THE BIRD WORLD. 
A Prince of 
Darkness. 
( 8 ) 
turn the Eagle-owl’s poaching proclivities to prac¬ 
tical account, taking for their own use the game 
provided nightly for the young birds by their 
parents, and satisfying the appetites of the de¬ 
frauded owlets with any convenient garbage. 
The Eagle-owl is as accommodating in its breed¬ 
ing habits as in its appetite. It makes no nest, 
but lays its two or three white eggs in any con¬ 
venient spot, among the roots of trees, or at the 
junction of their branches, in the old nest of some 
other large bird, on a ledge, or even a bank. 
In captivity it is about the easiest to manage 
of all birds of prey. It can subsist on one full 
meal a week, and do without water altogether. Not 
that it ought to be treated in this way; for if we 
deprive a wild creature of its liberty, we ought in 
common fairness to make it as comfortable as pos¬ 
sible, not try and see how much it can do with¬ 
out. The bird is also the freest breeder of preda¬ 
tory birds, and more than one generation has been 
obtained in captivity, so that it could easily be 
domesticated. It lives and retains its productive¬ 
ness for long periods; a pair have been known to 
survive more than half a century, and breed regu¬ 
larly for over thirty years. The sexes are alike in 
colour, both having the same tawny-and-black 
plumage, set off by the glorious amber eyes, but 
the male is smaller than the female, with propor¬ 
tionately longer wings, and has a different note, 
his call being a deep, gruff “boo,” while the hen’s 
is “ho-ho-ho,” in a higher tone. 
An aviary for these birds should have a dry, 
sheltered, indoor portion, with an earth floor on 
which they can scrape out a place to lay in, and 
an outdoor flight wherein they can enjoy the air and 
also the sun, for the Eagle-owl does not hate the 
light—it is its unpopularity that keeps it at home 
by day. The perches should be thick boughs, with 
the bark on, and not too numerous. Food should 
be given daily at nightfall, and consist mostly of 
“fur and feather,” plain meat being given as seldom 
as possible, and water for drinking and bathing 
should be regularly provided. Care should be taken 
in approaching the birds when breeding, as at such 
times they are unpleasantly savage, and it is as 
well to keep a broom handy to make them keep 
their distance when the attitude depicted shows 
“the Grand Duke " is out of temper. 
Buff Laughing Kingfisher (Dacelo cervina). 
This breed is more brightly coloured than the familiar n Laughing Jackass," and has light instead of dark eyes. 
