t-NRLF B 3 E7E 3 VWRBNCH ,VUST3R / **, 7 NATURAL HISTORY PAPERS. Green be the turf above thec, Friend of my better days ; None knew thee but to love thee, Nor named thee but to praise. NATURAL HISTORY PAPERS MEMOIR N. LAURENCE AUSTEN. ED1TKD BY FRANK BUCKLAND, M.A., INSPECTOR OF SALMON FISH KKI KS. |a Hlcm0riam. FEINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION BY R. CLAY, SONS, AND TAYLOR, BREAD STREET HILL. 1877. CONTENTS. PAGE NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROTDON 1 THE WILD REINDEER OF NORWAY 12 BRITISH BATS 33 EXPERIMENTS WITH POISONOUS SNAKES. -COBRA, PUFF-ADDER, AND CERASTES 49 TARIETIES OF THE TIGER AND LEOPARD 54 EFFECTS OF VALERIAN ON TIGERS 60 HABITS OF THE CHEETAH 64 CURIOUS SPECIMEN OF A DRIED CAT 70 RAVENS NESTING IN CONFINEMENT 73 ON THE FORM AND STRUCTURE OF DINORNIS GIGANTEUS . . 78 BRITISH SHREW-MICE 84 ON THE HABITS OF THE WATER-SHREW 87 THE OARED-SHREW 92 WATER-SHREWS KILLING YOUNG FISH 94 BRITISH ARVICOL^E, OR VOLES 96 THE WATER-VOLE AND FISH 102 GNAWED CARIBOO HORNS .103 THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT 104 vi CONTENTS. PAGE THE OYSTER Ill NOTES ON THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN 119 THE REPTILE VIVARIUM 123 HYBERNATIOX OF FROGS 127 SENDING TOADS TO NEW ZEALAND 129 THE CRESTED ANOLIS 131 HABITS OF THE TITMOUSE 136 HEDGEHOGS SUCKING COWS 139 THE EYES OF THE MOLE 141 BREEDING AUSTRALIAN PAKOQUETS 143 RABBITS AND THEIR YOUNG 144 OAT SUCKLING YOUNG FERRETS 145 DO RODENTS REQUIRE WATER ? 147 NEST OF THE TEN-SPINED STICKLEBACK 148 THE AYE-AYE 151 WEIGHT OF OTTERS 157 WASPS AND BEES 158 THE EARLESS MARMOT 100 THE HAMSTER 163 A JUNGLE RECOLLECTION 168 PORTRAIT OF THE RATEL, ETC 177 ARSLAN, THE TURKISH WOLF-DOG . . .185 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. CARIBOO-HORNS To face page 17 THE REINDEER * „ „ 31 THE RAVENS' NEST AT CROYDON „ „ 73 TWO ELEPHANTS' HEADS „ „ 105 THE CRESTED ANOLIS „ „ "131 THE AYE-AYE „ „ 151 THE RATEL . . „ „ 177 MEMOIR OF THE LATE NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. BY THE EDITOR. THE reader would probably like to know how this memoir of Nathaniel Lawrence Austen had its origin. About Christmas time, 1876, I proposed to the respected Mother of our late lamented friend that it would be advisable to collect and print an " In Memoriam " volume of the natural-history writings of this talented young gentleman. Having been Editor of the Natural History and Fishery columns of Land and Water from the commencement, in 1866, of that publication, I have selected the following papers from Mr Austen's numerous and able contributions to its columns. x MEMOIR OF THE LATE Nathaniel Lawrence Austen was born on the 21st June, 1847, at the Acacias, Croydon. His mother informs me that, as quite a child, he was passionately fond of watching all living things. His parents always encouraged this natural ability, and allowed him, at his own free will (even at that early age, and still in the nursery), to hunt for frogs, toads, mice, birds, &c. As he grew up he observed and collected all the animals he could find in the garden of the Acacias, Croydon, and when about six years old, and just able to frolic about, he was taken by his parents to Margate, where they gave up to him the balcony of the house for a museum and vivarium. As the tide went down young Austen followed the receding waves, collecting all the " curios," both living and dead, for his marine observatory in the balcony. Even if I had not had the pleasure of knowing intimately this very talented young man, the cha- racteristics of his mind must have become apparent from his writings. He had very great powers of accurate observa- tion of living creatures, their instincts, habits, and structure. He had that peculiarity which but few persons possess, namely, a natural sympathy with what are generally called dumb animals, and this NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. xi faculty so strongly developed in him will account for his wonderful power over animals. He writes : " There seem to be few if any animals which are not susceptible of the influence of man, and cannot be rendered docile by an unvarying course of kind yet firm treatment." Again we read : "I always endeavour by means of kind treatment to make my animals and birds agree with one another, and have reconciled many of the most opposite classes. As I now write a large wolf-dog is lying close to me, with the large tom-cat ('the marmot's friend') snugly pillowed amongst his thick fur, while a magpie is hopping about close to them, and one of the dormice is nibbling a nut within two inches of the cat's paw." These habifcs of sympathy with, and kindness to, creatures inferior to us in the scale of creation enabled him to have great success with the breeding of animals. The article on the " Nesting of the Eagle Owl at Croydon " will show that, in his own words, " to induce birds of this genus to breed in confinement it is always necessary to have the cage or aviary adapted to the habits of the species kept, and on no account must the birds be disturbed in any way during the period of incubation." He was so careful, that he would not allow the gravel to be rolled or the grass cut with the mowing machine, for fear of disturbing them. xii MEMOIR OF THE LATE He certainly would not have succeeded in breeding these owls if he had not known that they make their nests in an excavation in the earth. Knowing well the habits of the raven, he supplied his birds with the suitable material and conditions for nesting, and in consequence was enabled to record the structure of the nest, and many other interesting points in the habits of these birds, which I regret to say are gradually becoming very scarce in England. He extended his researches into the breeding of fish. His description of the ten-spin ed stickleback forming its nest is very accurate. " The situation he (the fish) chose was on an irregularly shaped pebble, which rested against the glass side of the tank, enabling me to watch its movements closely. He took great pains in his building, and interlaced the various portions of the structure with great care. " The young fish made their appearance in twelve days, and were comparatively sluggish for the first part of the time, remaining either upon or in the immediate vicinity of the nest." A point to be noted in Mr. Austen's character was his kind consideration for the lives and welfare of the birds, beasts, and fishes which came under his observation, whether in the wild state or in his room as pets. Thus, when he discovered the nest NATHANIEL LAWKENCE AUSTEN. xiii of the " eagle owl " in Norway, he writes : "I watched the family group for some time ; I left them without disturbing them or injuring them in any way/' I fear that there are few sportsmen that would have allowed these poor birds to live, as did our humane friend, Austen. Then, again, how considerate he is towards his pets, taking every possible care of them until the time when his great knowledge of their habits informed him that if he continued his attentions to them any further, they would probably not survive such attentions, even though they were well meant for their comfort and happiness. He writes, p. 40, " My young bat throve wonder- fully well, and lived with me more than four months, when / gave him his liberty with the others, as I was afraid they might not bear the cold of the winter so well in confinement as if per- mitted to chose their own places for hybernation." Mr. Austen was a true sportsman in every sense of the word. Three times he took shooting expedi- tions to Norway. The first was in 1869 ; the result of these trips was the admirable and accurate de- scriptions of the " Keindeer in his native home." These expeditions required much power of en- durance and pluck. Mrs. Austen informs me that her son once had a narrow escape ; he slipped down the side of a precipice, his rifle being slung on his xiv MEMOIR OF THE LATE back ; beyond somewhat severe bruises in the back, he escaped injury. Mr. Mattieu Williams writes : — " I should not recommend anybody to attempt deer-stalking alone ; for a sprained ankle, a broken leg, or even a slighter accident or ailment, might, when thus beyond the reach of help, be fatal. " Pluck, patience, self-control, endurance of hardship, and the general qualities of true manhood are demanded of the wild reindeer hunter. " Two or three weeks he may have to spend in the chase* with the game more or less in view all the time, before the opportunity of a shot is obtained. The huntsman living all the while on the wild moorland field, and more or less upon the snow, feeding upon what he carries with him, plus occa- sional (but rare) windfalls of fladbrod and draughts of milk at solitary saeters. He sleeps on the rocks, or within some lone rude hut, always keeping hidden and to the leeward of the game ; as the scent of a man to windward is detected by the deer long before he comes within gunshot. " I was told of cases where deer were thus followed for days, while at last, when the sportsman had crept within a few yards of their range, he was seen, or scented; the deer bounding away, and being altogether lost. " The first Norsk phrase that every tourist should learn and use is ' Vaer saa god ' (' Be so good '). It is a common compli mcntary expression, and used as a prefix to every request, and acts like a talisman in securing prompt and cheerful attention." Austen was also endowed with a great power of word-painting ; here, for instance, is a pretty passage describing an exciting stalk after reindeer. "Down we crept as cautiously as possible, taking NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. xv care to place our feet so as not to allow pebbles to roll down, and above all to prevent the rifle-barrels clinking against the stones. After about half- an - hour's caterpillar-like progress, great part of which was in the bed of an icy-cold mountain stream, we reached the masses of disrupted rock, and at length found ourselves within 150 yards of the deer. For the first time I had the opportunity of a good look at these splendid animals in their wild state/' His ideas of a herd of elephants based upon his knowledge of their structure and their habits (see p. 107) is also written in his best style. Concerning shrews he writes, "A small colony frequently inhabit the same spot, and towards the cool of the evening may be observed searching for food, and sporting with each other in the water, now hiding behind stones or large leaves to elude their companions, and then darting out to engage in a general skirmishing chase, diving and swimming with the greatest activity, and occasionally taking a plunge into their holes." There are many other prettily-written passages in his writings which the reader will doubtless duly appreciate. Mr. Austen was a true disciple of Paley, who wrote that admirable book on Natural Theology. Austen, like Paley, saw Beauty, Design, and Order in all God's works, as exemplified by the Creation. xvi MEMOIR OF THE LATE His description of the foot of the reindeer as admirably adapted to traverse the snow- covered Norwegian mountains is well described at page 16, and his explanation of the use of the reindeer's horn at page 1 8 will be new to many. Formerly it was supposed that the palmated brow antlers of this animal were used to shovel away the snow that concealed the moss which formed the animal's food. Mr. Austen's explanation of the real purpose to , which the antlers are applied is excessively interesting. The portrait of the Aye- aye and its curiously- formed paw or hand at page 151 will be examined, after reading Mr. Austen's account, with interest, inasmuch as he describes the use of the peculiar long finger, which before a living specimen was observed in captivity was a considerable puzzle to naturalists. Notice also the explanation of the use of the cheek-pouches of the Hamster described at page 163. As regards colours our author has several good passages to show how the colours of animals are not the work of chance, but of design. He instances at p. 50 the vivid green of the tree-snakes, the sand tint of the poisonous cerastes, the colour of the lion, and the stripes on the tiger's coat. The subject of birds7 nests also affords him an additional argument ; and he instances the nest of NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. xvii the golden-crested wren as closely simulating the colour of the bark of the branch on which it is built, p. 121. The clothing of animals was carefully noticed by him ; his remarks at p. 57 on the hairy tiger, the fur of the -bat, the water-vole, and especially the ear of the water-shrew, showed that already he was collecting evidences of design. In many passages we may discern that our author had already worked out for himself an outline of the wonderful manner in which animal life is regu- lated by the law of "eat and be eaten." When writing of the oyster, p. 117, we find this idea well expressed, thus, " I think it will be found in all animals that multiply their species at a very great rate, of which every individual brings forth its thousands, that on the opposite side of the balance- sheet there are a great number of enemies ever present to keep under the species and prevent its increasing in undue ratio." He applies this observation to real practice in his instructions as to how to manage a reptile vivarium. He describes a failure from want of knowledge of the habits of each animal in the following words : — "A pretty scene of confusion took place ; fish were killed or had their flesh eaten away by voracious beetles ; newts escaped and were trodden upon, or were found in unexpected places to the terror of weak-nerved persons." xviii MEMOIR OF THE LATE Ever since I myself began the study of natural history I have always endeavoured to im- press the necessity of turning it to account for the benefit of mankind. I first coined the term " Practical Natural History," an idea which was at first much derided, but which has now become fully recognised, in which I was greatly supported by my friend Mr. Henry Lee, of The Waldrons, Croydon. Mr. Austen's mind was of a most practical turn ; his observations of the habits of toads and frogs enabled him to advise in a matter which at first sight does not appear to be of very great import- ance. I refer to his advice on the question of sending toads to New Zealand (where they are greatly needed), as now recorded at p. 129, for the information of those colonists who wish to benefit New Zealand by the introduction of an apparently useless, and I fear much despised, reptile. His discovery that water-shrews are fish-eaters has proved of great use to the, I am glad to say, numerous breeders of salmon and trout by arti- ficial means. Precautions to prevent water-shrews killing the fry are now taken, since the time that Mr. Austen's remarks were published. When instituting experiments on the breeding of oysters at Keculvers, near Herne Bay, with Mr. Henry Lee, our mutual friend Austen frequently came down to assist at and watch our proceedings. NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. six The result of these visits was a paper on the oyster, p. 111. The facts mentioned I thoroughly endorse, and I regret much that the paper remains unfinished by the author.1 After reading Mr. Austen's papers in this little book, naturalists — whether young or old — will see that a large field of observation yet remains to be worked. Our author's monograph on the "British Bats/' the able paper on " Shrew-mice/' tell us much that is new relative to the structure and habits of these creatures, which are so rarely observed. The paper on Hedgehogs (p. 139) entirely dissipates the idea that they will suck cows ; and after reading his humane advice relative to keeping rabbits and rodents without water (pp. 144 and 147) much misery will be spared to these unfortunate little animals, who will for the future, I trust, owe a regular water-supply to the remarks of Mr. Austen. I have not placed Mr. Austen's papers in a defi- nite order. I have printed them in such a manner that hardly a page can be opened without the reader finding some pleasant and useful information. 1 I am happy to be able to state that an Act of Parliament was passed in the session of 1877 for regulating oyster culture. The chief and most important provision of this act is a close time for native oysters from the 14th May to the 4th August. b xx MEMOIR OF THE LATK I have given a photograph of our author from a negative taken by Mr, Rylands, of Cambridge. It is a capital portrait. In stature Mr. Austen was broad-shouldered, and built like a little Hercules. His eyes were peculiarly brilliant, quick, and very observant. He had a splendid memory, and was an excellent linguist ; the quick way he picked up the Norwegian language when reindeer-shooting in Norway amply proved this. Although retiring and unobtrusive in his habits, he was very courageous and quick at expedients. He was a proficient in all manly exercises, and was a great adept at the sword-exercise and fencing. In fact he was an excellent swordsman, being able to per- form many feats with ease that required skill and strength. I was always glad to see him when he called at my house in Albany Street ; and Mr. Searle, my secretary, informs me that when I was out and could not be with him, or when tired of examining my specimens and books, he was very fond of taking down the sword and displaying his skill in sword- exercise. Mr. Austen was educated at Aldenham, near St. Alban's. In 1868 he went to Peterhouse College, Cambridge, and when studying there made the acquaintance of his friend Mr. Laidlay. Mr. Laidlay has been kind enough NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. xxi to write the following reminiscences of his friend : — "I first became acquainted with my much- lamented friend Austen upon the occasion of his entering St. Peter's College, Cambridge, as a fellow- commoner, at the beginning of the Michaelmas Term, 1868, and from that date until his sad and untimely death our friendship continued uninter- rupted. Although some nine years — years, alas ! but too full of change — have slipped away since our first meeting, still I have a most vivid and distinct remembrance of it, and of the conversation, so cha- racteristic of my poor friend, which took place soon afterwards. We were introduced to each other in the Combination Eoom of the College, and then almost at once went into the Dining Hall. During dinner it so happened that Austen and myself sat side by side, and before long the conversation turned upon wild sports, the fiercer forest animals, and natural history in general. I need hardly say Austen introduced these subjects, and much sur- prised me at least with the keen interest and know- ledge which he displayed in connection with them. That conversation proved a true index and guide to the character and tastes of its originator, and was the forerunner of many like itself. These conversa- tions were always extremely interesting to me, and b 2 xxii MEMOIR OF THE LATE particularly so when my poor friend spoke of his personal experiences or observations, for I knew him to be at once a keen and truthful observer of nature. In the ordinary course of events Austen and myself must ere long have got to know each other fairly well from the circumstance of our dining daily together ; but our opportunities for meeting and friendly intercourse were greatly in- creased by the fact that Austen's rooms were on my staircase, iyand indeed next door to mine. Thus for three and a half years I lived within a few yards of one who had many friends ; and it is in virtue of the opportunities which were afforded me of knowing him, rather than because I profess to have been intimate with him above all his other Cambridge friends, that I venture to write this brief sketch of his college life. " At college, as elsewhere, life has its needful drudgery, its routine, its pleasures and disappoint- ments, nay, even its monotony, and Austen's lot differed but little from the ordinary lot in this respect — that his university life, like that of most, had its sunshine and its shade. But I need not attempt to follow my poor friend through all the minute details and experiences of his sojourn at Cambridge. It will be sufficient for the purposes of this introductory notice, if I deal briefly with the manner and nature of his studies and amuse- NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. xxiii ments — for study and amusement, as all know, form the two grand divisions of university time. As re- gards his studies, T may say that in a sense Austen was always studying, for the commonest weed or the humblest insect was to him a study and a joy. Nature was the book he loved to read, and right diligently did he devote himself to the perusal of her exhaustless pages. With such a passion and absorbing love for the study of natural science, can it be wondered that the study of the ordinary, but none the less necessary, subjects prescribed as preliminary to every degree, should have proved somewhat irksome and distasteful to him. The study of nature was a pleasure, nay, more almost a necessity ; the acquisition of Greek, Latin, and mathematics a labour and a toil. And so it was that many and many an hour which some of us believed, or at least hoped, was being spent in getting up necessary routine work, was after all devoted to the study that he loved, and in which he so much excelled. To this tendency to post- pone such distasteful tasks a temptation was never wanting — for my poor friend's rooms overlooked the college grove and gardens, a situation for observing nature such as but few college rooms afford. In the grove was confined a small herd of deer ; need I say that they were objects of interest to Austen, whose liberality, if not his voice, was well known to xxiv MEMOIR OF THE LATE all of them, as they lingered beneath his window in patient expectation ? And then the garden, with its plants, its moths, its nightingales, and the old elms in which the large fen bats had their homes ; had they not also their charm and grave interest to him that is gone ? Indeed they had ; and even now, after a lapse of years, I might tell much of his doings in that grove and garden, for even as I write I seen\ to see him walking there. " But while writing of the delight and enthusiasm with which my poor friend prosecuted his favourite study, I should be much to blame if I made no mention of his skill in pen-and-ink drawing. This gift, for such it really was, gave great pleasure to his numerous friends, who in the evenings literally flocked to his rooms, such was his popularity ; and many and many a time have I seen him dash off an effective sketch to clinch some argument or satisfy some importunate and inquisitive guest. In my opinion these drawings — of which I fear but few now exist — more than anything Austen said or did or wrote, unmistakably and convincingly prove that he was a born naturalist. " Their subjects were invariably animals, drawn entirely from memory with great rapidity ; and I may add great continuity and precision of out- line. The only materials he used were ink and paper ; his only instrument a quill. But with such NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. xxv simple appliances the greater skill is required, as in most cases a faulty outline cannot be corrected. Yet Austen's pen rarely wavered, and so strongly was imprinted on his mind the image which he wished to portray, that with a few sweeps and dashes of his pen he produced a spirited represen- tation of some monarch of the desert or humbler animal, as occasion might demand. .Nor did Austen confine himself to drawing particular animals for ever in one stereotyped attitude, as is the habit of those in whose mind there dwells not the image of the animal itself, but merely the recollection of some picture or drawing which they have seen of that animal ; but, on the contrary, he was able and ready to draw in any position that might be suggested or required. "There was also implanted in poor Austen's nature, almost as strongly as was his passion for natural science, a love of sport ; and this leads me to say a few words about his amusements generally. Though I feel I have in some measure dealt with these already, in speaking of that pursuit which was at once his favourite study and chief delight. I cannot say that Austen took much interest, or at any rate any very active part, in the ordinary amusements of university life, such as boating, cricket, &c. He devoted more attention, however, to gymnastics, fencing, boxing, and sword xxvi MEMOIR OF THE LATE exercise ; but although he excelled in all of these last- named exercises, I think he always looked upon them as makeshift amusements, only worthy of being taken up when nothing better could be had. The love of sport, the love of the dusky hills, and the wild sounds of the uninhabited places of the earth, have their charms for most of us ; but for him of whom I write they had an almost irresistible attraction. Shooting of any and every kind, fishing when and where it could be had, and the almost equal pleasure of preparing for these pursuits, occupied no inconsiderable portion of his thoughts and time, and, therefore, 1 think that these must be held to have been, even while he was at college, his chief amusements. He was not only fond of sport, but more than that, was a keen and thorough sportsman, prepared to endure much and make considerable sacrifices to gratify this instinct. My poor friend's expeditions to Norway in quest of reindeer are far more con- vincing proof of that than any mere statement of mine can be. Those expeditions to Norway, which bear such powerful testimony to his enthusiasm for sport, are spoken of in another portion of this introductory notice, so I need say no more about them, than that I fully endorse the opinion there expressed as to the pluck and courage of him who feared not to walk the gloomy hills alone. NATHANIEL LA WHENCE AUSTEN. xxvii But, alas ! how sad is it now to recall the prepara- tions he made for these expeditions to Norway, his pleasure in speaking of what he had there seen and done, his hopes of being able to go back again some day, and then to awaken to the sad reality that he is gone from us, — gone never to return. I might write much of his love for sport, I might tell how I have seen him with nervous and anxious care stalk some seal or heron ; but although it is needless to detail such incidents in order to con- vince any one who knew my poor friend — and this introduction is only addressed to such — that he was an enthusiastic sportsman, still, I cannot refrain from describing one evening's shooting we enjoyed together ; an evening which I know made a lasting impression on him as on myself. " We had been out all day fruitlessly trying to get near some wild ducks, and as we returned I suggested that we should go to the ruins of Tantallon Castle, and try the wild rock pigeons by moonlight, so accordingly we did. The night was calm, and the moon, having waded through the few frosty clouds which hung on the horizon, cast a flood of light, making night almost as bright as day. We took up our position in the shadow cast by the great central tower, and far beneath us stretched the restless sea, weaving its silvery web in the moonbearis. There was no wind, scarce a xxviii MEMOIB OF THE LATE breath stirred the mighty ocean, ouly the recollec- tion of some past gale moved its troubled breast ; and the hollow cliffs echoed and exaggerated the sullen mutterings of its waves as they dashed upon the sea-worn rocks beneath. The scene, the sounds, and associations, were impressive, but for a time at any rate they were forgotten, as the pigeons, dis- turbed by our entrance, whirled round the ruin, occasionally trying to settle above us upon the centra] tower.; Fortune smiled upon us, and Austen was perfectly delighted ; indeed, I never heard him express himself so strongly with reference to any sport as he did that evening as we walked home in the calm clear moonlight in happy ignorance of the future. Next night we returned to the ruin, but it was amid rain and wind — such are the vicissitudes of life. "And now 1 have dealt briefly with the studies and amusements which were dearest to my friend ; but I cannot close this brief notice without alluding to that kindliness and hospitality, which were among his chief characteristics. " He was indeed 'given to hospitality/ a hospi- tality which was not only for his own companions, but extended gracefully to their relatives, and even to their chance visitors. When he learned that any such were sojourning — for however short a time — in Cambridge, he was ever anxious to be NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. xxix allowed to help his friends in doing the honours of the College, and thus many a choice little entertain- ment, improvised with good taste and well-timed fitness, doubly gratified his friends and the guests who were at once theirs and his. But besides, and better far than this view of genial kindness, he pos- sessed that sincere and constant amiability which not only conduces to the formation of friendships, but is a perfect guarantee for their continuance when made. But I need say no more about the talents, tastes, and virtues of him that is gone, for his writings, to which this introduction is prefixed, suggest and indicate, if they do not fully disclose, his talents, while his kindliness, generosity, and goodness of heart were self-evident and dear to all who knew him, and for such alone I believe this work to be intended. He is gone. Death has robbed his friends, and myself in particular, of a kind, amiable companion, a true and faithful friend ; and now there remains to us nothing but his cherished memory ! and truly thankful am I not only that I have none but the most pleasing recol- lections of him, but also that they form an im- perishable possession, of which nothing, no, not even time itself, can deprive me." Among our intimate and mutual acquaintances was Mr. A. D. Bartlett, Resident Superintendent xxx MEMOIR OF THE LA^E at the Zoological Gardens, Kegent's Park. Having read the proof sheets of this volume, Mr. Bartlett expressed to me his opinion that it is the work of a talented, painstaking young naturalist. Mr. Austen was accustomed to make frequent and long visits to the various animals under Mr. Bartlett's charge in the Kegent's Park Gardens. So anxious was he to learn all he could, that Mr. Bartlett, finding that the young man really wished to study, frequently allowed him to accom- pany him round the gardens when he made his official inspections, in order to assist him in carry- ing on his various researches. In return, Mr. Bartlett acknowledges that he is indebted to Austen for valuable hints as to how to keep alive and in good health water voles, shrews, and common moles. He desires me to add, as a comment to Austen's remarks on hairy tigers at page 55, that there is now in the gardens a tiger from Amoy, in China, which has a long, woolly coat, and in the same den with this animal is also a Malay tiger, which has a short coat. The great difference in the hair of the two tigers confirms Mr. Austen's remarks as to the effect climate produces on the coats of tigers. On page 66, Mr. Austen mentions the quiet disposition of the cheetah. There are, however? exceptions to this. NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. xxxi A cheetah belonging to H. R. H. the Prince of Wales, now in the gardens, is a disagreeable savage animal, no amount of kind treatment will tame him ; there is also in the collection another cheetah from South Africa, called the woolly cheetah, this also has an untamably bad temper. When writing of the African elephant at the gardens (see page 106), Mr. Austen remarks : " He is at present, Feb. 24, 1866, between five and six years old, and will probably prove a very large animal, being now five feet one inch in height." The elephant is now no less than ten feet five inches in height, so that he has grown five feet four inches in eleven years. This is the most rapid growth of an elephant on record. Sir Joseph Fayrer tells Mr. Bartlett that no Indian elephant ever grew at this unprecedented rate. This beast has grown twice as much as an Indian elephant in the same time. So that Mr. Austen's prophecy, that this African elephant would grow to a large size, has been fulfilled. This rapid growth is due to the great care Mr. Bartlett takes that the skin of the elephant shall be kept clean and soft. Mr. Bartlett recollects quite well Austen's trying experiments on tigers with valerian, as recorded at page 60. He thinks Austen's discovery very im- portant, as it may enable hunters in India to attract and kill man-eating tigers. These are generally xxxii MEMOIR OF THE LATE mangy, worn-out old brutes, who find it much easier to kill a human being than to catch a deer or stag. Austen's success in breeding the eagle owl Mr. Bartlett thinks highly commendable. Mr. Bartlett has been lately travelling in Norway ; he never saw anything more than the foot-tracks of the reindeer in the snow regions. He was never as fortunate as Austen to see the living animal on its native mountains. Mr. Bartlett found the same moss as eaten by the wild Norwegian reindeer growing abundantly in the deer forests of His Grace the Duke of Sutherland ; he therefore considers there would be no difficulty in acclimatizing reindeer in Suther- landshire, should his Grace wish to introduce a new game animal into these northern highlands. Mr. Bartlett has now in his possession a foot of one of the reindeer killed by Mr. Austen. It is hand- somely mounted as a pincushion. He considers that Austen's chapter on the reindeer of Norway, p. 12, contains probably the best observations ever published on this interesting animal, as in his remarks he has combined the courage of the sportsman with the science of the naturalist. The sketch of the reindeer facing page 31 is highly characteristic of the living aniinal. He has several sketches of animals done by Austen. He was often NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. xxxiii surprised at the quickness and fidelity with which he dashed off these life-like portraits of living creatures. At Stavanger and Bergen, Mr. Bartlett met some gentlemen and guides who had been Austen's com- panions when stalking reindeer, as recorded at page 12. From their remarks he learned that Austen was a great favourite, and that his untimely loss would be greatly felt by the hunters and guides among the mountains of far-distant Norway. It was first through my friend Mr. Henry Lee of The Waldrons, Croydon, that I made Mr. Austen's acquaintance. Mr. Lee has been good enough to add the following obituary memoir of our mutual friend : — On the 10th day of August, 1874, this intel- lectual, clever, and amiable young naturalist was taken from his sorrowing mother and numerous friends by the hands of an all-wise Providence. The cause of his much-regretted death was a fall from his horse. The funeral took place at Canterbury on Saturday, 15th August, 1874. He was followed to the grave by some of his most intimate friends. A photograph is given of the tomb erected to his memory. Thus has passed away from amongst us a xxxiv NATHANIEL LAWRENCE AUSTEN. young man of the greatest ability and promise, both as a member of society and as a student of the works of the Creator. This little book is printed at the wish of his bereaved and broken-hearted mother, in order that his loving memory may long be cherished by his numerous friends and acquaintances, and especially by those connected with his much-loved home and native town, Croydon. Requiescat in pace. i FRANK BUCKLAND. December 17 th, 1877. THE AUSTEN FAMILY. THE family of Austen (or Austyne, as written in the earlier records) was long resident at Birching- ton, a chapelry dependent on the parish church of Monk ton, in the isle of Thanet, and county of Kent. At all periods wills and other documents attest their possession of landed estates in their native county at Northwood, near St. Lawrence; Brom- field, near Reculver ; with lands at Monkton, Minster, Birchington, and elsewhere ; and many of the tombs (not brasses) may be seen under the matting at Birchington church. From 1539, the earliest period to which parish registers extend, being the year subsequent to that (1538) in which the total suppression of the monas- teries and religious houses took place in England (the twenty-ninth year of the reign of Henry V1IL), a long and continuous succession of John and Henry Austens for more than a century dwelt near Minster, xxxvi THE AUSTEN FAMILY. About 1670, a son of the race, Stephen Austen, was killed by a blow from one of the sweeps of Minster windmill, having incautiously approached too near after dismounting, leading his horse on the downs with its bridle over his arm, while making memoranda in his pocket-book. His son, born the year of his father's death, is described in a family deed as " of the precincts of the Palace of Canterbury, gentleman/' 1695. Subsequently the direct line was represented by a John Austen, who migrated from Birchington to Canterbury, having inherited landed property near that city, and settled his family at St. Martin's Hill, lying without the walls, close to that first Christian church established in the south of Eng- land bo well known by the Dean of Westminster's eloquent description ; and founded, according to Bede, by Eoman Christians A.D. 182. John Austen married, in 1703, Eebecca, one of the co-heiresses of Thomas and Elizabeth Jenkin, of Canterbury, whose pedigree, duly certified on the 20th August, 1663, by Sir Thomas Bish ; Clarencieux king-at- arms " by virtue of His Majesty King Charles the Second's commission for examining the armorial bearings of the gentry of Kent " — is still among the family papers. His wife Kebecca died in 1744, and was buried in the church of St. Martin, as were also nine of THE AUSTEN FAMILY. xxxvii her children ; and John Austen (surviving his wife only four months) is buried in the churchyard (close to the walls of the church), in a spot that has since become the burial-place of the family, a monument being erected to his memory on the south wall of the church, bearing the following inscription — " In Memory of JOHN AUSTEN, late of this parish, who was confessedly great and good in every relation of life. He ordered his body to be deposited in the common burial-place of the dead, but near the remains of Rebecca, his beloved wife, who lies interred, as do also nine of their children, within this church." John, son of the foregoing John Austen, was born at St. Martin's in the year 1708, and married in 1736 Mary Hulse, born in 1711. She was the daughter of Nathaniel and Anne Hulse ; the heiress and last direct descendant of the ancient family of Hulse, or De la Hulse, of Bethersden, county of Kent, whose descent and pedigree (amongst the family documents) is lineally and clearly deduced from the reign of King Henry I., A.D. 1100, and took its rise in that " cradle of gentilesse the County Palatine of Chester," from whence its knightly representatives followed their sovereigns in their Welsh and French wars ; while one of the sons held the more peaceful office of " Lord Chief Justice/' As to the further descent of the Austens from xxxviii THE AUSTEN FAMILY. the Hulse family, Sir Hugh Hulse was engaged in the wars in Normandy under King Henry II. , and also with him in the army in Wales, when the Welsh had a great overthrow there. He was then knighted by the King in the fourth year of his reign, A. D, 1157. John Austen, of Birchington, married one of his lineal descendants and the heiress- at-law of the Hulse family in 1590. John Austen died 1770, leaving ten children, Mary, his wife, following him in 1781, and a monument to their memory is affixed to the south wall of the church. " In Memory of JOHN AUSTEN, son of John Austen, nearly deposited, who by a conscientious and tender discharge of all the social duties, as a benevolent friend to all mankind, an affectionate parent, and kind husband, was highly esteemed, and died greatly regretted on the llth January, 1770. Also of MAKY, wife of the above John Austen, and sister to Anne Hulse interred within the Church. She died 7th December, 1781, aged 70 years." Rebecca, their eldest daughter, married the Eeverend Thomas Gurney, Vicar of Sea Salter, near Whitstable, Kent, who died 26th June, 1773, and lies buried at St. Martin's ; and subsequently William Hougham, the elder, of Barton, and Pheasant Hall, near Canterbury, who, dying 30th THE AUSTEN FAMILY. xxxix December, 1802, aged 80 years, has a monument to his memory in the church of St. Martin's. John, the eldest son, resided at the Old Park, and was an extremely popular and agreeable man, of whom honourable mention is made in Halstead's History of Kent (folio edition). Nathaniel, the youngest son, named after his maternal grandfather, Nathaniel Hulse, was born at St. Martin's 1754, and became a highly-esteemed solicitor, first in London, and on his marriage to Frances Honor Lawrence he removed to Union Crescent, Margate, where he died, scarcely fifty years of age, in October, 1804. His wife survived his loss scarcely seven months, dying in May, 1805. MAJOE AUSTEN, OF CROYDON. Their eldest son (the Father of the subject of this memoir), then very young, was offered a cadetship by one of his maternal uncles, and ere completing his fifteenth year, sailed for India in September, 1807, where he was posted to the 10th regiment Madras Native Infantry. Being severely wounded at the assault of a Mahratta hill fort, he returned home xl THE AUSTEN FAMILY. oil sick-leave in 1 8 1 2, having been promoted to a lieutenancy, but returned to his duty by the ship " Cornwall/' and landed at Fort St. George, in July, 1814. From this date until 1826 he was almost con- stantly in the field ; formed one in the " thin red line " that withstood the whole force of Holkar's Mahratta cavalry, and, advancing, captured his guns at Mahidpoor ; and was present in most of the engagements which resulted in the British dominion in the East lieing doubled in extent within that eventful period. He was twice severely wounded. In 1826, on his return with the remnant of the expeditionary troops from the first Burmese war, he was (by Lieut.-Gen. Sir Thomas Munro, G C.B., Governor of the Presidency of Madras) appointed to the general staff of the army, " for his approved con- duct in those campaigns ; " and on his leaving India in 1833, the Government of Fort St. George, after officially expressing their entire approbation of his services, recommended him to the notice of the Home Government, in consequence of his successful termination of a duty of a civil and financial nature with which he had been intrusted by that govern- ment. His commissions are dated : — Ensign 3rd July, 1807 ; lieutenant, 4th August, 1810; adjutant, 18th August, 1818 ; Persian interpreter and pay- THE AUSTEN FAMILY. xli master, 18th August, 1819 ; captain in the army, 4th September, 1822 ; captain of company, 1st May, 1824 ; secretary to board of general officers superintending army equipments, 3rd February, 1826 ; and major, 28th November, 1854. In 1851 he received the war medal and clasp for Ava by command of Her present most gracious Majesty ; and was appointed to the Commission of the Peace for Surrey, in which county he resided after his marriage to his cousin Marianne Eliza, only child of John Lawrence, who now mourns his irreparable loss, in November, 1867. His remains rest at St. Martin's, Canterbury, with his kindred, and a monument has been placed within the church. " In fond and and faithful remembrance of Major N. LAURENCE AUSTEN, of Haffenden and Combourne, in this County ; J.P. for the County of Surrey. Born Nov. 17, 1791 ; died Nov. 30, 1867. " He served through the Southern Mahratta campaigns, in Ava, and on the staff of Sir Thomas Munro, G.C.B. By birth a man of Kent, he was the lineal representative of Hulse, of Bethersden, Austen of Saint Martin's, and Sir "Wm. Clark, who fell at Cropredy Bridge in 1644, leading the Kentish Yeomen in defence of the King. He leaves one son to honour his memory and emulate his virtues. " The reason firm, the temperate will, Endurance, foresight, strength, and skill. Pure, blessed spirit, nobly planned To cheer, to counsel, and command." xlii THE AUSTEN FAMILY. Over the vault is inscribed, beneath the cross— " In the hope of a blessed resurrection, here rest the loved remains of Major N. LAURENCE AUSTEN." " How sleep the brave, who sink to rest, By all their country's wishes blest ! When spring, with dewy fingers cold, Returns to deck their hallowed mould, She there shall dress a sweeter sod Than Fancy's feet have ever trod." xliii " The wings of man's life are plumed with the feathers of death," now under the sceptre of Vic- toria, as under that of Elizabeth : and the dear Son, whose advent brought joy in the present, with hope in the future, has followed his Father to the silent land, leaving the home he made so bright, lonely and desolate. From the earliest years, that dear Son's love for all God's creatures, his desire to see them happy, was intense ; his whole being seemed pervaded with the thought so exquisitely expressed by the Vicar of Christ Church, Hampstead, in his lecture on Milton's Paradise Lost, where he says :— " In the scenery of Paradise, the birth-place of our race, the joy is as the reflection of our Creator's smile. " We breathe everywhere the sense of the divine satisfaction when ' God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good/ c The intense felicity of creature existence is so d xliv evidently the will of the Creator, that although in these visions of ' Paradise lost ' we are looking, not on the ' things which are seen/ but on those which are 'unseen' ... for this happy garden is no more on earth . . . and the tree of life now blooms only by the celestial fount of life ... we know, and are sure that those signs of omnipotent love shall be at length accomplished in the 'new heavens and earth wherein dwelleth righteousness;' for, while the ' things seen ' with all their clouds and conflicts, are transient and temporal, the ideals of ' things unseen/ in all their purity and peace, are imperishable and eternal/' NATURAL HISTORY PAPERS. NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CEOYDON. AT a meeting of the Croydon Microscopical Club, held on the 17th April, 1872 (Mr. Henry Lee, F.L.S., F.Z.S., President, in the chair), a paper was read by Mr. N. L. Austen, F.L.S., on the nesting of the eagle owl at Croydon. Although it is not unusual for owls of this species to lay eggs in con- finement, it seldom happens that the young are successfully reared. Mr. Austen has succeeded so well in bringing up the young in his own aviary at Croydon that his remarks on their treatment, behaviour, and growth, as detailed in the following report, will be read, we feel sure, by all naturalists with interest :— A male and female eagle owl in my possession paired in January, 1870. In the course of the previous autumn, in expectation of such an event, B 2 NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. I had had peat earth, about 18 inches deep, laid down in the inner portion of a large wirework aviary, in which they were confined, as it is the habit of this species to nest on the ground. During the last week in January they scratched a large hollow in the further portion of the aviary. Both male and female assisted each other in excavating this, and the first egg was laid on Feb. 11. The hen-bird then commenced sitting, and, as she very rarely left the nest, it was difficult to ascertain the exact period on which the other two eggs were deposited. I am certain, however, that several days elapsed between the laying of the first and the last. Incubation is entirely carried on by the female owl, the male remaining on guard out- side, and carrying in food whenever his mate appears to require it. Both birds at this time became very bold and savage. The male, though commonly extremely tame, dashed furiously against the wirework whenever approached, and now showed a particular dislike to dogs, though on ordinary occasions he seemed to regard their presence with indifference. The first nestling was noticed on March 22, and another during the ensuing week, one egg proving addled. They were entirely covered with yellowish- white down, and about the size of newly-hatched goslings. They rapidly, however, increased in size, and when about NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. 3 three weeks old became covered with brownish-grey down, through which the primary feathers of the wings were just beginning to appear. The old birds were very attentive in supplying them with food, and I noticed that, while the male bird usually carried in rats and birds to them, the female invariably tore the prey up, and distributed it to the young. The feathers now began gradually to appear, and the young owls increased rapidly in size and strength, stretching out and flapping their wings constantly, also making attempts to tear up food for themselves. They were abundantly supplied with rats, their favourite food, and the family usually consumed seven or eight in the course of the day. When two months old the young owls had, with the exception of the head, which remained downy, obtained the whole of their plumage, being able to fly up to their perches, and were nearly as large as their parents. During the next three weeks the down on the head was replaced by feathers, and the peculiar tufts, so noticeable in this species, appeared. The old birds commenced moulting about the time the young were hatched, and had regained their fresh plumage as soon as the young were full feathered. They lived together during the summer and autumn, remaining on perfectly good terms till the commencement of winter, when the old pair began to drive their young B 2 4 NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. about, and I was then obliged to remove them to another aviary. The nestlings proved to be male and female, but unluckily the female choked herself in November, 1870, with a rabbit-bone while feeding. She measured sixty-five inches in extent of wing, and weighed seven pounds and a half. The male, I am glad to state, is now in perfect health and plumage. The old pair went to nest very early in the spring of 1872, laying their first egg on the 20th of January., The second egg was laid on the 24th, and the third was dropped in the outer compart- ment of the aviary on the morning of the 27th. This last, unfortunately, was slightly cracked and useless. The other eggs also proved to be addled, but the female continued to sit on them until the 12th of the present month, when she broke them, apparently convinced that they were worthless. To induce birds of this genus to breed in confinement, it is always necessary to have the cage or aviary adapted to the habits of the species kept, and on no account must the birds be disturbed in any way during the period of incubation. The aviary in which my eagle owls are confined consists of a large outer space, covered with wirework, containing some tree-stumps and branches as perches, with a small wooden building attached, closely roofed in, furnished with a door that can be shut in two parts, so that when the lower half is fastened the hen NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. 5 bird, while nesting on the ground, is not liable to be disturbed by any one passing near the cage. I have also a pair of the little owl (Athene noctua) sitting at present on three eggs, which are deposited in a small covered box, placed in the corner of the aviary. This species in its wild state deposits its eggs in holes of deserted buildings, in crevices of rocks, or in the hollows of decayed trees. I am exceedingly interested in the nesting habits of this species, as, to the best of my belief, it has never reared its young in confinement. A pair in the possession of Mr. J. H. Gurney laid four eggs in May, 1851, of which two hatched out ; but as the young soon disappeared, the old birds were supposed to have devoured them. The period of incubation was not ascertained in this instance. No species of European owl, with one exception to which I shall presently refer, as I am aware, forms any actual nest, the eggs being either placed in hollows scratched in the ground, as is the case with the eagle owl, .snowy owl, and short-eared owl, or deposited in a tree cavity, or hole in a wall or old building. The tawny owl, barn owl, hawk owl, Tengmalm's owl, lesser European sparrow owl, and scops-eared owl, select such situations for their breeding-places. No materials to form a nest seem to be collected — a want which is in a great degree obviated by the pellets containing the 6 NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. rejected fur, feathers, and bones of their prey, which are cast up by the parent bird, and, accumu- lating by degrees, form a soft bed for the eggs or young. The long-eared owl commonly deposits its eggs in the deserted nest of a squirrel, or occasion- ally in that of a magpie or carrion-crow, but I believe no materials are added by the owls to the original structure. The Lapp owl (Syrnium lappo- nica), a large and rare northern species, is said to build a large nest in trees. The late Mr. Wolley, in " Ootheca Wolleyana," edited by Professor Newton, gives it as his opinion that the eggs are usually laid in a depression on the top of a broken- off tree ; but Professor Nilsson, in his work on the Scandinavian fauna, states on the authority of Herr von Seth, who took a journey into Lulea-Lappmark, in 1842, that this species of owl builds a very large nest in a high tree, where it lays several white eggs. Mr. Wolley also mentions an instance in which two eggs were brought to him from Kurkio-Vaara, in Kemi-Lappmark. The nest was stated by the finder to have been made of sticks and loose rubbish, and to have been placed about twenty feet from the ground in a large Scotch fir-tree. His informant also alleges that it was not a new nest, and was about two feet in thickness. The eagle owl in its wild state is an inhabitant of the greater portion of Europe, though only a rare visitant of the British Islands. It NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. 7 becomes more plentiful in North Europe, being most common in Norway, Sweden, and parts of Russia. In the first-named country it is found both in the pine-forests and on the mountains, though from my own observation I should imagine it does not extend so far above the snow limit as the snowy owl, which is almost entirely Alpine in its habits. The eagle owl is a very powerful and voracious bird, feeding principally (in Norway at least) on mountain hares, ptarmigan, and black- game. I have been also informed by the peasants in several parts of Norway that the eagle owl will occasionally carry off young lambs when the sheep are driven up to the mountain pastures in the spring, and from its great size and strength I should consider it quite capable of doing so. The capercaillie is said often to be attacked by the eagle owl while roosting at night in the pine-woods, and sometimes to escape by diving from its perch to the ground among the tangled network of the lower branches of the tree, whither the soft-plumaged owl is unable to follow it. An allied species in America (Bubo virginianus) attacks the wild turkey, and is reported to be baffled by the same means. In size the eagle owl measures rather more than two feet in length, and nearly six feet in extent of wing ; the male being, as is usually the case among birds of prey, somewhat less than the female. The 8 NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. former would weigh from 6 to 7^ pounds, and the latter from 7 to 8^ pounds. The iris of the eye in the living bird is of the most vivid orange, giving it a very fierce aspect. When excited, the eagle owl raises its feathers and extends the wings laterally to their full expanse, snapping its beak and hissing at the same time. It seems to expand to twice its usual size when the feathers are raised in this manner. My specimens, except at the nesting season, are ve^ry tame, and will allow me to stroke them, though any attempt at familiarity on the part of any one they were not acquainted with would be instantly resented. They generally become most active about twilight, but the full glare of the sun does not seem to cause them any annoyance ; and I have seen in the mountain districts of Norway both the eagle and snowy owls in search of food during the brightest portion of the day. The most common call-note of the eagle owl is a deep sonorous hoot, repeated two or three times in succession ; both sexes utter this cry. The male bird also utters a sharp bark, so like that of a small dog, that my dogs generally answer it, imagining it to proceed from some canine intruder. Sometimes also at night these owls utter a most peculiar sound, quite distinct from their ordinary hoot. It may perhaps interest the members of the society if I conclude this paper by describing a NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. 9 visit I paid to an eagle owl's eyrie in Norway in the autumn of 1871, on which occasion I was fortunate enough to see the old birds, and two fully-fledged young ones which had left the nest some time, but which still remained in its immediate vicinity, and were supplied with food by their parents. While on the Hardanger mountains in Western Norway, on a deer-stalking excursion, I had several times heard the call of the eagle owl at night in the vicinity of my camping-place, and on asking the hunter I employed if he knew of any nesting-place of the " berg uggla " or eagle owl in the neighbour- hood, he informed me that a pair had bred during the summer in a high cliff about two English miles from the place of our camp, and that while on the mountains, about six weeks before my visit, he had several times seen the old birds carrying hares to their broods, and that on one occasion the male had driven off a white-tailed eagle that had approached their nesting-place. Next day the weather was unfavourable for deer- stalking, so I determined to visit the owl rock, and endeavour to see some- thing of its occupants. I found the place which my guide described as the haunt of the owls to consist of a large jugged extent of schistose rock, facing the south, and broken up into crags and ledges which rendered it tolerably easy of access. At the foot of the cliff there was a " snee fond " or 10 NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. small snow-field, about 300 yards in length by seventy in breadth, which had remained unmelted during the summer. The cliff itself rose to a height of about 300 feet above this, and I examined it carefully with my field-glass before making the ascent, hoping to obtain a view of the owls. I could see nothing of them, so climbed up the most practicable part of the rocks, and on arriving at one of the ledges which traversed the face of the cliff, on which grew Ranunculus glacialis and Saxi- fraga oppositifolia in great luxuriance, perceived traces of the owls in the shape of ptarmigan feathers, feet of mountain hares, and several half- devoured bodies of lemmings. I stopped here for a few minutes, and presently saw an eagle owl rise from the face of the rock some distance above me, and, sailing along the face, alight about fifty yards further on. I crawled cautiously along the narrow ledge for a little distance, till I was enabled to look round a projecting corner. I then saw the two young birds crouched together on a rocky shelf, about eighty yards from me, the female sitting close by them, and the male bird perched on a projecting crag above. They seemed evidently suspicious of danger, as the old birds glanced constantly around them, and seemed to be aware that some enemy had approached them. I watched the family group for some time, the young having seemingly been NESTING OF THE EAGLE OWL AT CROYDON. 11 hatched late in the season, traces of down being apparent on their heads, and the tufts being undeveloped. I left them without disturbing or injuring them in any way, and was very much gratified by being able to see these noble birds in their natural state. THE WILD REINDEER OF NORWAY. '(Tarandus Rangifer.) HAVING had good opportunities of watching the habits of the wild reindeer in the Norwegian mountains, I am tempted to offer some slight account of its natural history, together with my own experiences in stalking the animal, which may possibly prove interesting to the readers of Land and Water (February, 4, 1871.) At the present day the wild reindeer is found in considerable numbers on the higher mountain- ranges, or