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THE MOTTLED OWL IN CONFINEMENT. 
BY C. J. MAYNARD. 
[The following interesting account of this bird was sent me for inser- 
tion in my “Birds of North America,” which I have in preparation. As 
it throws considerable light on the disputed question of the color of the 
bird’s plumage in the first year, I send it to the Naturalist, hoping that 
it may bring out, from other observers, new facts in relation to this spe- 
cies. In presenting it, I will briefly -say that I have found two other 
birds in the first year’s plumage which were decidedly gray ; but these 
are the only instances that I have noticed, although I have examined a 
great number of specimens. Whether we have two species of Scops, or 
whether the young of S. asio are sometimes gray in color, sometimes red, 
remains still uncertain. My own opinion is that the last hypothesis is 
the most correct. — E. A. Samuels.] 
On June 15, 1867, I observed some boys around a small 
owl which was perched on a stick. On closer examination 
I found that it was a young Mottled Owl ( /Scops asio Bona- 
parte) . It was staring about in a dazed manner and seemed 
half stupefied. I easily persuaded the boys to part with it 
for a trifle, and took it home. I should judge that it was 
about two weeks old. It was covered with a grayish down. 
I put it in a large cage, and gave it some meat which it ate, 
but not readily, for it seemed frightened at the sight of my 
hand, and at my near approach would draw back, snapping 
its beak after the manner of all owls. It soon grew tamer, 
however, and would regard me with a wise stare, as if per- 
fectly understanding that I was a friend. 
In a short time it would take food from me without fear ; 
I never saw it drink, although water _ was kept constantly 
near it. Its food consisted of mice, birds, and butchers’ 
meat, on which it fed readily. I kept the bird caged for 
about two weeks, during which time it became quite tame, 
but would not tolerate handling, always threatening me with 
its beak when my hands approached it. As the wires of its 
cage broke its feathers when moving about, and as it hardly 
AMER. NATURALIST, VOL. H. 10 (73) 
