The Bengal Eagle Owl. 
41 
The deportment of my birds leads me to the conclusion that 
they must be partly diurnal in their habits as they sleej) but 
little durin;^ the day, and apparently take an interest in what 
y^oes on around, and also in all persons that look in to admire 
them. The odd bird, which has been with me longest, will 
already take meat, or a dead mouse from the hand. My birds 
also eat their food during" the day, and except once, when in 
error food was given them on their fast day, 1 have never seen 
any food left in their quarters when I lock u]) for the night, 
which I always have done in daylight since they have been with 
lue. 
I feed them on meat-offal, mice, small birds, rats and 
rabbit. 
Mr. D. Dewar, in Cli)nf>scs of Indian Birds, under the 
heading" of " Voices of the Night," writes : "It must suffice to 
make mention of the low, solemn booming" dnrgoon. dnrgoon 
" of the huge rock horned-owl f Bubo bcngalcnsis ) 
Thus, apparently, I have only as yet heard the juvenile 
call from my birds. 
'J"he two following extracts are from the Journal of the 
Bombay Xaiural History Society. 
\'ol. X\'ir., p. 7_'7. " I'linls of Kasliniir .iiul l.iiiima." 
■' Bubo beiijialeiisis. — Tlie Rock-lionicd ( )\vl is i-omnion ; it Ia\> its c'gf,'s in 
March and April." 
\'ol. XX., p. 959. •■ iiirtls of Kolial ,ni<l Kurr.im \'aliey." 
" Bubo bengalensL';. — The Rock-honu-d Owl .... Major .\I,i';r,itli 
■■ writes as follows of this species : — ' .\ resident ;ind fairK common. An 
" example 1 sliot on 13th of January, 1906. was i)Ut U]) in broad d.ivlight 
" from a nullah in which it had just pounced on a huge hull-froi^. It flew 
" away with its prey soine distance, and was killed on the ground. The 
" vast flocks of Pa.ttor ro.^eus that roosted in the cantonments in .August 
" 1905 were inuch harried by Owls, this species being, as far ;is I could 
" ascertain, the chief depredator.' This is tlie common ( )wl of the district." 
