MR. If. GURNKY ON TIIE NEW ZEALAND OWL. 
155 
Sir Francis’ Owls had been procured near Tiraaru in the south 
island, a previously known locality for them, and he was informed 
by Mr. Coles that the live one had already been about four months 
in captivity. Fare as Sceloglaux is, this is, nevertheless, the third 
time that it has been brought to England alive, Mr. D. Rowley having 
had two, and Mr. W. Rothschild one in confinement at Cambridge, 
now, with six others, preserved in the rich museum at 'bring. 
Having lately had an opportunity of examining this series at 
'bring, all of them apparently adult birds, I notice considerable 
differences in plumage, which Mr. E. llartert, of the 'bring Museum, 
had also observed. These consist, not only in the general tint of 
the Owls which may fade, but in the shape of the brown spots 
and blotches, particularly on the under-surface, which may mean 
age and sex, or may mean something more. These brown spots, 
which form the centre of the feather, are in some examples of 
Sceloglaux, short, broad, and rounded, suggesting the probability 
that Sceloglau./ moults its body feathers, not by shedding them, 
but by attrition, and the dropping off of the “barbicels.” There 
is also another respect in which Sir Francis Boileau’s pair differ 
from our old Museum specimen, given as long ago as 1854 (and 
thought a great prize by my father even then), — on the scapular 
feathers the white spots are longer and narrower. The under-parts 
are also more tawny, but, no doubt, our bird has faded. ( )ne 
of the examples in the museum at Tring has three or four white 
feathers (albinistic) on the top of the head ; and the bird which 
ilr. Rothschild had in confinement is less rufous than the 
others, and altogether darker and smaller, the result, no doubt, 
of confinement. 
The Sceloglaux in captivity at Ketteringham was tame, but not 
tame enough to eat comfortably when any one was by ; but he had 
an appetite almost too good for a captive, and ejected the feathered 
portions of his meals in the customary pellets. With two toes on 
either side of the perch he sat contented enough in the darkest 
corner, where his flat-crowned and rather square-shaped head, and 
prominent dark eyes, watched with Minerva’s wisdom for what was 
coming ; viewing visitors with apathy, but the approach of a dog with 
some perturbation. The accompanying sketch, taken from a small 
photograph, shows him in his usual position, though not quite enough 
puffed out. The pectoral feathers are extremely thick and downy at 
