76 BIRDS IN SINGAPORE. 
a bulbul and bear it off shrieking in its claws. These birds 
feed also on lizards, and one was once caught in the gardens 
which had pounced on a chamaeleon-lizard (Calotes versicolor). 
This list of hawks and eagles does not by any means com- 
prise all the birds of this group to be met within Singapore. 
We have also here the Goshawk (Astur soleonsis), the Osprey 
(Pandion haliaetus), sometimes to be seen near the coast, and 
some greater rarities such as the Tweeddale Buzzard, ( Perntes 
Tweedaltt), and Spizaetus Kiener?, a most beautiful sepia-brown 
hawk with a fine crest, which it raises and lowers at intervals, 
and thickly feathered legs. This very rare bird was caught in 
the act of killing some tame pigeons, and the lady who caught 
it sent it to the aviary, but after it had been some time in its 
cage, it accidentally escaped and was seen no more. 
Owls (‘* Burong hantu” of the Malays) are plentiful in the 
gardens, and are always to be heard calling at night. The 
ereat fishing-owl (Ketupa javanensis) hiding by day in the woods 
may be seen at night gliding noiselessly in search of mice over 
the flower-beds. I saw one flit by me once with a shrieking 
frait-bat inits claws. It is called ‘““Ketumpo Ketambi” by 
the Malays. 
Of the smaller owls Scops Lempig? is probably the commonest, 
asmall stumpy brown horned owl, which can be heard at night 
uttering its cry of ‘hoop hoop” at intervals. It israther a bold 
little bird, sometimes flying into the verandah and sitting on 
one of the beams of the roof, or eventhe verandah rail, quite 
motionless. It appears to feed on insects for the most part, 
and sometimes nests on a beam in the roof of a house, which 
the Malays consider very lucky, thongh here, as almost all over 
the world, the appearance of the bird in or on the house, is 
considered as a sign of approaching death. It is called ‘“ jam- 
poh” by the natives. : 
The smaller owls never live long in confinement, but the 
fishing owl is easily kept and is very long-lived. 
The barn-owl! (Strix flammea), though it occurs in the Penin- 
sula, must be very rare; and the only one I have seen was 
exhibited some years ago at an agricultural show in Malacca. 
The owls lead one naturally to think of the Night-jar, one 
of which, Caprimulgus macrurus, is often more common than 
welcome, for on moonlight nights especially it keeps up its weari- 
