settles down quietly. : 
I once placed a stuffed owl of its own species near it, when J 
it ruffled its feathers, gave a series of hisses, moans, 
snappings of the beak, and stretched out one wing at ful 
length in front of its head as a shield to repulse what it p 
to be a stranger invading its own domains. As the st 
bird was pushed nearer, Scops budged not an inch, bu 
looked fiercer than ever; its ruffled back-feathers were 
erected high, its eyes sparkled, and its whole attitude 1 
one of war. 
Some time since the building in ah my pet was Kep 
was torn down, and the bird was absent for two weeks; DU! 
a new building has been erected near the site of the old o 
and to-day I found Scops in the new cellar, sitting on a Jro- 
