CHAPTER OF VARIETIES. 213 



perhaps to the same cause as the similar motions of caged animals in a 

 menagerie. When they are observed to perk up their hind legs in the 

 air while they are standing on their fore legs — a common practice among 

 gnats — it is probably to ascertain, from the agitations of the air, the 

 approach of danger, as they are extremely timid." 



CHAPTER OF VARIETIES. 



Op what use are the aigrettes of certain owls? — Whilst 

 minutely examining a specimen of the little horned or scops owl* 

 (Scops Aldrovandi, Ray), in my collection, I observed that the feathers 

 which form the aigrettes or tufts upon the head were much rubbed and 

 worn. This would seem to imply that these hitherto considered orna- 

 mental tufts are of some decided use to the bird, — but what that use 

 can be, I cannot imagine. These feathers do not appear in the least 

 worn, in the specimens which I possess of the two British species of 

 Otus. E. Blyth. 



Tooting, Feb. 4th, 1834. 



Habits of the tawny wood-owl, or screech-Owl (Ulula 

 stridula, Selby; Strix Aluco of Linnaeus). — An owl of this species, 

 which, with its wing cut, enjoys the range of a large garden in this 

 neighbourhood, is in the constant habit of burying whatever food it 

 cannot eat; scratching up the earth with its feet, and covering up its 

 treasure as carefully as any fox: it does not, however, like that animal, 

 suffer it to remain until it becomes putrid, but returns and scrapes it 

 up again, generally in the course of a few hours. It frequently rests 

 itself sitting, like the African serpent-eater, the cassowary, and various 

 Grallatores, upon the whole length of the tarsus, selecting generally 

 an angle of the garden wall away from the sun, against which awkward 

 place it has rubbed and much injured the appearance of its tail; this 

 circumstance led me to suppose at first that the habit was not common 

 to the species, as the tails of the wild birds are always perfect; but 

 probably in a state of nature they contrive to fix upon situations where 

 no injurv to their plumage can take place. 



E. Blyth. 



Tooting Surrey, Feb. 4th, 1834. 



VOL. II. NO. IV . 



* Shot in Kent. 

 F F 



