448 
Mr. J. H. Gurney on Pel's Owl. 
birds on the steps of Government House to meet the eye of 
Mrs. O'Connor, seeming to exult in the mortality amongst the 
feathered tribe. f You see wid your own eye, Missus, dat Debil 
Jumbi bird, he go kill all de fowls : Governor tink he hab long 
head, but he no sabey owl: suppose you put him in de stable, 
he see Nelly (Mrs. O'Connor's favourite mare); de horse he go 
tumble down dead.' Death at last ceased to reign amongst 
the poultry population, and Nero became my principal pet; he 
ranged over the Piazza, perching on the branch of a tree; he was 
fed regularly by the orderly on roasted fish, but he often came 
to the dinner-table and flew down for scraps of meat, bread-and- 
butter, which he took gently from myself or Mrs. O'Connor, per¬ 
mitting us to rub his head, crest, neck and back, seemingly en¬ 
joying the caressing. But he would snatch meat or bones from 
the cat or dog, and when the eagle was introduced into his 
company, he beat him in a most unmerciful manner away from 
his peculiar and original portion of the Piazza,—the eagle being- 
one of the fiercest and most pugnacious of African birds, brought 
from the upper part of the Gambia Biver near ( Wallie,' and, 
when in vigour, able to carry away a kid or small lamb. Nero 
luxuriated in a tub of water, frequently washing himself and 
perching on the rim until dry. He was wont to go out to the 
garden or fields, where instantly an immense commotion arose 
among all the birds : the larger ones flew round the owl, keep¬ 
ing a very civil distance—the smaller birds flew away; but Nero 
treated both alike with sovereign contempt; he would return of 
his own accord to the roosting-place in the Piazza, and when put 
out and confined for some days, rejected all food, and pined until 
restored to his perch. With me he was as tame as any canary, 
and after an absence of two months recognized my voice when I 
went to his cage, at Oatlands (Devon), appearing much pleased 
by my taking him out for a walk on the grass. Many natives 
from the interior told me f they had not seen such a bird before ; 
but they considered him unlucky .' I really think Nero is nearly 
sans any relations, and certainly devoid of all friends in Western 
Africa. 
“L. S. O'Connor." 
“ St. Mark’s House, Jersey, 
Sept. 13, 1859.” 
