Birds. 



6753 



decaying vegetable matter, either under a fir or amongst the gorse. When they 

 could fly the parents led them to a neighbouring wood, and continued to feed them 

 for several weeks. I state the facts of the case, and leave others to judge for them- 

 selves. When a pair of longeared owls take possession of a nest, usually early in 

 March, they roost by it until the first egg is laid, about the middle of the month, 

 when incubation at once commences. Frequently the full complement of eggs — two, 

 three or four in number — are laid on consecutive days, whilst occasionally a week or 

 so may intervene between ; for instance, the second and future ones. As a proof of 

 this, I took a nest last spring which contained four eggs ; of these one was fresh, as 

 though laid that morning ; a second was slightly sitten, whilst the third and fourth 

 were still more so, each differing a little in degree. The difference between each was 

 as much as a day might make. I have previously seen an old bird sitting on her 

 first egg. A second nest which I took contained three eggs ; of these two were 

 deeply sitten, whilst the third was only slightly so. These facts seem conclusive, 

 whilst their beating the trees and bushes, as above related, will tend to show that they 

 take birds off roost. — J. F. Brockholes ; 16, Cleveland Street, Birkenhead, October 3. 



Notes on the Mountain Birds of Jamaica. 

 By W. Osburn, Esq.* 



" Freeman's Hall, Trelawny, Jamaica, 

 "September 6, 1859. 



" Dear Sir, — I have in my former letters made frequent allusion to that 

 very remarkable bird Acanthylis collar is ; and as, during some rainy 

 weather last month, I had unusual opportunities for observing them, 

 I propose to devote this letter to some further remarks. On the 20th 

 of August last they came close to the house, when I procured one. 

 About an hour and a half afterwards my servant again reported them 

 close over, when I got another, this time very fortunately only breaking 

 the wing, so that I was able to observe its actions much more 

 closely. Having washed and restored the broken wing as well as 

 possible, I let it go on the polished floor ; but notwithstanding this 

 unfavourable surface it scuffled off, the tip of the wing and tail touching 

 the floor, at a great rate, taking refuge in a dark corner. On being 

 taken up it made a loud and very harsh screeching, quite distinct 

 from the ordinary scream. On putting it in a position where it could 

 see out, it stretched its neck and made several attempts to rise, tum- 

 bling over each time ; so that without my experience at Grand Vale 

 I should certainly have concluded it could rise from a flat surface. 

 During the whole of this time it made no attempt to stand on the foot, 

 resting always upon the points of the curved claws and the heel-bone. 



* Communicated by P. H. Gosse, Esq., F.R.S. 

 XVII. 3 L 



