46 
STKIGID.E. 
sizes, rabbits, and raw meat For the first two days he was 
decidedly in the sulks, retiring to the most distant corner of 
the cage, and scarcely taking any notice of my approach ; but 
afterwards he became more lively, and the moment I went near 
would dash wildly about, snapping loudly with his bill, and 
hissing in great displeasure. At length, fearing that he would 
starve, I was compelled to resort to main force, and accord- 
ingly fed him for several days with ringed plovers, which I 
pushed down his throat as far as I could reach, first cutting off 
their wings, legs, and heads. The process seemed rather to 
astonish him ; and no sooner was the operation over than he 
stretched his neck, tightened the feathers of his head, so as to 
make it appear ridiculously small, closed one eye, inclined his 
head first to one side, then to the other, and altogether behaved 
in such an exceedingly comical manner that it was with no 
little difficulty I could identify the foolish-looking bird before 
me with the mighty Surnia nyctea, which always looks so 
solemn in books and museums. However, in a very few 
minutes afterwards, having been returned to the cage, he 
resumed his former grave appearance, maintaining it until he 
received his next meal upon the following day. I observed 
that the pellet of bones and feathers was never cast up sooner 
than two hours after a meal — sometimes it was much later. 
One lucky day, al^out a fortnight after he came into my 
possession, I found a dead mouse, and forthwith deposited it in 
the cage. Such a tempting morsel was not to be resisted, and 
upon my return shortly afterwards it had disappeared ; the ice 
was fairly broken at last, and thenceforward he fed himself. 
After this I placed small birds before him regularly every 
evening, and they as regularly disappeared within an hour’s 
time. For many days I endeavoured to get a view of the bird 
while in the act of feeding, and frequently spent an hour at a 
time peeping through a small hole in the side of the cage ; but 
tlie time was spent in vain, for he would never touch his food 
while I remained near, although it was very soon devoured 
after my departure. T fed him regularly at sunset, and still 
