‘sV‘V7,4i, c \ (?,•$')
Sf’/'m t .v- 3*?

ft

V:

1888

MAR SO

\j j\AAAfV>cl^ . f'Kstr't ^w- ^ ^SL--c^_-^^ - ^A^X^u£/9 Ctsis

fc ^ ^

$ r t y ^ (Ji^ityJ^ , &*£;&**■ ^W /

^/i/fr-vvA^^ &~J ^ ^v/c ^ _ &^!\sy/~y. y Xx-4^^c(. — ^

^^Tv-xA-^ ^/j_^_ ~^IZ^ ^VM-^-^ ^t-<_/£ ^

V lAt^/sh* 4^ A_ fry

^ ^C^yiy<7 ctZ^zi^. . ^'p^jr csXzzz, / 4 ^C r:

_ SlACv ] /5C £-XSv^t &y£^UL*+S^~-p" 4^Aa4 c£aAA-jC , I^C&*~~r-£^ JsLpfiZ - ^-*jh

^Uv lAJ^6CO£*ZZ <? /^A-L-V £xA^A- CA^lZ foTstsisftZZ j cCZ - T ^ 4^<-<^-^-*-^ -.

r

^tA^v^y

£

/^ i /-»- t . >/ Zs£t*r-T-^ £o-t-~ ip 4 ?^^

CuAT^-kJ^ 4 -- 0 "Wtf hdh-Z

a-y

04+

/&'//

/ /^U< { Si *4 //

/tLAAcAa.

/</ 1y\AJSH

^S sA

Jy S'As*i /« f lY /> f c/

/ '

*iy\Cl 4S /// ^ y ff^yj, ${ />. f ^ «/ J ^

J gSs*A // i/ ^ <^A^.

/*V

/ka. //VMaa fviyCr

J 0-/+j£~Cr trm»~y , ^11 l, dt/xrxi

$ iK^K- _ ^lA^^dl

^v\ <!S^tAt-c2iv. ,

ill M/ o< ^AAJ

VT.X id

J{ t*r*AA*>

^ itAC^A, ^Vaa

4%~-jdLy%^ fa Cm. S C*y *A Ha, ^-AaA^^ ^!a^a-

/>AaA, CaAmsC /a *L. 0aaA - CtSXA fc, ^ty^C f ^AAA,

^LXACa AaA lA /X< A/aS H/Aa^a. /^Ua

/Aa9 <->f / ^ /a / ^ iS\Aa aJU. l-4j / / ^ -|)^/S / r A/ ^awaaa/ /\aaA,

fi- \A. fA^ Z^t^JiAtA, /a# cCily*-^, ^ A_ S\y(.

^//4 yy^4KA Ai)\t AA.

{0Ca/%JLiA /^y *aaaa ^At /"/T, <^^5bt> y^A^AtA^ tX-bt^M-/-

jOxxTmjmj^

/ V ^ cLux^y^ «yr

^A A 4a(aAi *+A^tA*SC~*AA. ^

£aA (*Aa» ^ ^ l A lyCxyftjCy h/C^.

i><J /jx a «A . iS?*u>Hyi
( AyX^ «^A y( ,

^Ay^AA- ^ At y5r,f A ^ A /#AAAA ^A^y^X^

h o^L //> t> • /^L* ^Aoxy lT ,f_ txJ^^cA-y

* /*w NL s* i < */ y/oi^ ■Am^.. ( A ^'HT'A ^ OIaAaa

/vv i Ct /\, ^A*Ay /HiaXa~ dttA * *4 A f iAj <y~C- y' * <7 Mj -a A^<y

A 4j ^ '' ' ■'*■ y?7 /&A u "V ^ri-AA Aa m y

Ct> Xf A a. . 'Jim vk,/ ,a / tf> . _ /-amMj A /y/M «a/ /(,

^ Aaaa, 'JuaTAM/aa^,,

/ ^ / /

■/aA S a l>/t»AA, hi A Jxl

&1 fiujt. Jiaaa. * <y A A At

<3aa

7

f^w

^5^. Aiy^ty VA^ C-^

^aa. //c- Aa^</ 2 cc/ , ^

AAa ■fc //y yU

■M< A'l fc, i fX/^4/L^ t^y (y\JTT'^0

^ tyO^ / I <5 O yt,

/AAA. - d ^/<aa) sr\ mA tj ^saA-Jaaj AAy/ A

^4^ r/^X 1 ^aKaXx>^ //iKa/v*. ^aAaaa^j //

€ , '

//J/V

/fcf/

X Oil A -4 f <7

| /t*. x y t i^t\A /{ 1 /aa. $c*aa(., //* / i *{.. t

t:.L \ J *^aIaaJL

cif/

/r^

i>«/ Ova

X </ l ^»^-v V

^«Xfj

_ _ „ _ X

A . / '

M*- ^IA 1 ^>X v jfc ' 1 / ^*r , ^ 4 . j

**Ay <Naa ^Va fiWX , X <7 <-X •y'^ fj , <r

_ 7 ^ & 72 *. '$\AS! IXa-ajA.- ^aT, j^. ' L'tA.y

P\ ± J&c-'AA — iA/AAA^ t 4^ / >A . /i x , M/'A^v J

ivx. <£~*^sJCCy LWa^.X'.X- ^ J < 5 y^A«‘^«X>' X.

sVia. a ^ y/ • b

Jkx, L*aa.MAJ UaJLaat-J (}x> a v< /(aXaavi </ £XaajU~, (A ^ <AAA A« 'y^ixA^

^aZv- &AA /X A /)X) >A/WU>^ fx/i^d A <14 (X //XX /

P~*^A i aa^ // (X I-iajX <Vir-AA

'I^Xaa^ 4 X JxaaAj h*sy y A^.^^/1 , <Wa^aX>- C Ast-y 4</i/XL ^

^^AAl '^W/ AAaXX^ // v Xt) W/VtA ^A/ v Xa —

^^A-L*-*(, X #A/< A. 4 ///< / X /X. /*> V A.Vy aX MaA ,

7

Xl ^^-VOVX^^ X^/^ytA jJL^y /l)

f ^A”tA^ „ ^ £ 4* »a».

^£AiK^^v.y ^vwi,

O^ ttZZ^L J

^/*AAAAKA>jX<v/XhU»<I A A

Aa, X fAAA-X, \/ m/X £, 7l fA*) ^

wt»X 3 »<uI ^uaaa. <i 4 xm«aac 4

>y\rxy Ck

^/<vJ/iXc<Xa y</// 7 X^

xtxAiX^ ^ aaX aaa //a X ^6 <rXi6 XL# / ,

aa /tx; 4 ,

ExJlU, Mty O— j(.

/ 14/ix^** d. ' tl+ jfy 6 ui 7 4 s%jksCaa 1 IT&dxf Ma*.

A^/aA, ♦'Z-iai / -f, <y m<h

4 ;vV/

aX <C 4 _

/m/ Xlx/ /S' XXa/»v <*aa X . 7 » WAaAj^XiX/

iviXir <> /^iaa. y^*, x/i 7 -a ^ ^aj ^xKx/v^ <ht /7 <^-<

/>CA ^ /V yP <A/V ^^ ^^x/'AAvv, ^A-A, ^rtv^AA, ^ ^VA<iA, ^AAf Xj

aXx /LxX* ,#*.'

/• T /
Aaa<? ^XS^C*AA*^*£y //i/Z ^/#^ aX

/fry/ hu^

[h*3 ) /Ix^ji ^ tis\^ ({j^Laa '/»xyv . •'^•A ^

XjtCvOX ^VA^MiAA^ <AaZ/1v»// //l^V /f*-* tA. £ V«>#

/A /m aA -

^ ru

/AAA

^A># a/ - /a A.

ZZZ^Ji j O-^JK- £

^55aavU^<aca^ _ X
xL

/ ^7

/h

<*/g ■-*#

' y v"

/Iaa lL ^^wi>

<AA^ j^lA, ^ (/ //a/$^ */ </

/PiAr/-' ^ ^4L*s^ 9 tZ-**. lf < ^S^S~ ^ ^ I, 'AA^n y

^Lv. ^s \Y /, y A — ^ ^

/4L /^Va^ 6^/ ^i> iaA>< ^// ^ <5v^U/ 1 CwAy^i -*

-o^jt tJ mlzy* /& v 4>\^

^A/ U/\J\ Aaa^// //Hk t,^jx s9

tl^J

/ y ^

^l -^- (C^y £AA- /ijiAA^[v /h^XycA. ^ /^y

/

r

7

y

jfc: / ir>-w 7 ^ ^ .

$t»~- Zh/tn^si-' ( , tY*-*-Zs A/tAA^y '^Xjvty/ ^ *t /l)

^.&-*~JLs* /-l a- ^} /^Ai»*»*». ^ Z£i*> f-i/4-O Z^tZi t

xJZ r *^" «AA->fit«- A (r«. <-yCv»^*AA/' ^ y

/A

y<AAj X>ma<aa

* ^( ,

/

k<7 'HArf^Ay ^*-#7^ /?AA

u (Naa_ ^U»^4i/cAJ^

7

4^1

// /7a a y

/AAA. «{ •

L. /yz/ A (Naa_ ^L*t^4i^tiLV! y #>fV/ t<M^o A>

/ ^ ' Z, A ^

^-4^ ^

£L%j^j$JL^ ^A4^#VWA^ Z*£ /1>^I>-»aZ ^VA

^v*.' > 1^5 Ca( < /A4fc>

A“»A^ a ^TLa. #4 ^^ p1 ^-*

yy(y^iAALJU^(r «AA. 436 u4>/aaK-s, jft^^ /f^t 4^, Iaa^.

y4- 4. £* <r» /«>#y e</4*y

/*

•Aa. <96uCa/aa^

^ Aa^a/ 6%. 4^, </£f

/ ^'^-ivm^. ^ C2^» _ ^ t4 ^* A .#» ^ X^bO

/Awa^ A-O « •» A aA ///,, -W /i. > a/Cvv /Tv /^»r*7^Al<y< „ Jlv f+Ziys

s * — _ ^ . / . . ✓ . 7/

^mj ClAa+j

r /w^4^A

5

Cj ^

Jj'UW' OsC-Qa.4 \a3LaL- , maA

^ • i^MfWi^D**. "7 * <fc-w*«*l»#*«*. ' -?'’

vL^ (Tv *U-A*, <W W^cL-, <>? /Af/*^* Y

W^A- e-*"— - Wu ^ ^ tO-^Jy i^^yLr^Uy *- ^'7~

/ 7" ly - *7 dOZ^

h ‘ L ^ 4 . : , . - '** . - v ?

^ ‘ / (2 ' -4 X, /4 <W- <37 /2idd»Mr-J ^

A ,t A usr^- c*JCE*~*^y %+*A' vj W* l , ^ X

^ ( ■> 1 . C)\ > / / /j,t >-' 4 v»a47^ A-*”~vw 6 ca«««* A.-

7 . HSS az AsM*r '' " ' ~

L -= r ~: , fh w ^.'47- <=•' - —4

7 *=* 47 .U" 1 '-; ’TVT7 -'

''•7 ^ -7£X<AJZ — s " 4-"^":* 7 _"■•■-

_Tj (*.**. 7 ; ,„,.* /, .. /r — T 2 ^ r ^f

_W~ ^ ^ ^ Al .,/ « .-,6 ^ *"

47 ^W*" ( LvU^C *" ■ "' », ~rT j

4 /. X,. cJ^*£** i s , , .

^pf7"’ PVX / , , / y~ <l*)-£l yJtA. ^ wr*

' , t u y - , -u. 7» y wr ‘-‘■■vy *~ 4

<^* 1 - tv Vw^ ^ / ' /,_

zr ^ ^ Sw ^ ^

*^u- * ^;^7’\ '..4 ^. aw '-»* * 7 4

«- 4*r -ex /fTl 1» tu'aUMptH- .■

/ -y- Wvw 4u,iv^. TT £zr ^ ‘ f -'< ■'

rr \ & ** 4 / U

tAJ-^ ^ J A ^.a c*x / 4 **?- /f - , / y <

^ ivsxr ^i 6 i . — 7 /2Wf ••■

t^o A --

yy ^ /A a A* ^ < f / At

iuZ /^r TAtAA * /

r.

~ rt~ ri3-i •'•■ - ~i' t r,

, ^ “2 4l^y - ^ 7

- H ~J?#i.;«L*. v- ^ ^— 4 " "

A^i-d k**^*-, ■

/./j ~7~ a-u <*/-£%***&. <rt«v»v '■/-; t^-''

p ______ y ,

‘“t ■ft'J'l - V'.v.-. / S >._ —

yV«. • 4 .j . J £/ $ , . vy

J W A

w , fky^JZ jfi^xr , ^ ^ tCJUjL TaV. A ■ ■ ’ ' '

4 . — — y ^™y Av ~ /w/uw y4.

V' / ^UiC^y ^44 /U*^. /Lu^ 4-v— .- s2/L^U

oUM^O^i A ' yi^rfU^> tw^yW^ 1 ^ b- jU*.* ftZ*. s A*sr >x

'**~ " 4A-4 o 7

/? ajL'Ow^-

*.*W • <, ->*

IS - <s£*~

7*

G o p i e d i r o m Jour n a i ,

Mass a c h use tt s a
23 Og*

y/Za^. . /* &

ztzzz^yzz j-'y ^y^y w*.

zjr ^ztz

/

<J? swy^y zzz-^y jr ^zz^zy^y jy

/zzy&f & c r zZ^zzzz^ y y^zz^zz- y^y

£yzy*>zyy yy cyyyy yyyy^ ^y&yzzz^ y^'z^z yz^^y

y yyy y y^ yy yy^zz^y yy^y

z^u/^ yy yy^^zzzzyypy '^zzzz^^^tz yyj^/<c%^y£ jy

ZZZtZ' yz/^y yyz<zyytzzizz/^y ZZZZ /'Zs r^y J'^ZZ^y^Z ^y y^s,

y zzz&zy y^z^y /zzsao& z^ yy^yy^z &y

^ s y^y^y y^y/T^y /i^sy^o y y^ysz^yy^ jyyy ' yyz^&y

y> yy&^AiZTzz yy^yzu-zy, /zzz-^z , zzzzzy 4tzzzt^^zz' yszz.

~ y yy*

y^' i y ^y^yy yyty ^yr?zz z&

4^1^46 yf yyzztzz?y y./zz^ ^zzy^yzy y^-zz^y /J^y zyrzs&

yy^zzrzi^^y. y^y y ^y^yy yy^y

yy& ytz'-zy . J/ ^a>^y yy^ y yzzzz^ yyy sz*^

Asio acciPitrinus ,

Concord,

| 1894.

| Oct. 11
to

Nov. 21.

i

f

Mass *

interesting

One of the most experiences of my stay at Concord this

autumn happened Oct. 29th with what I took to be a Short-eared
Owl. Will Stone and I had been passing the day at Ball's Hill

and were on our way up river when, as we were approaching the
head of Beaver Dam Rapid, a large bird suddenly came out of
the gloom which shrouded the meadows on our left (the sun had
set half an hour or more before ) and after circling over the
river alighted on the top of a tall pole which some one had
driven into the mud at the water's edge. Here it sat bolt up-
right for a minute or more bobbing its head up and down by
lengthening and shortening the neck in the manner of most
Owls. Against the strong afterglow in the west it stood out
most distinctly but in silhouette showing no colors. Present-
ly it took flight again and skimmed about over the meadows
flying very gracefully but in an erratic manner very like a
big moth or perhaps still more like a Nighthawk, alternately
appearing and disappearing as it rose against the light in the
west or dipped down close to the surface of the ground. After
a few minutes it returned to the stake. Its manner of alight-
ing and taking flight was very abrupt and decided. It flew a
second time soon after this and did not again return.

On the evening of Nov. 1st I saw what appeared to be the
same bird beating the the meadow at the Holt very much in the

Asio acci-oitr inus .

Concord,

Mass .

1894.

manner of a- Marsh Hawk and on the next evening an Owl of simi-

Oct. 11
to

Nov. 21.

lar size and appearance started from a maple opposite this

meadow as I was passing.

(**■*),

— : : : —

1899.

Beating the meadows.

Oct. 12
to

Oct .31 .

The Short-eared Owl seen on the evening of the 21st was

beating the meadows in the twilight much as the Marsh Hawk

does by day, skimming just over the tops of the taller grasses^

moving rather slowly but with infinite ease and grace, now

gliding in a nearly straight line for fifty or sixty yards dn

level, motionless wings, next beating its wings quickly a few

times to renew its impetus, frequently inclining slightly to

left or right and occasionally mounting upwards for a few feet

or turning abruptly to quarter back over the same ground. As

it was passing within about one hundred yards crossing the

river at the head of the "Holt" I squeaked like a mouse when

it wheeled suddenly and flew straight towards me coming within

ten or fifteen paces before it discovered the deception.

The other bird, noted on the 25th, may have been a Long-

eared Owl for although it started from a tree (one of the ma-
ples on the river bank just below Flint's bridge) very near at

hand and flew directly over me within a few yards it was near-
ly dark at the time and I could make out little more than the
bird's general size and shape as its shadowy form was out-
lined for an instant against the sky.

10

/(y*Zy^

y^L. x^ 7 <^&<z^)

J>-<=^ yyc ^/r^^tty <7? ^

I —

V

~ yy^ z^^cy y^

: C^ ^ /** /

<-^y Zy& 3^ ^-r ^i*y~ yy y^y /Czi Or — £*-+- ^T-t^yt^.

^^cxla^/^ $ z^yjz^r^— /yyzcit£^-‘ c i^f yf cZ-yy^y &

yC^^CtyCi^^ C. y itiy- / ,-- y^M^ Z^y ^ c^c^cy y%_

yy 7 yy^y^c; yy~ ^yy a-^-c-c^?

J /a ^3

£/ C^ CHaM'

/^ c> >-

A-AA/vr cA.

y^y-e^- c^\y^-.c+^yj Z~ J ^c^A^<l2y /^V^

yy^J ^sl^,<uyv\y yx^yy Z o 7/^^_ >^v '- S' ~^rye^ ~

S'L x A <A^y-<y^ ^*y~ 7 O't'*-*^

£Z(y^ (A cA CjyAt^/ C-''^ >^2 isLA-s6S^~ /*-*-^\ £c_ ^ Ccxsh

yytr^t^t

?&Z ~<zJ spKy S0L*C^J2>£

JOSIAH HOOPES,
Maple Avenue.

Api. i6th. la'Oi.

My Be a r Mr. Brews ter.

We have had during the past winter, ue largest
I 1 ight of 11 Siio v t-e are d Owls’" that I remember in a lon^ time.

They seemed to app ear in waves, sometimes one f lock arri-
ving before the previous one bad moved its abiding place.

'ine 31 skins collected are ve ry largely females, and mostly
in beaut ii' u 1 plumage, so that I felt like offering you 3 pairs
of Pennsylvania birds as a slight e on t r i bu t ion to your valua-
ble collection. These I express you to-day (or possibly to-
morrow)), and shall leel gratified by your acceptance of the
same. I have found it a difficult task to study the habits
of this species with any degree of accuracy, owing to their
extreme shyness, - so much so that the collector was forced to
resort to strategy in approaching their resort. My first ree
ord is November 2.8th, and the last April 4th. They invaria-
bly^ appeared in flocks, and night or day were rarely separate!!

± lock seen numbered 10, and this was lessened It®
tne collector' s „un to 4, when a fresh wave of birds reinfor-
ced it to 13. Other flocks consisted from 8 to 12. All at-
temps to observe their habits by moonlight was unavailing, as
it was impossible to approach sufficiently near, and the chai--
acter of their au rroundi ng s rendered it still more diff icult
to find them until they were flushed.. Their favorite loca-
tion was in a piece of low rather swampy land, covered with a
growth of coarse grass and 3edges, always close together, and
arising simultaneously. I xeel quite positive they do not
feed during the day, although a d iu rn a 1 bird in a me auu re.

Their accustomed resort was plentifully sprinkled with the
pellets of hair and bones ejected, but. out ©X the entire num-
ber of birds collected not one contained fresh food, - those
taken in the i orning showed partial digestion, and those in
the afternoon had the contents almost entirely assimilated or

the stomach quite empty. i'ie lc-rr.ice appeared to be their en-
tire food, as in no instance was there a trace of any other
animal or insect. These little rodents were unusually plen-
tiful during the past winter, and the owls in consequence were
exceedingly fat, a sure indication of their great value to t&e
farmer. I am under the impression these birds moult late in
the season, as those shot f irst had a large preponderance of
pin-feathers, whilst those collected toward spring were entire
ly devoid of them, and were in perfect plumage. When flying
they occasionally uttered a sharp shrill note, similar to that
of the Re d^ tailed Hawk, but fainter, although silent when not
on tne wing. With us, the * Sho r t-=e are d Owl* is always found,
on the ground, & x e opting when alighting f rom being flushed,
and then they usually take to a low tree of large shrub, where
they may readily watch their enemy; and at such times it is
indeed difficult to approach within easy ^un-shot range. A
female snot March 2 Oth, and a male April 4th, showed tne gene-
rative organs very largely developed, plainly indicating the
near approach of the breeding season, notwithstanding they
have never been known to nest in this county. Indeed it is
somewhat problematical their breeding in the state, the one
instance recorded by Audubon, being an exception.

Cordially yours.

Birds -within Ten Miles of Point""
de Monts, Can, Gomeau&Merriam

60. Asio accipitrinus. Short-eared Owl. — A rather rare summer
resident. Earliest seen May 9, 1882.

• Bull N.O.O, 7, Got, 1882, p,237

An Ornithologist’s Summer in Labrador
M. Abbott Frazar.

Asio accipitrinus , ShorPeared Owl. Although
I saw no Owls at all during my stay on the
coast, one, probably of this species, was report-
ed to me one night at Cape Whittle as flying by})
the house. The reason I do not pass the species
by altogether without mentioning it, is to bring
up a circumstance in connection with the Puf-
fins which I noticed in their colony near by. I
had been surprised on every visit I made to the
island by seeing numbers of Puffin’s skins lay-
ing around on the rocks near the shore, and lit-
erally turned inside out. They were generally
opened upon the back, and a great many skins
I noticed were not torn a particle more than
was necessary to get the skins over the body ;
then the legs were picked out, the wings thor-
oughly cleaned as far as the carpal point, t lie
head was also drawn out and brain and eyes re-
moved and skull cleaned to base of bill. I knew
it was not done in the day-time and the Short-
eared Owls were the most likely depredators I
could call to mind, but it did not take me long
to decide after looking at those skins for a few
moment's that taxidermy was an art long before
man ever took it up.

O . & O. XII. Mar. 1887. p. S ?. - J 7.

Birds of Magdalea islands.
Dr. L.B.Biebop.

IV, ^ 7 £

139. Asio accipitrinus. Short-eared Owl. — Regular migrant,
March 5 to 15, and probably through April; abundant in the fall, October
3 to December 26, when large flocks sometimes occur. A light phase of
plumage occurs very rarely.

27. Asio accipitrinus. Short-eared Owl. — I saw an Owl that I am
positive was of this species in the marshes between All Right and Grand
Entry on June 23, but as I was unable to shoot it the identification
remains in doubt.

Auk, VI. April, 1880. p. 147

Birds of N.E. coast of Labrador
by Henry B . Bigelow .

59. Asi accipitrinus. Short-eared Owl. — Rather common at Port
Man vers and Nachvak, in September.

Auk, XIX, Jan., 1902, p.29.

( In

S Ci. hut fac*** /v^ *T / 4 -rf

‘/it/^t,*- ^ ■ P~isi*+-' d^ju-cy i-t^, jfetAi i? C A s /i,- ^ i •'s.jt,

/t 7 f<tMlCjj

j^A.^ ^

< ^* * / / c nu

^1
v *1

3

' K

N

, ifl d<Ulf £*-!*£ <u>vJi4y

Ml

j^tZZi Si

q/^-w.*-<^>_ 6a>^ SSSSs <^/X-OCv<x^^<

&

l ^cr ^ >g^ s-smy

£j> E. Mass. 1886.

£a-A^-&C - /id'Lf , 'Ireat id. Mass, Jj^», 1886
l|ov. 21-23 .£o dA^o , j^/’ - 6-C-ZZ. ~Ody tU^r-yZT a-r^x.

yn^u , / % ) jj — ' _,

7^7

fivJi

^ ^ i' ^ c^un u^~7

<_ ^t~

vx< ' . C&~ <VV# <^A.47

j^-4sCty &■>*-*{

tj {SC«^J '

_( £^X/lyyv~y^Cy£y J

tin

fisUi, \_xAx. 2 0 ^

V r

kl«M. [_Jfa~UL J " a 30 1888

/W

&

ty^Ll° $La *, £ O^j, cL^o *X ^

^ <fyv>^r^csL ^Vvi. e^ - W^-C. U!-JM^~, ~Z fcv. •^■o^Af, ^Cox~v

^ (T[ cLe^A^_ / ZrC w^ y &lcls$£Z I -

"tUU C^r^o 4c^y^(_ ^Cv laj-lA^~

i-^y. cA (y^ id-^sy - <^yayCZ\, ^as-i*^cA 'j '-^-ACtZc^y. &_

ax? ^7 ~i/UC~~ i O^y^A L+yAsy^__ J cK^,

a^333v^v^ c^o. S^J j/jU^y£^< lyyj^v

t^Aczzc , v fottzvfty . ^ £r *1*^^ m

c^A~ t*yc*o cA~i fCCXZvJ 7^uvi &*^-o *-yfa^A~ /CC>

M^^sd^y^zr g£c/, /yy^cL) -&A*^bty / Aoy&^7 Q

^ -fc. <?w {7 ct^ fcjidd Afc 2 -cuv*a. fCe*^

The occurrence of the Short - eared Owl in
Massachusetts during the summer seems to be
rather unusual of late years. A flight of these
birds occurs during early fall and they may be
very frequently found on the marshes until
cold weather sets in. An extreme advance
skirmisher was shot at Quincy, August, 1887.

O.&o. XII. Sept. 1887. P. >V4.

Birds of Bristol County, Mass.

F„ W. Andros.

Asio accipitrinus (Pail.), Short-eared Owl.

Resident, rare.

O.&O. XII. Sept. 1887 p.139

j ® aw two Shor t-eared Owls the 12th of
| February.^

Z-

March. 1891, p, yj?.

General Notes.

Stray Notes from vicinity of Muskeget
Island, Maes. George H.Mackay.

Asio accipitrinus.— At Mnskeget Island, March 27, 1S93, r saw a Sh
eared Owl, which appeared to be domiciled.

Auk X. Oct, 1893 p 870.

General Notes.

Country Ma«a ^entrai Berkshire™.

. . ... ry-Aiass. F maoio ILAllen - Balph 7Tof^<

12. Asio accipitrinus. Short-eareu Owl. - A tteKtts-

heid Athenamm, labelled “Pittsfield/April 17, 1879.”

Auk XII. Jan. 1895 p.

88

/C

Auk, XIII, Jan. , 1896 , p. gS.

Asio accipitrinus. — Muskeget Island, June 2, 1895. Mr. John R. Sands-
bury informs me that he discovered the nest of a Short-eared Owl on the
noitheast side of the island containing three young birds in the down.
The nest was placed at the foot of a bunch of beach-grass (. Ammophila
arundmacea ) and partially concealed. It was raised about four inches
above the sand ; only one old bird was seen, it having been frightened
off the nest. On July 7 Mr. Sandsbury and I saw one adult bird.

A.

' < 3 . 0'tZa Cy '

Auk, XIII, July, 1890 , p.^f '7
Four Winter Records of the Short-eared Owl on the Massachusetts
Coast. I have a female Short-eared Owl (Asio accipitrinus') in my collec-
tion which was taken at Orleans, near Chatham, Mass., on February 23,
1896, by Mr. Charles J. Paine, Jr. ; and I also know of a female (?) taken
at Ipswich, Mass., on December 31, 1895, by Mr. Ralph W. Gray; and
a male taken at the same locality by Mr George C. Shattuck on January
1, 1896; also a female taken at the same locality on February 12, 1896,
by Mr. W. S. Townsend.

I also know of a number of specimens taken at Middletown, near New-
port, R. I., in winter.— Reginald Heber Howe, Jr., Longwood, Mass.

Asio acciultrinus .

The Terns of Musheget Island, Massachusetts.
Part 111.

By George H.Mackay.

Auk, XIV, Oct., 1837, pp. 383-390.

See under Sterna hirundo .

Co

.0 o

Gu& e

1 °/°< ' ' /y<uu^

j'Xty’l&aJl-i- <f '-* -

TZl

^ j\A< ’ 5

-crv. — Cu.Cl . r l jLp /X) -

I also shot

two Short-eared Owls in December 1890, and
as long ago as lSTB'an egg, presumably of this
species, was brought to me by a boy who said
lift “ found it in the grass on Long Point.”

p.m./r

io. i LC. XV/. ]o -i~y~6a .

Birds of the Adirondack Region,

O. H. Merriam

180. Asio accipitrinus ( Pallas ) Ne-wton. Short-eared Owl. — I
have seen two specimens of the Short-eared Owl that were taken within
the limits of the Adirondack Region, in Lewis County. They were both
killed east of the Black River Valley — one in the town of Greig, and the
other in Lyonsdale.

Bull. N, 0.0, 7,Aprii,1882,P. /J?

No specimens of the Short - eared Jiavc come to
my notice. One was taken in January, 1884.
All the above data are for Ontario County, N. Y.
—C. H. Wilder , Wayland, N. Y.

O.&O . X. July. 1885. P,///

&£c.

f /. 7 Vnm . -<? /ft* 7 .

We had gone about a hundred yards when I
'heard Ted whistle, and looking his way I saw
a large bird which I was not familiar with
rise out of range of him, and after circling
around two or three times settle a short dis-
tance away on the meadows. Thinking we
would not get near it again I slipped in two
heavy shells and we went off again after
our new game.

We advanced cautiously until we were with-
in about ten feet of the place where the bird
lit, when without a bit of warning or noise
eight pair of wings beat the air, as a flock of
Short-eased Owls arose.

Of course I was frightened and fired both
barrels at short range without touching a
feather; however I had time to drop another
shell in my gun and make a fine shot on one as
it was circling away to the left.

Ted was much cooler, he picked out the
finest bird of the lot, and bagged it without
any trouble. After fixing up the the birds we
hid them where Wf; could pick them up on our
return, and then went after the rest of the
flock, which had scattered; but we did not
get any more as they were on the lookout for
us, so after flushing them several times out of
gunshot we gave them up, and started for a
patch of woods on the other side of the
meadows and near the shore.

" UeJsry . .

(9 + OP. XTv yjLj ,

General Notes,

Short-eared Owl Nesting on Plum Island, New York.— While on a
visit to Plum Island, on May 7, *891, I noticed a Short-eared Owl cii cling
over the beach grass on the southwest plain and, on my approach, show-
ing unmistakable signs of anxiety. With the aid of my setter ‘Jack I soon
flushed the female, and discovered the nest, which consisted of a slight
hollow in the bare sand in a rather scattering growth of beach grass, with
no attempt at concealment- It contained one young bird which, as near
as I could judge, was about two weeks old, one rotten egg, and three mea-
dow mice ( Arvicola ), minus their heads.

The old male circled- around about fifty yards off, uttering cries which
sounded very much like the squealing of young pigs. The female came
much closer, and her cries reminded me of the barking of a young puppy.
I searched the vicinity for more young, but failed to find any. W. W.
Worthington, Shelter Island Heights, New York.

Auk X, July . 1893

Distribution of New England Birds. -
A Reply to Dr, Brewer. H-A.Ptirdie.

7-jU 4^/CirU- £o.r^'( (0 sC - J i-y

litv /y, A. t z.

r/ .77 1- ,. f ^<<

^>»t -wyf

BuU. N.O.O. 2, Jan., 1877. p, /V •

Short-eared Owl.

In the August number of the O. and O.
you give Mr. H. A. Kline the credit of
giving the most interesting' information
respecting the Short-eared Owl so far
placed on record. You would not have
made that assertion if Familiar Science
had not died out when it changed hands.

I had completed an exhaustive history of
all the birds of prey of N. E., a part only
of which was published in that magazine.

My article (unpublished) on that Owl is
full and complete. Some thirty years ago
a nest was found some half mile from my
office among the bogs in our meadows.
The nest was on the top of the bog and
composed of fine grass. It was within a
few rods of the cart path and the bird
could easily be seen as we passed. She
would allow us to approach very near be-
fore rising from her nest, would fly a few
rods and then hop along in the grass
snapping her mandibles. There were four
eggs in the nest. She was captured by
placing a snare over the nest attached to
■o a long cord. When she returned a sud-
^ den twitch on the line secured the bird.
^ I took her some half mile from the nest
and let her go. She flew directly back to
her nest. I suppose on her passage north
to breed she was wounded and laid her
clutch of eggs here. She had no mate
and the eggs never hatched. I could not
discover any signs of injury from examin-
ing her, or in her flight. — Win, Wood.

The Short-eared Owl played the same
game as the Barred. For years past they
have bred in a small patch of rank “has-
sock grass ” in a corner of a salt meadow.

This year a friend desiring their eggs I di-
rected him to the locality. As the result
of several hours’ patient search he reported
nothing. A few weeks later a gunner,
spring shooting for Plover, found their
nest and young at the side of the marsh.

There must be some reason for such a
general change of breeding resorts which
remains to be determined.

O

b

o

►— »

c-1

p

0

h-

CD

CD

yj l CA

/r^,g

L 9+ /P.

JX - 6U^. . J,. 99.

Rapfcores, Bristol County, Mass.
Hilton B. Bead.

Short-eared Owl (Asio accipitrinus') . With the
exception of a few, sometimes shot on the. salt
marshes in the southern section of the county,
in the autumn, I can note no occurrence of this
species within our limits. They have been
found breeding in a salt meadow in an adjoin-
ing and similar named county in Rhode Island.
Their nests having been found by Mr. F. H.
Carpenter and as I had the pleasure of accom-
panying him to the locality, perhaps a descrip-
tion would be of interest.

In a corner of a salt . marsh, of large, extent,
was a patch of rank grass and low bushes. In
this place, after diligent tramping, on the morn-
ing of April 28, 1879, we flushed a Short-eared
Owl from her nest on a “hummock”, where by
gathering together old reeds, she had “raised”
her dwelling above the flow of the tide, which
sometimes flooded the meadow to a depth of
a few inches. The nest contained five eggs of
same shape as those of Aamericanus , but some-
what smaller.

O & O. XII. Aug. 1887 p 11?

New Eng. Rapfcores. Number Eggs in
a set. F. H. Carpenter.

Short-eared Owl, ( Asio accipitrinus).

4 sets of 5

o & O. XII. Oct. 1887 p. 168

Collection of Raptores Egss. J-.P.N.

: Short-earecl Owl, _ 1

O.&O. XV. Apr. 1890. p. 53

Nestand Eggs of the Short-eared Owl.

By G. F. TiRENNINGER, BEATTIE, KANSAS.

During the spring of 1884 it was my good for-
tune to find tlie Short-eared Owl (Asio accipitri-
nus) breeding. Like most of the owls, they are
residents, but are found most plentifully during
the colder months. In the middle ol April nest-
ing is first begun. Their nest is a mere depres-
sion in a bunch of old grass. The owls inhabit
the vast uninhabited prairies along sloughs, where
the banks shelter them from the cold winds of
winter and the burning rays of the sun in sum-
mer. A great number of their nests are burnt
every spring by the prairie fires, and after the
first set has been destroyed a second set are laid.
This I think was; the case with my sets.

My first set was taken on May 1st, and con-
tained seven eggs of the pure white surface and
spherical form so common with owls: The sec-
ond set, of six eggs, was taken May 4tli, and in-
cubation was slight in both.

The ears or tufts of this species are only seen
when the birds are looking at any object, as at
other times they are hidden. For the past two
seasons I have been requested to try and obtain
some sets of their eggs, by some of our most ad-
vanced oologists, and many weary searches and
tramping over prairies have only proved to be
repeated failures, and I have not found nor seen
any of their nests since.

The food of this species consists chiefly of mice,
insects, and ground squirrels. Seldom, if ever, do
they deprive the farmer of his chickens, and only
in one instance have I known them to catch
pigeons. This was while they were sitting on
the outside of their coops during a severe snow
storm, and the owls were probably driven to do
this by hunger. The farmer is ignorant of this
fact, however, and shoots them whenever oppor-
tunity occurs. 1 have personally known boys to
place an open steel trap upon a high pole. This
seldom fails to catch an owl, as they perch on the
pole at night. In the warmer part of the year
these owls are rarely seen, and perhaps they seek
remote places, in the shade of dark gullies, where
they can live in peaceful solitude.

O.&O. XI. Nov. 1886. p.

Nesting of the Short-eared Owl.

(Msio Accipitrinus ) .

BY DR. W. S. STRODE, BERNADOTTE, ILL.

On April 19th, 1887, I had occasion to go to
Spoon River and three miles above town, so I
thought I would improve the occasion by mak-
ing the run in my boat and on the return to
take a look for nests of the Baptores. So tak-
ing my climbers, a hatchet and a ball of string,
I considered myself equipped for a climb to any
kind of a nest that might turn up.

Throwing off my coat and vest and there not
being much current in the river — the mill dam
backing the water for five miles — I took the
shady side of the stream and made my boat
fairly flash through the clear water, arriving at
the spot where I wished to land in forty min-

s from starting. In returning to the boat
after attending to my business, I noticed a sin-
gle crow away down the river a quarter of a
mile, that appeared to be having a camp meet-
ing all by himself. The location was a swampy
marsh, with a dense growth of scrub or swamp
oak, with an undergrowth of hazel so thick
that to 'go through it a person at times would
have to go down on all fours. Suspecting an
owl or a hawk to be the cause of all this fuss
from the crow I at once started for the locality.
Making my way for a hundred yards or so,
I was electrified to see a Short-eared Owl,
(Asio Accipitrinus') fly from a skeleton nest
twelve feet up in an oak. Going up I found
nothing in it and after thinking the matter over
a while I concluded that this might not be the
nest of the owl at all. After searching about
for a short time, I came to a tree containing a
nest at the height of about fifteen feet, and
presently the ear tufts followed by the yellow
eyes came up over the edge of the nest and pro-
ceeded to size me up.

Now, I thought, there can be no doubt about
this being the right nest, and going to the tree
I commenced the ascent. At the first step the
Asio left the nest and disappeared in the thick
brush, and I did not see either of them again
until I had got within four feet of the nest,
when suddenly they appeared, growling and
caterwauling like angry Tom cats. After
watching their strange actions for a short
time I went on to the nest, and was almost
struck dumb to find it entirely empty. This
I could not understand, as the nest had every
earance of having been occupied for a con-
siderable time. It was composed of twigs with
an inner lining of grape vine bark and feathers.

Not being able to solve the problem, I turned
to look at one of the owls that sat on a limb
about eight feet from the ground and about
thirty feet from me. This one, which I took to
be the male from his coarse voice, finding him-
self observed proceeded to treat me to a tum-
bling feat and to play the cripple act to perfec-
tion. Throwing himself backward he fell off
the twig down to the ground where he rolled
about in apparent great distress. But on my
starting down from the nest, a transformation
immediately came over them and they disap-
peared quickly in the brush and I saw them no
more.

Sadly I returned to my boat, and during the
trip home and for the rest of that day the query
was constantly in my mind, why was there not
eggs in that nest? Or if there had been what
had become of them ?

This was all made plain the day following,
when in passing the house of a young farmer
in this neighborhood, he saluted me with “Heir
lo Doc., don’t you want some little hawk’s
eggs?’’ And he immediately brought out to
me four white elliptical beauties. Upon ask-
ing him where he obtained them, he pointed to
the swamp oak thicket where my Short-eared
Owl’s nest was located; and so the mystery
was solved and all was well.

The eggs on blowing, I found to be fresh and
averaging in size about one and one-half by
one and one-fourth inches.

The young farmer mistaking the owls for
hawks is about a fair sample of the knowledge
the people in general have of the birds. Not
knowing the names even of many of the most
common birds and having still less knowledge
of their habits.

O.&O. XII. Oot. 1887 p

Nesting of the Maryland Yellow-
throat.

BY WILLARD L. MARIS, WEST CHESTER, PA.

A very interesting and quite common little
bird of this locality, the Maryland Yellow-
throat, ( Oeothlypis trichas ) has for some time
bathed my efforts to find its nest. However,
this spring, I found the long looked for treas-
ure, a beautiful set of five eggs.

This well-known bird arrives in this locality
about the tenth of May, and after a few days
spent in selecting a suitable nesting ground, at
once commences building. During the incubat-
ing period, the female, is seldom seen, unless a
close approach to the nest, where almost her
whole time is occupied, is made ; and even then
as soon as the nest is touched she will vanish
in the woods. The males may be seen fre-
quently and quite often not in the locality of
the nest, which, together with the fact of its
being placed on the ground in the woods at the
foot of a bush, and being sometimes domed
over, renders it no easy matter to find it.

On the 28th of May, of the present year,
when on a collecting tour a few miles from
home, I chanced to see a male Yellow-throat
fly from the edge of a woods. It being a favor-
able place for this bird of course I immediately
began a search, but for fully fifteen minutes no
trace of a nest could be found, and I nearly
trod on it before the female flew away, thus
showing me her hiding place. The nest was
made chiefly of bark, and lined with a little

^ <Z- w^xcz,

4^^d &SjE3dy Z£~ *— <*-»-Vy <%Jc~ A. s4Lc^*X. /^— *2,

iruxsy K<nv tfcd~ dr ‘+Snzs-XX tftdfi ^-A^/XCy,

ztz^jy. '<& JU+ZZld tShs^- -«- 4/<dZ' ^ <=-

(U^^tXy U^s^t&xzd .' Ca • /. .<^ys Z**Z£^

Id*-**

btr /h^-^t~ <£4L

I r *

^ <2 6c/^*-^/L

,1

v}|

#

//T^L-bi. d^b^><^z^—cy S>i- ^XT^S^y^a^b, ,J^ /X^-*-
t tx-Jxzb*-. .
- /^_ ,*2^ Xl~T^^^xL^d- dyc^X

/%-

ydfz. yb-ad-

s

ixbb<rzbLaJL- '/.

/X- ^

•Xhs^i.

i -# d- /?-i>>y^-,

dzoi. . /b^T^ayy^/’ /ib- x^<>yy>y

by^cS. z*_ S~2^- Jy^--g^X7 Xt^e-od- Oc~,

y*~

bzLf.s y~ . y r ‘ /sb-a. /~ <■ 'If ssss *■*%**.

/'isC*. ^^-0— u^ -^X

Short-eared Owl.

c^tyC^ <x. - X-c^c^C^

^CX_A

This little owl, so far as my observation ^ A!// /)

has extended, seems peculiar to the coast, j*^*-**^ *

where among the reeds and thick marshes Jjf" ^

of the shores and neighboring islands it
finds a covert from the noisy world. Hav-
ing found such a place they, unlike all
other New England owls, build in colo-
nies. A locality not far from here has been
from my earliest recollection a breeding
place for these owls. The situation is
most desirable, being a meadow or flat
level with the coast, over which the tide
completely flows, but leaves it entirely dry
when it recedes. This meadow is covered
with a coarse grass and surrounded by tall
brakes and reeds. In these latter they
gather together the remains of last year’s
frost-bitten reeds and place them in a
promiscuous heap on a tussock. This is
afterward hollowed out and the set of
eggs is then laid. Six is the largest num-
ber I ever found, with the exception of one
nest, in which I found ten; but these were
laid by two females who sat together on
the same nest in, perfect harmony. Incu-
bation was difficult to determine, but I
cannot make it out to be more than twenty-
one days. If any of your readers would
be kind enough to give me the exact time
it would be gratefully received. No owl
is more interesting- to watch. Take some
dark, cloudy day in May or June, repair to
their haunts and they will be found lightly
skimming over the surface of the ground
seeking for food left by the receding tide,
or again diligently searching the immediate
upland for any unwary mouse. Or watch
them again in the deepening twilight, as
silently, without a single note, they flit
past, seeming but a passing thought or
fanciful vision, until you hear from the
shore the shrill cry of a Tern or Sandpiper
in his talons; then you awaken to the fact
that it is a rapacious bird acting well its
part in nature’s great drama, “ The Survi-
val of the Fittest.” — F. H. Carpenter ,

Fehobeth , Mass. Q.&O, VHl.Nov.1883. p.

7-5

l C U A ( ri r <^T

O-WT^y «-•— - Ux ^ v *-<i^ t^a~^f~y

I'O'lP'? l *^+sCs6<L*. c*- 'JOisGrB.

~tccr ^o-^- y4-L ^c^Uy ^y- *■ -

a-^-^y £c^t- Cva. <2* y /< i_a~ts~t--£-^Y 'C-CX_«^^

OnT^-%^

~l XL

^"1 /VC fcT /x^^y

<5^ ~^^-aT

J^aa aaaqMAuB sj9j.Saiy[ pauAvojo-Aioqa^
JO Jl^d 9 UO jnq Sui 99 S JBA 9 JO 9 ATJISod
jon are j -q puB q Ajunjqaj; aqj ui seqBj
-stxn jo ssbui Am oj aorjoajaoo b eqBai etn
J 9 { 9 Jteq jqSrjj - 9 jujB 9 je) b Autj os joj 9 am
qoA puB 90 .IOJ qonra ooj jo eq oj paaiaas
jBqj ‘dn.ieqo ‘d-iaqo ‘dieqo ‘d.i9qo pnoj
Jieqj Suuajjn ‘jnoqB Suiddoq ejgw sjuaj
-Bd aqj sSSa puB jsaa aqj Sapped sbav j
9 ITRAV '?S 9 ti aqj uo juejed aqj oj esop 9 dbj
ifra qjiAv etnij araos poojs j sb ‘Ajpuapi sji

7 \ 3 j° T,,TJ . -sanoTTT Zt laiameip ‘satiour 4;7
ber 1 ever found, with the exception of one

nest, in which I found ten; but these were
laid by two females who sat together on
the same nest in perfect harmony. Incu-
bation was difficult to determine, but I
cannot make it out to be more than twenty-
one days. If any of your readers would
be kind enough to give me the exact time
it would be gratefully received. No owl
is more interesting to watch. Take some
dark, cloudy day in May or June, repair to
their haunts and they will be found lightly
skimming over the surface of the ground
seeking for food left by the receding tide,
or again diligently searching the immediate
upland for any unwary mouse. Or watch
them again in the deepening twilight, as
silently, without a single note, they flit
past, seeming but a passing thought or
fanciful vision, until you hear from the
shore the shrill cry of a Tem or Sandpiper
in his talons; then you awaken to the fact
that it is a rapacious bird acting well its
part in nature’s great drama, “The Survi-
val of the Fittest.” — F. H. Carpenter ,

Behobeth , Mass. Q.&O. Vlll. Nov. 1883 . p. %y

75

Short-eared Owl.

It is surprising that at this late day we
should know so little of this owl as we do.
We have examined the works of the older
authorities and find but little information,
Audubon throwing the most light on the
subject. Everywhere we find indefinite
quotations from unsatisfactory sources,
and much too often the expressions of
“ said to be,” “ supposed to be” and
“thought to be,” which is, to say the
least, very unsatisfactory.

Richardson, in Fauna JBoreali Ameri-
cana . , (1831), states :

“ We observed it as far north as latitude sixty-seven de-
grees ; and a female, killed at Fort Franklin, on the 20th of
May, contained several pretty large eggs nearly ready for

exclusion “according to Mr. Hutchins it lays ten or

twelve white eggs.”

Wilson knew nothing of the breeding
habits of this bird, believing it to be simp-
ly a winter visitant to the United States,
and breeding in the far north. He says:

“ In the United States it is also a bird of passage, coming
to us from the north in November, and departing in April.”

“ The bird represented in the plate was shot in New

Jersey, a few miles below Philadelphia, in a thicket of

pines.” “It flies frequently by day, and particularly in

dark, cloudy weather ; takes short flights, and, when sitting
and looking sharply around, erects the two slight feathers
that constitute its horns, which are at such times very no-
ticeable; but, otherwise not perceivable. No person on
slightly examining this bird after being shot, would suspect
it to be furnished with horns ; nor are they discovered but
by careful search, or previous observation, on the living
bird.”

Nuttall in his last edition simply gives a
rehash of Wilson, Richardson and Be-
wick and says :

“ We have observed it at Atovi, one of the Sandwich Is-
lands in the Pacific, as well as in the Territory of Oregon.”

This edition was published after Nutt-
all’s journey across the continent to the
Columbia river and return home via. Sand-
wich Islands and Cape Horn back to Bos-
ton, and yet Townsend, who was Nuttall’s
companion, shot specimens on the Colum-
bia river and afterwards gave them to Au-
dubon. From the correspondence and
material in our possession referring to this
expedition we are inclined to the belief
that Townsend did not allow Nuttall to
know the extent of the ornithological

knowledge gained by him on this trip, or
the number of birds shot, as he fully in-
tended to publish a work on North Ameri-
can Birds, and did get out one number in
1839, but surrendered to Audubon when
he commenced his seven vol. octavo edi-
tion.

Audubon besides quoting- previous au-
thors, gives us considerable original infor-
mation from his own observations. He
also gives an excellent portrait of the bird.
We quote from him. Vol. I, page 141 :

“ The only nest of this bird that I have found was placed
on one of the high mountain ridges of the great pine for-
est. [Pa.] It contained four eggs, nearly ready to be
hatched. They were of a dull bluish white, covered with
excrement, of a somewhat elongated or eliptical form,
measuring an inch and a half in length, and an inch and an
eighth in breadth. The nest which I met with on the 17th
of June, was placed under a low bush and covered over by
tall grass, through which a path had been made by the bird.
It was formed of dry grass, raked together in a slovenly
manner, and quite flat, but covering a large space, on one
side of which was found many pellets, and two field mice,
which must have been brought there in course of the pre-
ceding night, as they were quite fresh. I should never have
discovered the nest had not the sitting bird made a noise by
clicking its bill as I was passing close by. The poor thing
was so intent on her task that I almost put my hand on her
before she moved; and then, instead of flying off, she
hopped with great leaps until about ten rods from me, keep-
ing up a constant clinking of her mandibles. Having sat-
isfied myself as to the species, made an outline of two of
the eggs, and measured them, I proceeded slowly to a short
distance and watched her movements. Having remained
silent and still for about ten minutes, I saw her hop toward
the nest, and soon felt assured that she had resumed her
task. It was my intention to revisit the spot and take note
of the growth of the young, but letters which came to me
from Philadelphia a few days after, induced me to return
thither; and since then I have had no opportunity of ex-
amining either the eggs or the young of the Short-eared
Owl.”

Dr. Corses adds but little that is new to
the above. He says :

“ I procured one specimen at Fort Randall in the winter
of 1872-78”’

He further says :

“ It is decidedly the commonest owl about Washington,
D. C., especially in Winter.” “On one occasion I ob-

served a gathering of twenty or thirty individuals on the

Colorado river, below Fort Mojave ;” “The birds were

sitting quite closely together in the rank herbage bordering
the river ; some flopped hurriedly off as the steamboat
came abreast of them, while others stood to their perches
as we passed.”

In the Bull, of the Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol.
IV, page 223, W. E. D. Scott, writing from
Long Beach, N. J., says :

“Rather common; resident; breeds. Took a nest and
seven partly incubated eggs, June 28, 1878.

The following, which is decidedly the
most interesting information so far placed
on record, was furnished by Mr. H. A.
Kline at our request, after purchasing from
him a set of eight eggs. Mr. Kline makes
no vague statements, but gives us interest-
ing facts as he observed them, and in a
straightforward manner :

“ My first acquaintance with this bird was in the Spring
of 1880, while on a ducking expedition in the Winnebago
swamps of Illinois. As I was tramping through the dry
grass along the edge of a marsh, and on the look-out for
more edible game, a pair of these birds was flushed from
the tall grass, I succeeded in winging one with the right
barrel, and after sending 1% oz. of No. 5 shot after the
other in vain, I proceeded to examine my prize, which
proved to be a male in fine plumage. I afterward learned
of several being killed in the same locality. I found these
birds very common in Johnson and Gage counties, Nebras-
ka. On one occasion while out shooting prairie chickens
in the winter of ’81-82 I noticed one of these birds rise
from the grass about fifty yards in front of me. A load of
shot soon brought it to the ground, when at the report of
the gun four others raised from the grass, all of which
were within fifty yards of me, but they were all very shy
and kept well out of range. They seemed very loth to
leave the place, as I found them in the same locality every !
day for a fortnight. They were very wild, but I succeeded
in taking two more good specimens. The site where these
birds were killed was along an old ravine, which was cov- \
ered with a heavy growth of prairie grass. I could notice j
no variation in the markings of any of these birds. I did
not disturb the birds at that place after securing the three, j
as I thought they would breed there, and I often noticed j
four or five of them flying about after sundown in search j
of mice, etc. They appeared to be common anywhere on
the prairies, although I always met with best success along
the ravines. On the 17th of May I took my dog (a pointer)
and went to the same place where I got my specimens, to
look for their nest, which I found without much trouble.
The dog was ranging a short distance in front of me when
he was suddenly attacked by one of the Owls. It was soon
joined by the other (the male) and together they succeeded
in driving him from the field. They would swoop from the
right and left and strike him on the back with their wings.
Not being used to such treatment by any members of the
feathered tribe he beat a hasty retreat, followed by both
birds. After chasing him some distance they returned to
me and manifested great displeasure by swooping very
close to me and snapping their bills as many Owls do when
angry. I soon came upon the nest, which was placed upon
the ground, and contained eight white eggs. They were of
an oblong oval shape, and the shell closely resembled that

of the Long-eared Owl. 'Though the eggs are not near as

round as the Long-eared Owl’s, being much less through the
lesser axis. The nest consisted of a mass of dry prairie
grass placed on the ground, and was hollowed out two
inches deep. The interior was lined with fine grass, and
the whole displayed a good bit of skill in nest making for
an owl. The eggs of this nest are now in the possession of
Jos. M. Wade, Boston, Mass. The same week I found two
more nests, both of which were destroyed by fire before
the set of eggs was completed. One of these nests was on
a high knoll, and the other in a ravine. A gentleman who
had been watching these birds for several years told me he
found a nest in 1880 which contained six young birds and

one egg. The young varied much in size and must have
been hatched at different times. The eggs of the first set I
found showed the same variation in the size of the embryos.

I don’t think these birds ever prey upon anything but small
animals, and I have never found them in the vicinity of
timber. I have tried trapping them by placing a steel trap
on the top of a pole, but never succeeded in catching a
bird.”

The following received from G-. A. Mc-
Calliim, Dunville, Out., is also a valuable
addition to the life history of this bird :

A flock of Short-eared owls, that is if six may be called a
flock, have taken up their residence in the outskirts of our
town this winter (1882-3), and as many as four have been
seen together flitting about the fields as if in play, dipping
down to the ground, then soaring up again, chasing one
another, etc. Is this conduct not odd ? I have secured two
of them, and hope to hag the rest, although they are very
wary. A friend of mine while shooting in the marsh last
fall had just shot a snipe when one of this genus darted at
the falling bird and had secured it, when the other barrel

Something abont Owls,

0, 0. Ormsbee, Montpelier, Vt.

Of the Short-eared Owl, distributed over
jthe entire country, one hundred and one
stomachs were examined. Eleven contained
j small birds, one contained part of a Rabbit
jand seventy-seven contained Mice.

O.Ss O. Vol. 18, Oct. 1893 p.138

_ u Auk, XV. Jan., 1898, py-/y~7

The Fauna of Muskeget Island — A Protest.

Editors of ‘The Auk’: —

Dear Sirs: —In a recent paper on the Terns of Muskeget Island, 2 Mr.
George H. Mackay records the extermination of a family of Short-eared
Owls that had established themselves on the island during the summer

2 Auk, XIV, pp. 380-390. October, 1897.

00 n cmrrplv be

The veitebrate fauna of Muskeget may be roughly divided into two
groups: 1 st, animals which there find conditions essentially normal and
similar to those to which they are subjected throughout their range;
and 2nd, animals which there find essentially abnormal conditions, that
is, conditions which distinctly differ from those to which they are else-
where exposed. 1 To the first class belong most of the breeding birds,
among which may be mentioned : Sterna hirundo , .S', dougalli, S. fara-
disaa, Lams atricilla , rEgialitis meloda, Actitis macularia, Agelaius
fhieniceus , Sturnella magna, Ammodramus caudacutus , A. sandwichensis
savanna, and Melosfiza fasciata . 2 The coast form of the common toad
probably belongs also in this category. In the second class we find the
two mammals of the island, a Vole and White-footed Mouse, and only one
biid, the Short-eared Owl. It is t,o the members of the second class that
the chief interest attaches, because they are rapidly undergoing modifica-
tion to fit them to the needs of their peculiar environment, while no such
process is taking place among the inhabitants of the island that find
there their normal surroundings. The process of change has progressed
furthest with the Vole, Microtus bre-weri (Baird), which is now so
much differentiated as to be readily separable from the wide-ranging
Microtus pennyslvanicus of Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard and the
adjacent mainland. The White-footed Mouse, Peromyscus leucofus
(Rafinesque), is beginning to undergo a series of changes which if not
interruped will doubtless eventually result in the formation of a new
species. 3 A similar process would doubtless take place in the Owls if
they were strictly protected and allowed to become firmly established on
the island, for the bare glaring sand and scant vegetation among, which

1 A similar classification could probably be made with the plants, but here
the preponderance of the first class would be even greater than in the case of
the land Vertebrates.

2 This list is taken from a summary of the Muskeget fauna published in
1896. Miller, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVII, pp. 79-83.

3 See Miller, Proc. Bost: Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVII, p. 80.

Auk, XV, April, 1898, pp .<?//'«?.

The Short-eared Owls of Muskeget Island.

Editors of ‘ The Auk ’ : —

Dear Sirs : — I quite agree with Mr. Miller ( cf. Auk, XV, No. i, Janu-
ary, 1898, pp. 75-77) that the killing of the family of Muskeget Owls in
1896, merely because they were preying on the Terns, was ill-judged. If
Muskeget were my private property I should encourage and protect the
Owls, and they would be made welcome to as many Terns as they chose
to eat, for I should feel confident that however fast they might increase
the Terns would outstrip them in the race. As Mr. Miller says, bird pro-
tection should not be made one sided for if it be so it is certain to lose
not only its scientific but much of its aesthetic value, as well as some-
thing, even, of its practical usefulness. Bird protectors, whether they be
sportsmen or pure bird lovers, would do well to study more closely the
balance of nature, for it concerns the success of their enterprises far
more closely than they seem to realize. Even the naturalists do not as
yet fully understand the complex workings and delicate adjustments of a
system which, when not interfered with by man, seems invariably to
result in the production and maintenance of the richest possible fauna,
of which the predatory and non-predatory forms increase together to the
full limits of the capacity for food and shelter which the country fur-
nishes. No one who has ever visited a primitive region, well timbered,
well watered and not too cold, can deny the truth of this, but it is cer-
tainly difficult to understand or explain how Hawks, Owls, Herons,

1 ~ »***-»*~ v* uiv-ni me wuiu away

almost to the shaft. But even the lighter two birds have a number of
scapulars and interscapulars which are perfect in outline and which are
not only much darker than the worn portions of the plumage, but nearly
or quite as dark as corresponding feathers of birds taken in autumn or
winter at places hundreds or even thousands of miles distant from
Muskeget. These feathers may have been of recent growth at the time
when the birds were killed but it is more probable that they were old
feathers which had been protected by the overlapping plumage from the
bleaching and disintegrating effects of the tail- and sunlight, for the inner
quills, as well as the inner webs of the outer primaries and tail-feathers,
are almost equally fresh and perfect, in striking contrast with the frayed
and bleached outer portions of some of the wing and tail-feathers.

It is, of course, quite safe to assert that at some time earlier in the
season the general coloring of these birds must have been not unlike that
which the unworn parts of the plumage now exhibit, and it seems not
unreasonable to assume that even these unworn feathers must have lost
something of their original depth and richness of tint. If this be granted,
and a very slight allowance made for fading, I do not see how it can be
maintained that the Short-eared Owls taken by Mr. Maynard and my-
self on Muskeget Island in 1870 were in any respects peculiar. Even if
the allowance for fading be not conceded it is quite possible, as I have
ah eadj stated, to match the unworn feathers by corresponding feathers

A Reply.

Editors of ‘ The Auk ’ : —

Dear Sirs: — I take it for granted that I shall be allowed, with your
accustomed courtesy, a little space in your Journal for the purpose of
replying to the author of a letter entitled, ‘ The Fauna of Muskeget
Island — A Protest,’ which appeared in the number for January, 1898.
This letter, I am free to confess, has given me a genuine surprise. It is
only after some hesitation that I have decided to reply to it. I can but
regard this ‘ Protest, ’ with its accompanying inferences, as uncalled for
by the facts in .the case. I therefore beg your indulgence to take up some
of the points in the order that they are presented in Mr. Miller’s letter.

I have shot but one Short-eared Owl for a number of years. I have
had, however, in the Legislature for two years past, and again this winter,
a bill in which there is a clause giving this Owl full protection. The
above mentioned bird is now in Mr. William Brewster’s collection, and is
in the dark phase of plumage. It was one of a brood hatched on Mus-
keget during the summer of 1896. I would have shot the entire family
had I been able to accomplish it at the time , for the reason that I had the
interests of the Terns in view ; hence all antagonistic elements, whether
developed in man, mammals, or birds, were regarded as enemies and so
treated. Bird protection is a complicated and difficult problem at best. I
see no occasion for making it harder for those engaged in it. When a
gentleman of Mr. Miller’s ornithological knowledge expresses such senti-
ments in print as the following : “ But when bird protection results in the
destruction of a family of Owls, which, notwithstanding its numerical
insignificance, far outweighs in biological interest the largest Tern colony
on the entire Atlantic coast,” I think that lovers of bird life have a right
to ‘protest’ with more reason than he. When bird protection embraces
a remnant of Terns raised from a low ebb through years of tireless pro-
tection, as it does in the present case, to colonies, the numbers of which
are beyond estimate, I am of the opinion that such a condition outweighs
any problematical biological interest likely to arise from Muskeget Island
ever becoming a habitat of Short-eared Owls. Mr. Miller states that the
vertebrate fauna of Muskeget may be roughly divided into two groups,
viz., normal and abnormal. In the latter class he places the Short-eared
Owl. From an ornithological standpoint this is surprising, for as far as
I know it has no foundation in fact. I was not aware that Muskeget
Island had ever produced any form of the Short-eared Owl that is dif-
ferent from what is found elsewhere ; neither is there much likelihood
of such a race occurring in the future on Muskeget. The conditions

of environment, as they at present exist, are against such abnormal
development. If, during the past, no such recogiiizable pale race has
been produced by the conditions as claimed and presented, what ground
or promise is there of now establishing such a race amidst a shooting
club, a life saving station, and fishermen who have numbers of cats to
hold in check the vermin. These vermin are the direct result of those
reintroduced on the island by Mr. Miller and associates several years ago.

I fail to appreciate and dissent from the statement near the foot of
page 77 that, “by helping to offer direct historical proof of the rapidity
at which modification may progress under natural conditions the Terns
would be fulfilling a more important end than in gladdening the eye of
the visitor to Muskeget, and the heart of the reader of Mr. Mackay’s
progress report.” These beautiful birds are fulfilling at the present time
a much more important end than the one suggested, by delighting the
eje of every lover of bird life to whom the privilege of enjoying their
companionship is given. Refining’ in their influences, what higher 01-
better end can they serve ?

George H. Mackay.

Boston, January 17, 1898.

^Z zrzP-tzv^ ‘T'TtJz^ y^Zz^zLo

^C^ZyZZ%yZ f ~~C^tZC~ 42^^ -t^ZP'Zy'ZyZy'Z^^Z^ , yZyZ'yZ'Zy- Z-Z-Z^-y /itc *~7 Z*Zy<-yi7*~- "2ZyyZyly<-yZZyt-yZ

CrtL^ /7ui Jl /(.*■<: /^~*zzzzL<y, /^{'^-O ^/(’t , ^Z^zzY y^tc, ^ZzLe>
^t£Z //I.ZPaZ- Aizz< / Y^Zp 1?>tt. • // /lA.J^' £/f (Zz> Sctj <rV /-<-A <

7 7 / zZzzyO^ J&Yl , t^tL c^_ v

y/Zzy zYtz ?_ c /f^r^yy ZzzZzz^ y ^ ~Z_.

( Y^zz-yzz.

^zLzzLzy Zz

*^&Cd

Y y <Lyy

Y

y^zZ'zzi ^2 y/ y^ - f^ v^yC- J^ J (//l /.yi^SC^ cY- /zz^ ^zYelzy zYz^Zr

^2<>~zp'L-z- *~~'zs^<n~ z—< 3 f i yyC-&-c<- yj

&- ^y^sjy

<P~zY<^ YzyUX-yC yyZ> y?£yl^U__
y s t ~ ^<l^ z zz zzYe 7 — zYzz~

% y

'X-Z>^ZZy

Zz.&

Z&-C UZ>

^4, :

^ Z^ZzzY^ S/ZJLy

^ &-'«»•'' *~- y Ifc- dH^ ^ ~ ^ «— -i£-S — -g

4z£Ay&Z /~ gyZLyZZ-zY ZTCzjY- ZzZ^, Z^y^^ZZ^y^y ^ s i tz*Y /fa-Z-y z^y^zZZzfyZZy<ZX

Z<_ /LyZt z *■<— ~?^ 4 ^Zz*^ yzYzzY. i sJyy^&py z^Z ce~y zSzt^* * <?_ ^ /$zj£__

y/^" OZ-yZr-C<-y<Z) Cz ’"t^4- /(l- ^ ^y^Zx^zY^^^Yy ZP^CtZy y^Z-ZLyyyy zz'o y^ZZy zrzz z^
d^yZSzZyZ <- ,/ — ' yy^, zYtzLzU^ y^/zZyZzy-Z* Z^Z^ yy Z-Z^ '7 / 1 *■ r c^JZ^

Tyzzr^ y'CzzZzr s,

<yyt zy tfz>-%zz<5 y^y ^

y/(^Uy <yyV-ZZz*ZZyy^ : -.4^si',z. f y ^

zz^ — ^y^yzf- -/zo'^-z^-

c+

A partial Albino Short-eared Owl (Aszo accipitrizius ),. — I have
a female of this species taken here April 29, 1883, in which the entire
plumage is suffused with white, the ruff, upper part of neck, the median
and lesser coverts, ends of primaries, secondaries, and tail being strongly
so.— Jno. H. Sage. Portland , Conn.BuU, N,’Q.O» 8, JtXly. J888, p./^i

728. Short-eared Owl. Editorial. Ibid., pp. 60, 61. — On its habits
and distribution, with quotations from authors and interesting new mat-
ter furnished by H. A. Kline and G. A. McCallum. 0 t & Q VoltVlH

1298. Short-eared Owls in Illinois. By J. >j.

4, Feb. 17, P . 66. — “Quite plentiful this winter” [1886-87] at Car-
roiton. For. 55 Stream, fikSW

1006. Short-Eared Owl's Nest. [By F.

Sand, Notes Nat» Hie, 1 , yU T

. Jencks.] Ibid-, P- 8-

75 /- Short-eared Owl. By F. H. Carpenter. Ibid., p. 84. — Its
breeding habits at Rehoboth, Mass. * 0 , & Q . ^|||

■yW-c/o

^ ^.k.5. /&7 9 ^

'Jot „

X

tj &^(X~ gIa- (Ql/fbi (kj^-s^ Ls^ O^-hs ir-v^ ojCisy ‘h

J'W'T'W. Ia/Wv. ‘fc^JL^A, /^\J>-X^-N<s. Cxw / cA\s^-t~\^

Ah -o^f

iaj

^CX^XtrvA. ^Tl 7c? 0-J l -\^-*L. xx X o/wCZ^

y __ . . tt •

/K^maX X*^X y^wu-, ^k>vw^^, Xy.X i" -

A-^_ 61K r\A^uL IsS^JJL, ib+Ar^O yv^s-hl '^ ’ iOv^, tivA^ XaT\/vs-

/ ^

<2 ( yX<X latuOL^ 7 /vv ^/,sA>^

^0 (y^xvv^/-vx. / £/, /'Z4 _^a-XX /, Xv /^l^uOu. fl/^X) ~P ^v ^-iaxT^J ^

^o" {In- <b'^S

/u~k^OCkj

6\. 7bV~tvv (^LAfrC X'tA./V'V'^

AyC^Ayh^ x? ,

IXV-U J frAcAt>Cj Z-\A7 £ /X -X^v^-Vj ^tvy(/4^u <X? /"c^On/VAx- #£

/ ' 7 / /

/^^v cAtAh^-Kyfr ^T^V-X? Za/X^v^xX>x\_ . X” t^-vxu-v_

fr^x^-d-- X/\_A-'~^v 7-^vx)--v^-XX_^ . XtJ-Xf-X. ^V^-Xx^XCXv_ V zX-cx^X^ 0.<y^,

Alr^*-i. A^d (^vwfXi ^Xv'-'. X>>v ddJU. /^U-aX.

^Xo tnA.

/fro -?/

O /. f^ 'T:\J- -/. A
!/

/(/X^Xt ’/UyV~xA^

UtlU^ frt-LX^

^ 2 -o yXx^,XX~

X X//-

IVUfrS

%-/(> X .

fv^fr

//. &XOi

Xt /y

US^^XA^J AA A -/ ^>-i_^„ ^frXjL

&frrt? < < fry A 4

®\

IX- ^Axlxv^X. tX\TTf~</ <L

^-trv-zd-

A^ (K /U-v (w

/^L- c^-^-eX- ^ 7 <9'^

A^-^X T^i^v-/ ^Xry -/'aX?

(XSfr^ 4 As^\as^A ,

7-t a

C r^\s\S - £v\f xCjt

'L-\ -^)— X

CP

/Xr/'-'^O'x^, A i't A/ T^c-r^*.

^-<A> ~KsO-^- AA^Lk. r

'• 2f & ;^Ce' iX . - Xr 3 fr ,m .( fr

xv, /XAAA.

(^^Mxvxvx\^« ■- 'J' ^ /aXT^v, V /^VA, A £

Xc^/xX_X-aA. |vvvw " /v ifdiX^y / (x <T ^y J Cfr^J <5i_ /c^O,A^Va.j >X_ &ZM~C, y/tuA^d^d^

Ua- ^Cv 7^^ ^ CX^wv O^Cj-Am^C^aA) C^^Vxnxa^ 4/Vn ^A>vjl^^^APaX 'Zxl^*. prvxL /Ao-'Cxf/J ,. \^dA.

cLx^r\XXy^ t\Pr\A C-Xv^Xy’

/a^x^X, Lkph^J-^j C^fr cvxv>v CXAa-a-^^

f b 0 ^7Va aX; tAT^zv^v /\a. Aa^kX) 7b ^VfrP~\rxAA~*d A\aT ^

^AiL4xv^-^Xv. y,JLstl*}^fr) (fr^LA> La/2aa^-

/X*/ 7 i-'>_a) €^, < 'C'jf "XX oL<X£> J

///frq /ffr/vi^, i ' ,/ i- oi^? iofr,^A

/jf.rZTo >, X / e^s^^ti

?z

1892

Mass .

Syrnium nebulosum.

Deo. 29

Concord.- As we were returning past Bensen's house my attention
was attracted "by a large, ragged-looking grayish object in the
top of an isolated elm which stands in the meadow on the edge of
the Davis swamp -about 60 yards from the road. At first glance
I took it for a paper Wasp's nest but before I could extract my
field glasses from my pocket and bring them to bear it moved
slightly and I saw that it was a Barred Owl. Its head was bent
forward and its gaze fixed on the ground beneath. Evidently it
was on the watch for mice although the sun was more than an hour
high (it was about 3 P.M. ) and the light reflected from the snow
(which covered most of the meadow) bright if not actually dazzl-
ing to human eyes. Peter, who came from the house to speak with
us, told me that the Owl had been flying about over the meadow,
alighting on humps of frozen earth, and had settled in the elm
only a few minutes before we emerged from the woods. I now climb*
over the wall and advanced slowly down the slope towards the elm.
At first the Owl did not seem to notice me but when I came to
some snow and my foot-steps produced a slight crunching sound the

Barred
Owl .

bird instantly turned its head towards me and half opened its
wings. I stopped and we stared at each other for a minute or more
the Qwl without blinking, his eyes appearing perfectly round and
black, his beak of a bright greenish yellow, his plumage every-
where of a faded or grayish brown with profuse and very conspicu-
ous whitish bars and spots. When he turned to face me a twig
penetrated the plumage of his back and springing upward raised a
bunch of scapulars considerably above the surrounding feathers,

93

1892 Mass. Syrnium nebulosum.

Dec. 29 Concord .- giving him a ludicrously ragged appearance. Indeed
(NO. 2) there was nothing firm nor graceful in either his pose or out-
lines. The facial disc, as with most Owls, was very conspicuous.

After a little I tried to creep nearer out at the very first
step the "bird spread his broad wings and flapping them quickly
and continuously ten or a dozen times just after leaving his
Perch gained sufficient impetus to glide a hundred yards or more
further before alighting again. His course, during his flight,
was at first directly towards the woods but on entering them he
turned to the right and, scaling only a few feet above the ground
passed through a wide belt of densely growing maples and eoming
out into an opening beyond pitched sharply upward and alighted on
an isolated tree. We traced him easily enough during the entire
flight for we stood well above him and the ground in the swamp
was covered with snow over which he glided slowly like a great
shadow. I have never before seen a Barred Owl abroad and hunting
at midday in this latitude although such an experience is not un-
common in the South. This bird was quite as alert as a Hawk. He
flew from the elm when I was fully 50 yards away. I did not fol-

Barred

Owl.

low him into the swamp. I afterwards learned that Mr, Bensen saw
this Owl in the same place nearly every day up to February! 93 >

Svrniun nebulosum.

North Middleboro ' , Mass .

1897.

*' 1897, Mar. 9.

Pound by me sitting on nest, robbed later,

Mar. 21, by a friend. Three eggs, white.

" Apr . 3 .

Three eggs, incubated, laid about Mar. 20.

Hollow oah, 12 ft. up.

" May 4 .

Two eggs, second set of pair robbed Apr. 3.

This time to oh old squirrel's nest in white

Jo

pine, ft. "

Extract from letter from H.K.Job, July 22, 1897,

North Middleboro ' , Mass

%

s

Englewood, New Yprk .

An incident in to-day* s outing at Englewood was so in keeping
with some of our Suwanee experiences, I feel that even at the risk
of tiring you, I must write you of it. I went out to hunt for my
leucobronchialis . Once I thought I recognized his voice, but three
hour * s "Tear eh r e v e a 1 e d only pinu s , and it is more than probable it
was this species I heard. It was rather thick in some placets,
and I tried various calls to bring birds to me. The crow notes
seemed the most effective, and after collecting a little group I
thought I would amuse them by varying the performance and gave one
or two Owl hoots. At least five minutes later I was startled by
an answering too-whoo from a neighboring wood, and iii a very short
time tha t Qw lgot into serious difficulty with three Crows, v/hich
had probably inspected my vicinity, but seeing me through the
bushes, had withdrawn. At any rate, they made up for lost tiasie
now, and although I could not see, I could hear the battle going
on. A clashing of wings, gutteral, rolling squaks, the indignant
notes of protest from poor Syrnium . In Hie intervals of quiet we
continued our conversation, when suddenly the outcry was renewed
with increased violence, and looking up, I saw the old fellow com-
ing towerds me, the crows in full pursuit. It was bright sunlight
but he lit on the topmost branch of a young elm about fifty. yards'^!
away. Here the crows had an excellent chance, and they took ad-
vantage of it, making at least one feather fly, until probably
seeing me, for I was only concealed by the branches above, they
left old Hooty and I alone to have a nice little chat together.

And we did have. Eor one owl conversation, the .^Suwanee experien-
ces were fairly discounted. Furthermore, it was broad daylight,
and I could see as well as hear all that occurred. Tree by tree
he drew nearer, until, reaching a maple lasak- didtant not more than
twenty feet, he seemed to think he was near enough for an inter-
change of confidences, and addressed me in a low whoo -who o. --soft
’ h fh F 1 6 *;■ 1 n h fh unlike anything I have ever heard from" this

forward* the ?? !" ° ne of easer the body bending

a° Sri tm « a between the shoulders, reaching farth-

loose and fluffy'. At e^h®!ow 1 qSS“tioSnn P ^;.e t ‘iL W ^!T 1 ™!ff

* . X1 * * questioning note the. throat swell Pd

and there was a slight forward movement of the body.. Perched

took flight I could not h ery SOrry * hen he ’ P robabl y di sgusted!
brought hta to a ° nS m ° r9 eal1 '

bent and swayed beneath his weight ° Here^i S'f ^ Mr ° h T ' hlCh
pounced upon him and he + h blflCk enemies at once

ter cover My f ien^sh ‘ ™ »,t-

tbink it over., a sadly ^lefowi

May 25, 1890)

Birds Of Upper St, John,
B&tcheider,

79. Strix nebulosa Forst. Barred Owl. — “Very common at
Houlton. We were shown a mounted specimen by j\lr. Frank P. Orcutt
at Fort Fairfield. He considered it the commonest Owl.

Bull, N, O.O, 7, July, 1882, p,150

Birds within Ten Miles of Foil •
de Monts, Can, Comeau & Merrian.

61. Strix nebulosa. Barred Owl. — A tolerably common resident.

Bull. N.0.0. 7,Oot. 1882, p.287

/ 1) / iZ**A*,

k U<-A / X X « y ^ •/ (C f°l, f*- 7V

140. Syrnium varium. Barred Owl. — Regular winter resident,
October 10 to March 19; sometimes abundant (October 1-10, 1902).

n

Birds of Dead River Region, Me. F. H, G.

78. Strix nebulosa, (Barred Owl). Common
about King-field, where it often resorts to barns
during the day time, and has thus earned the
soubriquet of “Bam Owl.” It was also heard
about New Portland and at various parts of the
southern part of Somerset county. Mr. Freeborn
has a pair near Farmington, from which he has
taken two sets annually for the past four years.
The nest is in a cavity in a decayed oak stub,
about fifteen feet from the ground.

O.&Q. XI. Dec. 1886. p. 177

Fa! 1 B p d H < 3 ^ N °rtiiern Maine.
» ii • Carpenter,

Barred Owl (Strix nebulosa ), One

seen.

0,&0. XII. Nov. 1387 p.188

Wi nter Birds of WebsterN . H. by Fa\co.

Barred Owl, ( Strix nebulosa).

O.&O. X. Jan. 183b. p./*

Bird Notes, Central N.H. Winter ’91-92
J* H. Johnson

j Barred and Saw-wliet Owls, a few.

O.fcO.Vol.17, May 1892 p. 72

Breezy Point, Warren, N.H. ^ TW '' + xt w

1895 ,

* frjA.

'CC*uJ<£ <uiJLo M-o^ OLA^c^.

t**~oC r lMSC.

five Barred, 0AycJyjy

d/ %. fyfriiAuJjriMs,
(fl.'i-CP. X.A(a&. /wa: iV.

^JjLJAf- Barred O wl s

llavc been a drug in the market, at 25c.# While,
Short, Long Eared and Great Homed are scarce^/

.1886. p ,32..

flnlZ. Mrlu Y X e V>.

A Barred Owl was shot within about
five minutes walk of our place, December
i. A dangerous locality for such visitors.

H&. 5? c/.

O.&OY 0 I. 17 , Nov. 1892 p. 176

Notes from Belcherto-wn, Mass.

•J.W. Jackson

Barred Owls were noted early in Fall.

0.& O.Vol.18, Mar489g p t 40

1mMaa.cj AiAfuJ- also the first Qxls of the ( fT^A^dc^)

| season, l pair of BjffiCid in the down, we should

| judge citizens of this State. fl&T' w Cf “ J

O.&O.X. Dec. 1885. p. /?A

Birds of Bristol County, Mass.

F.W- Andros.

Syrnium nebulosum (Forst). Barred Owl. <? • faiJL A.

Resident, tolerably common. Breeds.

O.&o. XII. Sept. 1887 p.L'O

Birds Known to Pass Breeding Season
nr. Winchendon, Mass. Wm. Brewster

11 . Syrnium nebulosum.

Amir, v, Oct., 1888. p. 389

Sa;

a. ^

* A ■

Brief Notes.

Birds of all kinds that usually visit this
locality during the winter have been very
scarce. A few flocks of Snow Buntings were
seen. Hardly an Owl reported as being seen.
Last winter five Barred Owls were taken in
this town. But one Screech Owl has been
taken in three years. There are a number of
small flocks of Quail wintering here. J. W.
Jackson, Belchertown, Mass.

O.& O.Vol. 17, April 1892 p. 64

Owls. — Messrs. Southwicli & Jencks re-
port about 150 Owls this season — about
seventy-five Barred Owls, and including all
the varieties but Great Gray and Hawk
0wls -

t

(0*0. V///- -Mm. IW3 / x.i 1 /.

V

Bakked Owls. — What is the matter with
the Barred Owls ? Sage and I have had
more brought in than we could attend to
this Tall, and Sage tells of a taxidermist in
Hartford who has had ten. I guess the

crop was good last season. — W. W. Coe.

1 , Q.& Q. Vlll. Jan. 1883. p. J

jtwol Barred Owls,

A/. '&IcmAi > ,A!e riA-o*, .

VI ll &et./Wi./- b 0 •

dt^y Iffy- d^:>scd-

Sysnium kebplosum : Tuesday April 1, set of ;
three, Whippoorwill Ledge. April 5, first set of j
two, May 9, second set of two, Hell Gate.

P • %6.

O. & O. X. Feb. 1885. p. **>'

Birds observed in Naval Hospital
Grounds. Brooklyn, G. H, Ooues

4. Syrnium nebulosum.

diate vicinity.

Barked Owl. — One seen in the imme-

BttU.N.0.0. 4, Jan. , 1879, p, 31

Birds of the Adirondack Region.

'C.H.Merri&in.

1 14. Strix nebulosa, Forster. Barred Owl. — A common resident,
usually breeding in holes in trees.

Bali N. O.O. <},Oct, 1881, p,232

Oneida County, New York
William L, Ralph & Bgbert B&gg

a, Hon 1 " 11 ] ” ebu ^ osurn ' Breeds. A nest containing two eggs was taken
at Holland Patent April 18, 1889. 8

Auk* TO July, 1800. p. 23 /,

Birds Tioga Go, N. Y. Alden Loring

397 . Barred Owl. NbFcommon.

O u &Q tJ XV, June, 2890, p.QfT~~'

?LctDb

t>

A.

a

d

o

03

a

o3

1-0

>

M

M

3

Syrnium nebulosum. — The Barred Owl is rather rare on Long Island.
The present record has to do with its occurrence as a bird of the city,
my attention having been attracted to it by a crowd which gathered to
observe the unfamiliar sight of a large bird in the heart of the city,
sitting with every appearance of contentment in the bare branches of a
tree. The small boys, however, soon began to pelt it with stones, though
it was with difficulty that the bird could be made to fly, and even the
presence of a policeman had little effect in restraining them.

In spite of much persecution the bird remained in the vicinity for
several days more, but the commotion and excitement produced by his
presence led to his premature end. Various missiles aimed at the Owl
by the crowd during the day became a menace to the windows and heads
and led the householders to consider the bird a rather unwelcome visitor.
The bird was accordingly shot and afterward fell into my possession.
The contents of the stomach, as well as beak and claws, bore testimony
to the havoc which he had made the preceding night among the English
Sparrows. — William C. Braislin, M. D., Brooklyn, N. T.

LOGIST.

83

The Birds of the Vicinity of Troy,
New York.

Mr. Austin F. Park, of Troy, recently delivered
an interesting lecture under this title before the
Troy Scientific Association. Pie exhibited a col-
lection of about 230 specimens, representing 175-
species of local birds. The lecturer gave a char-
acteristic description of each bird family, and in-
terested his audience with many important de-
tails. The songs of the thrushes peculiarly re-
sembling the human style of expression and the
beauty and intense activity of the insectivorous

warblers were dwelt upon. The bad side of the
English Sparrows being so often a subject of com-
ment by citizens, Mr. Park defended the birds by
showing their excellent capacity as scavengers,
and that the nuisance of their lodgment in vines,
trees and window blinds can be avoided by rout-
ing them out once or twice in the night time,
when they will leave their lodging place and seek
other and more peaceful lodgings. This clearing-
out process can be effected by the use of poles or
fireworks or a stream of water directed from the
hydrants. Their war upon insects is unremitting
for a large part of the year, and when driven
from town they seek the suburbs, and assist the
farmer to destroy his grasshoppers, and some-
times, but only after the grasshoppers are gone,
to dispose of his surplus grain.

Mr. Park showed a specimen of the Barred Owl,
which was shot in Harrison Place a few years
ago, which had in its stomach the foot and leg of
a Screech-owl. A series of six Sparrow Hawks
was exhibited, ranging from the white downy
nestling to the adult. He also showed the Gos-
hawks, Chicken Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks,
of which the females are greatly the largest, and
which live mainly on other birds. The
White Gulls Mr. Park denominated the “ white
winged angels of the Arctic seas,” which are
rarely found here even in Arctic weather. The
“Kumlien’s Gull” is a species lately discov-
ered. It breeds in Cumberland Gulf, in the re-
gion of Greenland. The one shown by the lec-
turer is the first recorded specimen found in this
State. It is white, with a pearly blue back, and
beautifully shaped. The speaker observed, con-
cerning the intelligence of birds as indicated by
the quantity of brains, that the amount of brains
in proportion to the weight of the body is vastly
greater in the active birds, as the Thrushes,
Warblers and Sparrows, than in the Ducks and
Geese, and that some birds have a larger brain in
proportion to the weight of the body than is pos-
sessed by the average man. These facts indicate
a higher degree of intuitive intelligence in the
higher and more active grades of birds. The
cerebrum of a Song Sparrow’s brain has a greater
weight, in proportion to its body, than the whole
brain of the average man in proportion to his to-
tal weight. The birds made a beautiful and
striking appearance. They constitute only a
part of the very large collection of Mr. Park,
which ho is in hopes may some day be a nucleus
for a public museum in this branch of natural
history. The address was replete with interest,
and was very instructive and entertaining to all
who were so fortunate as to be present.

n

O.&O, X. Jane. 1885. p, l-

Albinism and Melanirm in North
American Birds* Ruthven Deane,

Among the Strigidce a fine specimen of S. nebulostim is in the
natural history museum at Niagara Falls. <

B«1JL N.O.C. 1, April, 1876, p.22

Y5

¥

Jt,

'/:'}j \~-t..H.- f ^ i~^ (jf f /// <<•■#/ £&*&*?

Z«-«. /6’J'V'wt /i<^L-ld *"■*• V\> ^/i ^y-L,.-f '{'<*<-#

1*. « ^ 4 >^ 4 ^ 4 , ;/i^f<f*t~+-., j&_ C-4S-i*~4’± dLiAti 1jfc~

h^-U- . . k yi * ^

, ' - . i ^..ef

t , XA y! u Uv ' x i A<x y A .

fa-*\.t( '-vc M*d /v’tt4^-WvvH^-#C l ''^^'^

Rapfcores, Bristol County, Mass.
Hilton B, Read.

Barred Owl ( Sri* nebuloca). This species is
quite common in our county and breeds spar-
ingly, although more frequently than formerly.

I quote two instances of capture and two
nests to which they yearly resort, in Rehoboth,
(Carpenter). One specimen from Seekonk,
(Miller) and three from Dartmouth, (Dexter),
besides numerous observations. One was cap-
tured alive and is now in confinement in the

h'ouse of a friend in Attleboro. One of their
nests was simply a decayed cavity in an old
walnut tree, in a grove not far from a house.

Two sets of two eggs each were taken April j
7th and 25th, when the .Owl resorted to an old
nest of the Red-shouldered Hawk, and laid a
third “set” ? of one egg, which was taken, to-
gether witli the old bird, May 7th. This nest
has been occupied by the owls for a number of
years, and it will be interesting to observe
whether the male will return with a mate, to
again establish a home. The set of eggs is
usually complete with two, but three has been
taken several times by both Mr. Carpenter and
myself. The eggs are globular — as all Owl’s
eggs are — and when first taken from the nest
are generally very dirty, owing to no lining
being used to protect the eggs from the rotten j
punk on' the bottom of the nest, but water soon
brings out their true color, a creamy white.

O.&O. XII. Aug. 1887 pH 1-fiY

Nesting of the Barred Owl in Mass.

BY C. L. PHILLIPS, TAUNTON, MASS.

April 28, 1888, while exploring a large, dense
swamp in South Dighton, Mass., I was so fortu-
nate as to find the Barred Owl ( Strix nebulosa )
breeding. The nest was placed about thirty
feet high, in the fork of a swamp maple. The
owl had evidently utilized an old Red-should-
ered Hawk’s nest, simply adding a few pine
twigs and lining it with downy feathers and
moss. The nest contained two white, translu-
cent eggs, measuring 56x44 mm. and 57 x
46 mm. respectively.

I sat down and watched for the owl’s return;
she soon made her appearance, approaching
slowly and cautiously from tree to tree. She
had got within two rods of her nest when a
! crow came diving down on her back; taken by
surprise she took to flight and soon disappeared
in the dark recesses of the swamp with corvus

in hot pursuit. _

O.&O. XIII. Aug. 1888 p.119

Notes from Rehoboth, Mass.

Barred Owl.

PART I. RAPTORES. F £ "

In lieu of my departed “ strain ” of
Great-h orne d Owls I was obliged to wait
until the blustering winds of March had
given place to the showers of April, ere
I could venture forth with confidence to
reap the harvest of the next breeder, the
Barred Owl.

April 7th I took my trip to the usual
haunts of these “Hooters” and first in-
spected Long Hill Woods, where, since the
spring of 1878, I had annually secured a
set of their eggs from one of the old
Hawk’s nests. A pair of screaming “ Bed
Shoulders ” prospecting for a situation for
their domicile, greeted me with assurances
j of success for a future visit. I diligently
thumped every tree that contained a nest
and ascended to the most likely looking
ones but no Barred Owl or eggs were found.

I next went to the pine woods some two
miles distant, where I also annually se-
cured sets. Here I carefully searched for
Strix but found nothing.

Matters were growing serious. My dis-
appointment was about all that I could
bear. My last resource was Oak Swamp.
Surely in that secluded retreat they must
be found.

I secured the services of a friend and we
thoroughly hunted the swamp, looking in
every hollow stump until we found the ob-
ject of our search.

In a decayed open cavity in a walnut
tree was a Barred Owl sitting in full view.

name*

The nest was “not more than ten feet up in
the tree. The Owl did not leave until the
tree was thumped ; then only flew into the
next tree. The set of these eggs was se-
cured withput trouble ; incubation slight.
Whether the Owls in the other localities
will return next season is a question of
much anxiety with me, for I had promised
several friends sets of their eggs, and it
was a matter of much chagrin to only re-
cord one chick.

(H-&- / X .

The Barred Owl is the most common with
me with the exception of the Screech Owl.
As a winter resident it becomes quite bold
and will often approach the house in search
of food. This leads me to mention the
capture of my confined bird under the
following peculiar circumstances: In my
museum I have an open coal grate. One
morning while building the fire I was sur-
prised by a Barred Owl tumbling down
the chimney with considerable fuss and
lack of dignity. Recovering himself he
perched on a chair as calmly as though in
his native wilds. - Of course his capture
speedily followed and for two years he has
remained in confinement, as stoical as an
Athens judge. Nothing moves him except
the food, which he seizes with avidity, and
swallows with equal haste. Although rath-
er ludicrous to watch as he sits wrajDped
in the consciousness of his own moral dig-
nity, yet he is less interesting to my mind
than any of my other feathered friends.
This being my opinion I am not quite as
lenient with him as with the Long-eared
Owl, and woe to the nest which comes in
my circuit of collecting.

My first Barred Owl’s nest well do I re-
member. It was the first nest of any
Owl’s or Hawk’s I had ever found, and it
being in the beginning of my oological as-
pirations, the next question to be solved
was how to get it, for it was most provok-
ingly placed in an old Fisk Hawk’s nest at
the top of an old dead tree, smooth for
forty feet without a limb. Climbing irons
I had never heard of. To “ shin ” it was
out of the question. My only resource
J was to let them hatch, which I did. Three
pair now breed in this vicinity. One nest
is in the hollow of an old pine stub fifteen
feet or so from the ground. Number two
is in a heavy wood, where they have the'
choice of several old Hawk’s nests, seem-
ing not to remain only for one year in the
same nest. Number three was placed last
year in an old Crow’s nest, at the top of a

•fpl

Notes frorr v «'.y tall pine . These Owls have bred in
the forementioned places for at least seven

" pair £ " W from

In lieu of m earliest ^ + e ^ r ° ne taken an nually. My
Great-horned Ov both dat & eMarcb27 ’’ latest April 18— at
until tlielolustei has been Tu ^ ^ Nation

*i™> place to , 4. 7Z71JZ 7 *™>V«

I could venture otbev • ndm g complete set ;

reap the harves same time^ort^Tll W ^ fr ° m
Barred Owl. 8ay “ F °\ the htt er nest I would

April 7th I tc a day or^tw W been Sat u P on for
haunts of thes< nest ' IV ° pi ? V10us to m y finding the
spected Long F calJ^V^ (bne and to a

spring of 187' JTS “

set of their ' d Kehoboth,

Hawk’s nests. Notes from California.

Shoulders” pri W, . . _

their domicile, down besM e a little cv/ek

of success for r \ g ’ sa w the foP ' ’ ' 1 *■

thumped every ^ 1 * 16, Some in the
and ascended 0al f’ ^ “ the tall
ones but no Ba ^ W °° dpecke *

I next went f***' W °° d

miles distant, ™ P r, ’ SpaiTOW
cured sets. I Cal ; fomia Song f

Strix but four SliT T °™ e ’ teller
Matters we S T ? ickadee >
appointment rat r 1<3 f C “ st nut-bac

bear. My la* 7* a ^7 M
q i-4-i Jlac * up her amir

Surely in tha Swallow’s nest on » f
be found. nV1 . nest 011 a raf
I secured J " ^ m under the roo
thoroughly I * ° Yer tbe Egging
every hollow ■ ° and b °oming ov
ject of our s t . 16W llp ™t,° lumbe

In a deca * aken ° noticeof naan,
tree was a B J™ tbe ^rnia Bn
The nest wa , “ lla S ong Sparrow, I?
the tree. T Hue,

tree was the f ® ln Cbl PPmg Spar
next tree. 1 *J e h tj, '° ne California Q

cured withe If *f“ aoBI “H
Whether tl “» Yellow,

will return p i-» -V, r ' Found a nest of the

much anxie T™ T ° Whee “ an old oil

several frit Meadow" J’° a f 0D ' 1 f °nnd my first W.
was a matt finp Layk nest this season, with six
cord one cl * T gg * &S Ieyersa -; a large setlthink.

skei

(H-&.

/X . CUy./tlr*/. /*■ ??■

Barred Owl’s Nests. — We have seen four
nests since our residence in Norwich, and
as they all vary we will try and describe
them. No. 1 was in a very large, healthy,
chestnut. The nest was in a rent or slit
in the side of the tree, about thirty feet
from the ground. This hole was about
three feet high by not over six inches wide.
The nest was level with the entrance.
When we visited it in company with Mr.
Brand, the old bird was on the nest, which
contained two fresh eggs. There was
snow at the nest's entrance as well as on
the ground. Mr. Brand has taken eggs
from this nest for seventeen years. No. 2
was entirely different. It was also in a hol-
low in the top of a chestnut tree, not over
twenty feet high and easy to get at. The
hollow place has evidently been burned at
some time to drive out squirrels. This
nest was in the stub or top of the tree,
which had been blown off and was open
and the nest or cavity was about the size
of half a flour barrel. The female was on
the nest and left at our approach. She
was remarkably large and a beautiful spec-
imen. The nest at this time contained a
hen’s egg, which had been placed there
when the owl’s egg had been removed.

This nest has been taken for many years
by “ J. M. W.” No. 3 was in a large
chestnut about fifty feet high and was the
nest of a Red-tail or Red-shouldered
Hawk, and in nowise different from what
a Hawk usually builds. This pair has
been robbed for years by “ J. M. W,” but
not in the same nest or even same piece of
wood. No. 4 was in the crotch of a but-
ternut tree, about twenty-five feet high.

This cavity was half hole and half shelf,
so that when the bird was on the nest she
could be seen from the ground. This was
not occupied the season we saw it, but “ J.

M. W.” has tak en manv^e^ fro^s^ . p . /jtf-

Early Finds.— March 19th Junius A.

Brand, of this city, called on us with a set
of two Barred Owls ’ eggs, perfectly fresh.

The nest was in a large hollow chestnut,
some thirty feet high. This is a very early
record. The eggs were brought to us fresh
from the nest and unblown.

O.&O. Vll. Aug. 1882. p. ty-!r

I An I cy Nest, took my first Barred

Owl-S egg - — ffei tfteVifrto'-jQy ' en't being qu ite

ten days late. This owl’s hole of ancient
domain is barrel-shaped and now open at
the top, and on the 24th of March there
was such a heavy slab of solid ice in the
bottom that for one year at least it seemed
as if the tenant must secure quarters else-
where. But, April 3, I took the first egg,
substituting a hen’s egg for the rest of the
clutch which can be safely reckoned upon.
Except a dab of wet feathers the egg was
in the middle of the slab of ice which had
begun to melt very slightly under the
heat of the owl’s body. . We read of strange
nesting-places, and queer material used in
construction, but isn’t this the first in-
stance of a collector finding his eggs on
ice ? — J. M. IF., Norwich, Conn.

OOLOGY.

J. PAEKEE NORRIS, Editor.

The Editor assumes no responsibility for those ar-
ticles which have the names of the writer attached.

Owl versus Hawk.

BY J. M. W., NORWICH, CONN.

*

d

co

co

CO
1— <

<D

a

n

>

6

*8

6

At this season the field oblogist will associate
certain points of resemblance and difference in
the breeding habits of our four large local Rapa-
cice. Briefly grouped, they are as follows : He
will note that they all prefer an old tenement.

The crow is their architect whose ground plan
obtains, and the grey squirrel the pro tem., tenant
whose fixtures revert to the estate. The Great
Horned Owl breeds earlier than the Barred, is
shyer and more formidable, and lays but two
eggs. The Red-tailed Hawk breeds earlier than
the Red-shouldered, is more retiring and fiercer,
and commonly lays two eggs. Our nebulous
owl usually lays three eggs, often but two, and
sometimes four. Buteo lineatus usually lays
three eggs, often but two and occasionally four.

It is presumed that the Barred and Red-should-
ered which lay two eggs are old birds, and those
which have trios and now and then break into
fours are young adults. At any rate it will con-
stantly be found that when individuals of either
sort lay two or three in one year, successive
years will also bring pairs and trios. I took two
five years in succession from one Red-sliouldered
Hawk, and from one old Barred. Qwl six years in
succession got only pairs. Her clutch is always
two, in fact. Yet the fact remains that trios are
typical sets of mature birds of these two species.

But again ; in Sandy Hollow, Ledyard, three
years running I took sets of four from a Red-
shouldered and the fourth year got four fledged
young. In ’82, ’83 and ’84 I took but trios and
pairs from my large Red-sliouldered contingency,
but in 1885 four quartette clutches came early to
the front. And this year the season opened with
two sets of four Barred Owl’s eggs. This is the
apparent system, and these the changes that sur-
prise and enchant us in our spring- field work.

When the angry Red-tails find Mrs. Bubo in
their old home I fancy they would not often dis-
possess the tenant but for the noisy help of the
crows, always “spoiling” for this kind of a free
fight. April 3d, 1886, I took a clutch of one
Barred Owl and three Red-sliouldered Hawks,
and three years ago I took a similar clutch. In
_the_ first place the aggressive hawks were aided

by such a contingent of crows that the poor owl’s
life became a burden to her and she was forced
to seek a quieter neighborhood. These avian
troubles were in open nests. But when Bubo
and Syrnium breed in cavities they can “hold the
fort,” for no self-respecting Buteo will ever crawl
into a hole. 0.& O. XI., Jnn.lS&Q.p, JfV- W

somely spotted and clouded with russet /and
chestnut. The larger end is entirely obscured
by them: 1.40x1.13. No. 3. Delicately /‘loud-
rd and spotted with russet and chestnuj. The
markings entirely cover the ground color at the
smaller end : 1.44 x 1.13.

Seh XVI. June 13, 1877. Blue Mountains,
Northampton County, Penn. Collected by
Shriner. Nest on a chestnut tree /bout thirty
feet from the ground. Four eg®, incubation
very far advanced ; dull grayish; white ground
color. No. 1. Heavily blotched and spotted
with burnt umber, the marking# forming a par-
tial band around the centre of the egg: 1.50 x
1.24. No. 2. Speckled and shotted with burnt
umber. At the larger end there are very heavy
blotches of the same color :j 1.54 x 1.24. No. 3.
Speckled, spotted and blotched very heavily
with burnt umber : 1.51x1.24. No. 4. Heavily
blotched and clouded vvfth burnt umber and
raw umber. The marMngs are much heavier
at the larger end : 1.52 i 1.26.

Set XVII. May 19/ 1885. Near the Blue
Mountains, Northampton County, Penn. Col-
lected by Shriner. Nest on a white pine tree.
Four eggs, incubation commenced; ground col-
or grayish white. Md, 1. Heavily blotched near
the larger end wijtli very dark chocolate and
cinnamon : 1.53 x ¥23. No. 2. Heavily blotched
at the larger enq with dark chocolate brown
and cinnamon : n . 51 x 1.23. No. 3. Heavily
blotched with dark chocolate and cinnamon.
The markings fprm an indistinct band near the
larger end: 1/48x1.21. N». 4. Very heavily

blotched with dark chocolate brown : 1.52
x 1.23.

And now /here remains to be described seven-
teen eggs of this species, which are not one set,
but -which were all laid by one bird. On May
23, 1880, '/.I . M. W.” found a nest in a pine
grove near Norwich, Conn. Mr. 1 Rawson de-
scribes the male as being “ridiculously small,
and of Jay size. The female was normal, wdth
a pecu|lar break in her quaverings of alarm,
marking her identity anywhere.” Mr, Rawson
continues: “From nest in pine but thirty feet
south! of road, May 23, took one broken and
three fresh eggs. Same Sunday, p. m. nest
tony down by Crow hunters. Entire new nest
thefi built the next day in pine, one hundred
fee!; north of road. Take three eggs May 30,
leaving none. June 1, note one egg, but leave
it. June 2, take two eggs leaving none. June
si note one egg. June 6, two eggs in nest, take
fine. June 9, take two eggs substituting pig-
ieon’s. Mavvk on side of nest — not covering
I eggs. Clutch not laid. June 11, one egg.

-June 13, one egg. June 17, one egg. .> June 19,
one egg. June 21, one good egg, June 23,
nestxegg cold. Male and female not seen.
June 25L take last egg — under-s/zed.”

These Seventeen eggs are now before me, and
they are particularly interesting as showing
two points: \1) the general resemblance in
markings of thesmajority of them, and (2) the
gradual exhanstimi pf coloring matter owing
to the great number odd in quick succession by
this one female. The ground color of all is of
a bluish white, and they're blotched, clouded
and spotted wi/h burnt umtW. chestnut, cinna-
mon, drab-gyUy, and lighter Dints of the same
colors. They present a greatVmiformity in
size alsar except the last laid egg, which is
smaller. The others all average amgut 1.40 to
1.45 in length, by 1.17 to 1.19 in breadetp

The persistency with which this bird raid is
truly remarkable. \

Nesting of the Barred Owl.

BY “J. M. W.,” NORWICH, CONN.

During the last ten days in January, 1888, the
Barred Owl was heard calling nightly, with the
mercury steadfastly at zero. The nights were
wonderfully clear and woe befell vermin or ro-
dent that crossed the moonlighted spaces in the
woods on the snow-covered earth. But it was
not alone for his early breakfast that Syrnium
lets us know he is afield so soon this season.
Notwithstanding the intense cold, he knows it
is time to look up his mate, and all through Feb-
ruary he grows noisier in his addresses, and his
serenades are not hushed until the eggs are
laid, when he is under the spell of the same in-
stinct which makes the Buteos silent during in-
cubation.

During the open Februaries, several years
ago, Mr. Brand and myself took eggs in win-
ter, but of late the last of March sees full
clutches of this bird. I have seen eggs on a
solid cake of ice in a hole and in open nests
with a foot of snow in the woods. On March
13, 1887, Mr. Win. Ely of this place, took a set
of four fresh eggs from an open nest almost in
the city limits. Sets of four are extremes and
are far from common. Three eggs is the rule
for young birds and two eggs for old owls.

Though Syrnium dearly loves a hole or crev-
ice in a tree and will cling to a suitable hole for
years though often harried, yet any old open
nest will be made to answer the two month’s

r

UILM I HUliiMi m i

— AMD —

OOLOGIST.

$1.00 per
Annum.

PUBLISHED BY THE FRANK BLAKE WEBSTER COMPANY.

ESTABLISHED MARCH, 1875.

Vol. XVIII. HYDE PARK, MASS., JANUARY, 1893.

Single Copy
10 cents.

No. 1.

The First Spring Outing.

The winter and spring of 1S92 will
long be remembered for the visitation of
the Russian epidemic, La Grippe. Un-
sparing in its infliction, it numbered its
victims in every household and in every
avocation. Even the ornithologist was
made to realize how it felt, and the walls
of my house echoed and re-echoed to the j
form of expressing the presence and effect
of the detested plague in all its variations, j

When one has passed through these ex-
periences week after week and week after
week, the things that charmed before lose
much of their attraction ; even life itself
bears a different aspect. What though
the almanac indicated the near approach
of spring, with its fascinations to the col-
lector, I guessed that I shouldn’t do much
collecting this year and then suspended
thinking long enough to sneeze a few
times.

But one morning the sun came out
bright and warm, the winds were hushed
and I didn’t hear anybody sneezing.
How different one feels at such a time;
the world looked more attractive, the
fields seemed inviting and a thought of
the woods reviving. I gently suggested
the possibilities of a trip to that old hollow
tree, where the Barred Owl had been ac-
customed annually to prepare a set of eggs
for me, to my boy, and his eyes danced
and sparkled with animation. But then
he hadn’t been through the Grippe, and
of course was all ready to start, with one

foot up. “O, let me climb to the nest!”
Of course I don’t think I shall ever climb
another tree if it be over two feet up to
the branches.

It was a pleasant morning for a pleasant
trip ; it seemed to put new life into one
debilitated by the epidemic. The drum-
ming of the Grouse, and the startling
whirr when we flushed one, stirred the
blood, and we stopped to listen to the
sweet song of a Purple Finch as, perched
in a tree top, he repeated his delightful
lay. Little families of Chickadees, cheer-
ing each other with pleasant notes, were
intent on the important business of secur-
ing a breakfast, while one member of the
family in different garb from the others
showed that he had not been adopted long
enough to learn the family language when
he tried to join them in singing, his notes
sounding more like the tinkling of a tiny
bell. What a melodious whistle sudden-
ly burst on the ear, loud and clear and
startling in the quiet of the forest, and
while the boy looked at me with inquiring
wonderment expressed on his face, a flock
of Fox-colored Sparrows began springing
up from the ground and darting away one
after another. How they can sing and
what splendid voices they have. Wouldn’t
it be delightful, when they get home, to
be there with them and listen to their
chorus? I wonder where the enchanted
spot may be.

A turn of the path brought in view the
place we sought and a surprise awaited us
! — the spoiler had been there with the

Copyright, 1892, by Frank Blake Webster Company.

woodman’s axe. Instead of the tall trees
sat covered the spot a year ago, heaps of
cord- wood were scattered all over the
brown hillside, with very few of the old
trees left ; but we soon discovered that
among those few was the dilapidated old
tree whose\ hollow trunk had contained
the nest of SWnium. But little encourage-
ment, howeveh, could we take to our-
selves, for witlXn a few feet from the
trunk was a square corded pile of split
wood. With scarcely interest enough to
go to the spot, I lifted' pay staff' and gave a
gentle blow upon the basfe and was prompt-
ly startled by seeing the big brown head
emerge and with great flapping of wings
speed away to a neighboring'p'ee, whence
she glared at us with her bead« black eyes
and called out who-who-'who-ob-ou. By
this time the boy was sitting astride the
one remaining branch of the tree, which
stood like an arm reaching out to gi\sp a,
support for the decaying foundatf
“Three eggs this year,” he exclaimed/Hs
he gazed down into the depths, ‘fan
they are away down deep, the /-hole
length of my arm.” Last year itywas so
that the bird could sit on the eggs and
just peep over the top at an intruder. It
was a beautiful set, almost globular in form,
and being quite fresh they ware clean and
white. We returned over Ore hill way to
visit the Red-tailed Hawks’ nest as we
did last year when we s/cured the set of
three beautiful spotted qggs ; but while we
found the nest unchanged, it appeared to
be without a tenant this year. Night
nearly overtook us before we reached
home, and the first spring tramps will tire
one ; but the pure air is invigorating and
one does not /eem to require such full
measure of success on the first trip as later
to be fully satisfied, for we unanimously
pronunced/it a successful and enjoyable
outing.

John N. Clark.
Old Saybrook, Conn.

A List of the Birds of Rudolph
County, Ind., with some notes on
the Mammals of the same county.

For some years previous to August,
1891, I made careful notes on the birds
and mammals found in the above county,
and believe the following to be a pretty
accurate list of the winter birds. A few
listed are truly migrants, but the dates at
which they were seen would place them on
the winter list. / The mammal list is not
complete. No Bats are given. I have seen
some there, but do not know the species.
The list of; Mice and Shrews I believe to
be only partially complete.

WINTER BIRDS.

A. O. U.

194., Great Blue Heron. Not common
in winter, but one was seen late
in December.

289. Bob White (Quail). Very common
and much sought by hunters. The
county is thickly settled, but nearly
every farm has a flock or two.

310. Wild Turkey. Now extinct but
formerly quite common.

Mourning Dove.. A few remain
around feeding places the entire
winter.

urkey Buzzard. Occasionally seen
during warm winters.

C doper’s Hawk. Has been taken
in, the winter.

Red-tailed Buzzard. Quite com-
mon, at all times.

Red-shXuldered Hawk (Chicken
Hawk) x . Common for a hawk.
Bald Eagle. One is occasionally
seen.

Barred Owl.\ Very common.
Screech Owl. Common. More of
the gray color than the brown.
Great Horned Owl. Abundant for
this species.

376. Snowy Owl. Two, were taken in
the county in December, 1891, the
only ones I have ever known.

3 2 5 -

333 -

337 -

339 -

35 2 -

368.

373 -

375 -

2

ORNilX-

woodman’s axe. Instead of the tall trees j
that covered the spot a year ago, heaps of
cord-wood were scattered all over the
brown hillside, with very few of the old
trees left ; but we soon discovered that
among those few was the dilapidated old
tree whose hollow trunk had contained
the nest of Syrnium. But little encourage-
ment, however, could we take to our-
selves, for within a few feet from the
trunk was a square corded pile of split
wood. With scarcely interest enough to
go to the spot, I lifted my staff and gave a
gentle blow upon the base and was prompt-
ly startled by seeing the big brown head
emerge and with great flapping of wings
speed away to a neighboring tree, whence
she glared at us with her beady black eyes
and called out nvho-'who-whd-oo-ou. By
this time the boy was sitting astride the
one remaining branch of the tree, which
stood like an arm reaching out to grasp a
support for the decaying foundation.
“Three eggs this year,” he exclaimed as
he gazed down into the depths, “and
they are away down deep, the whole
length of my arm.” Last year it was so
that the bird could sit on the eggs and
just peep over the top at an intruder. It
was a beautiful set, almost globular in form,
and being quite fresh they were clean and
white. We returned over the hill way to
visit the Red-tailed Hawks’ nest as we
did last year when we secured the set of
three beautiful spotted eggs ; but while we
found the nest unchanged, it appeared to
be without a tenant this year. Night
nearly overtook us before we reached
home, and the first spring tramps will tire
one ; but the pure air is invigorating and
one does not seem to require such full
measure of success on the first trip as later
to be fully satisfied, for we unanimously
pronunced it a successful and enjoyable
outing.

John N. Clark.

Old Saybrook, Conn.

O.& O.Vol.18, Jan. 1893 P.1-2

5(5

I could not help recalling my experience of
the year before, and the resolve that I made
when I reached the ground after climbing to
this same nest, that if ever a Hawk or any
other bird had its nest in another tree like
that it would not be molested by me. But this
was something new to me. I had never seen a
Barred Owl’s nest before and had no set of
their eggs in my collection, so I wished to get
them very much. I tried to persuade my
friend, Mr. L — , to try his hand at this one,
but he would not be persuaded; so I finally
decided to make one more attempt myself,
but must own up beaten, for after getting over
half way up my courage gave out and I had to
come down again. So we were obliged to
leave her, with this faint hope that next
year she would take up her abode in a more
respectable tree.

On'

N

'S'

v

I

?

New Eng. Raptores. Number Eggsin

a set. F-H. Carpenter.

Barred Owl, ( Syrnium neulosbum).

24 sets of 2
19 “ “ 3

O &0. XII. Oct. 1887 p. 168

Collection of Raptor es Eggs. J.P.N.

Barred Owl, 1.1-2, 11-3, 24 59

0.&Q. XY. Apr. 1890. p. 56

May 1887.]

AKD OOLOGIST.

75

ards me a Peregrine Falcon, one eye glancing
up at a killdeer many feet above him. /His
long pointed wings beat the air with short,
quiek strokes, as they bore him with increas-
ing speed till he reached a point just b^iow his
unwary victim, when, as an arrow from a bow,
he shot, upwards, passing not a foot; ahead of
the incoming killdeer. The bird libhrally flew
into the 'outstretched talons that, /seized and
bore it several hundred yards to the top of a
tall red oakYree.

Not many 'minutes had elapsbd before I was
standing undeV the tree. A well directed charge
of No. 8 shot was launched at the hawk; the
killdeer fell frbrn his grast/; he fell to the
under side of the limb on which he was perch-
ed, quivered a few second?'' released his hold,
and followed his dead quarry to the ground.

On another occasion, I Was shooting ducks in
a slough in the Warrfen/ bottom, when I heard
an unusual noise, so loud and so continued was
it that I took it to be the\scream of some large
bird in distress — a Pi'leaied Woodpecker per-
haps. I hastened towards the place whence
the cries proceeded. As waded into the
water, I saw a Peregrine \ Falcon hovering
above the timber, as a FisHt Hawk balances
himself before he descends. V started a black
duck from unde,r a log not tenVeet from me;
as I proceeded other ducks left .their hiding
places and sought safety in flight. , They were
aware of the danger over head in the shape of
the Falcon, and all the frightful screens of the
cunning hawk had not caused them * to leave
the water. My presence in their vei\ midst
had alarmed them and so soon as they were on
the wing the Falcon darted like lightning, after
them, and they disappeared through theXtim-
ber with their pursuer close behind them.

The Capture of the Killdeer by the Falcon, \n
the manner above described, was certainly as-
tonishing. It was evidently a ruse, as the birA,
did not see its enemy, till like an apparition, he
shot up just ahead and the two taloned feet

Wflrp f>v|-pnHpf] fn ror>oivo if

ed bird escaped by squatting suddenly. T*fie
upward flight of- the Falcon seemed to me* not
leste rapid than had been his descent. I had
one 'parrel loaded, the contents of which I sent
after him without apparent effect, as he towered
in a fe\yseeonds beyond the reach of.danger.

One among other occasions, when this ma-
rauder has, suddenly appeared on the scene. I
shall never forget. I had one day scattered a
covey of partridges ( Golbnus vifginianus ) in an
open field, andNjiad hunted the 7 single birds for
some time withSyaried success; now killing,
now missing a bird. Finally my dog pointed
in a sedge field, at IS^st a half a mile from the
nearest woods. 1 flushed the bird and missed
it; almost simultaneously with the shot, a
Peregrine Falcon stoOpeo. from the sky ; com-
ing downward and directlV behind the whir-
ring partridge, he 'passed hv me swift as the
leaden shower 1 had just sent in vain after poor
Bob White; overtaking hut missing his quarry
before it had flown two hundred yards, it
seemed to me 'that the Falcon must have flown
with at least,’ four times the speed of the part-
ridge, and that he flew at least a half\a mile
while the latter was going two hundred yards.

That bird was bagged that day by ne\her
shooter nor hawk. I marked it down; but, I
had not the heart to flush and shoot at V
again when it had escaped the leaden missiles^
hurled after it, and the sharp talons of the huu- \
gry Falcon that followed in their wake.

Nesting of the Barred Owl in
Texas.

BY EDWIN C. DAVIS, GAINESVILLE, TEXAS.

Nesting Habits of Texas Birds.

H. P. Atwater, London, Ontario.

Barred Owl, (Strix nebulosa ). Breed in the
river bottom in holes in the tall trees, but are
not very common. I did not climb to the nests.

O.&O. XII. Aug. 1887 p.124

Imagine yourself twenty-five miles from any
railroad station, and miles away from a house
of any kind, on a cold and disagreeable day in
.March, and no possible chance of finding shel-
ter from a drenching rain. Well, this was the
condition of a friend and myself on the 6th day
j of March, 1886. We had set out to visit the
swamps of the Sabine river in hopes of adding
! a few sets of Bubo’s eggs to our collections, and
| as all preparations had been made, on the day
named we started and after travelling almost a
day through underbrush, over decayed logs,
and after wading through bogs and driftwood
almost waist deep, we arrived at our place of
destination. Being very much fatigued from
our day’s journey we concluded to ‘‘pitch our
tents ”, on a high point near by, which we dis-
covered to be above high water mark. (The

Nesting of the Barred and Great
Horned Owls.

A little more than a half mile west from
my residence is a piece of woods where for a
number of years past, in the early twilight and
especially before a storm, I have heard the
Barred Owls ( Strix nebulosa) hoot; and deter-
mining if possible to find their nest, I procured
the services of my old friend, an expert climber,
William C. Brownell, and early on the morn-
ing of March 19, 1888, we sallied forth, and
on reaching the woods we armed ourselves
with stout clubs, and separated a few rods
apart.

We commenced pounding on all the old trees
and stubs that had a hole in them, when pres-
ently I heard my old friend yell: “I have found
her! ” Making my way over logs and brush as
fast as possible, I found him gazing intently at
a hole in the side of a large basswood tree,
about fifty feet from the ground. He soon in-
formed me that he had scared a Barred Owl
from that hole, and strapping on his climbers
he ascended the tree and announced that there
was one fresh egg. We left the nest and re-
turned again to the tree on March 24tli, when
we collected a full set of three fresh eggs. We
also collected a second set of two eggs from
the same nest on April 17, 1888. They
were slightly incubated. I again examined
the nest May 6th, and 8tli, and found her sit-
ting on the empty nest like an old sitting hen,
and when disturbed she took her place again
on the nest in about twenty minutes after being
scared off. She is the only wild bird I ever
saw that would sit on an empty nest after hav-
ing her eggs taken; and it will be as well here
to state that Mr. Elmer Durfee of the adjoin-
ing township of Livonia, collected a set of four
Barred Owls’ eggs March 14, 1888, from a j
hole in a basswood tree about thirty-five feet
from the ground, and later in the spring he
collected a second set of three eggs from the
same nest, and shortly afterwards a red
squirrel took possession of the tree, which
caused the owls to forsake their home.

O.&O, XIV. Apr. 1889 p.54 *

Nesting of the Barred Owl at Ral-
eigh, N.C.

On April 21, 1887, we took our first “ set” of
Barred Owl (Strix nebulosa) consisting of a
good-sized young one and no eggs. We also
killed the “papa” of said young one but Mrs.

B. O. escaped us. This young one we kept
for over two months, but on June 28tli we con-
cluded to kill him, and on going to do so we
found him dead on the floor. Perhaps four-
teen large house rats we had given him to
feast on was the cause. Anyhow he died in a
mysterious way, and was made into a skin, but
not before he had become a terror to us all.

Although only the male bird was killed, yet
the stob in which “George” was raised has
never been used since. Next year on April 9tli,
we took a set of two addled eggs from a hollow
in the top of an old stob twenty feet high and
killed the female bird. This year, though not
much expecting anything on account of the
death of the female, we got a set of two nearly
fresh eggs on March 18tli from the same stob,
but did not molest the old bird. My brother
who went up to the nest said there were only
the two eggs there. On April 6th, however, he
again went to the stob and flushed the owl.

On going up to the nest he found one egg
firmly imbedded in the chips and dirt at the
bottom of the hollow. He left the egg for
three days but no more were laid so he took it
on April 9tli. The egg on blowing proved to
be addled but not to any extent, and it has
always been a question with us as to whether
it might have belonged to the first set of two
or not. C. S. Brimley.

Raleigh, N. C.

o AO. XIV. Sept. 1889 p.132

A Philadelphia Collection of Eg-gs of
the Raptores.

Strix nebulosa. Barred Owl.
three, thirteen sets of two
three sets, fifty-six eggs.

Ten sets of
Total : twenty-

O.&o. XIV. Mar. 1889 p.45

Habits of the Barred Owl. — The first paragraph of the interesting ar-
ticle by Mr. Bolles in the April number of ‘The Auk,’ would leave the gen-
eral reader underthe impression that the Barred Owl (Syrnium ncbulosum )
defends its nest and young by attacking the intruder. My own experience
would lead me to conclude that it is a very timid bird. I have collected
many sets of their eggs, and have frequently climbed to the nests to ex-
amine their young, and in no case have I ever been attacked by the parent
birds. They usually fly away at the approach of the collector, and re-
main away until he leaves the vicinity. If the nest contains young, they
make demonstrations of cries and snapping of bills from the safe shelter
of a neighboring tree. I have known them to fly toward me snapping
their beaks, until within a few yards, but they were careful not to come
very near. I have never been atttacked or seen other persons attacked by
any species of Owl in defense of its nest, except when the Owls were
in confinement. I once experienced great difficulty in getting a set of
eggs from a cage containing three Great Horned Owls.— D. E. Lantz,
Manhattan , Kansas. Auk, VII. July, 1890, P. Z&f*

s

I once had a Barred Owl dive at me when I was running,
trying to reach camp before dark. His shadow attracted my> atten-
tion, and looking up I saw him balance on spread wings not f’ar
&bove 3®y head, his claws drawn close up to bis body. When I look-
ed up he lighted within a few feet of me. The parred Owl can
see but poorly i n the day time and it was quite lipht when this

bird approached me.

Manley Hardy, — Letter of Sept. 14,1883.

inf ______ ______

UA^KT C-o~c_»f as.

‘Ux^J/L ^

6-^t~vv7 ^ ^ .

A<-j4tcL. a

^4t_ jfro-o . 4^ ^ *iZ

< <_<_*-

^ ca - j tA-w6 jjLjr y J

y / •jZg_£aa ~ ^ ^/hrO, Z Z '^4,*.

5 ?

/vt

s

' fe-cU^Z Ci

I once had a Barred Owl dive at me when I was running,
trying to reach camp before dark. His shadow attracted my atten-
tion, and looking up I saw him balance on spread wings not >’ar
Above a®y head, his claws drawn close up to his body. w hen I look-
ed up he lighted within a few feet of me. The -oarreri Owl can
see but poorly in the day time and it was quite light when this

bird approached me.

Manley Hardy, — Letter of Sept. 14,1883.

5 r K

r

. /YiKuiy

A

Avir

-'^v', V

/e^tAAc^C (Q-i^fC ‘i^C*.

A<Ar~Q

■A-^-vC »^_ $AAAAA^£-

C^t

C 7^, -7

(?VCA^< til / O. C y

^(X^V. <3U

it

J! ^r ^o7 ^v

{T-*~~C*sCCCs* 0~ k ^-+- C*~

^-a. A>^-»/^M.

AAA^A.

V

Syrnium nebulosum. — Lastly I bad a juvenile Barred Owl
in my possession. In it, as in the others, abundance of food pro-
duced the same effects — larger size and more robust organization.
The food most preferred was birds and small rodents ; frogs and
fish were eaten when quite fresh, though the latter were taken
only when hungry. Insects, too, were eaten.

Digestion was rapid, requiring about one and a half hours for
the digestion and absorption of a pair of Sparrows. Birds were
always eaten without pulling a feather. If not too large they
were swallowed whole, for the throats of young Owls are quite
capacious. The indigestible parts are ejected when digestion is
completed.

The Owl never, except once, fed knowingly in my presence
(and it was difficult to observe its habits without its knowledge).
Its sense of sight is so acute, and its range of vision so extended,
that I was compelled to use many devices to deceive the bird and
accomplish my purpose of observation without being observed.
The food put into its cage was seldom eaten until pressed by
hunger, and the bird never ate in a day more than one-third the
quantity of food eaten by the Accipiter in the same time.

It could not easily be petted, nor did it acquire a fondness for
being handled. Indeed it seemed to remain unaffected by kind-
ness, and to love solitude. T h „„„

Auk, Y, July, 1888,

fS

An Owl-eating Owl. — In the cloudy morning of April 14, 1879, a
male Barred Owl ( Strix nebulosa ) was shot in a thickly-built part of
the city of Troy, N. Y., from the stomach of which I took several of the
larger feathers, and one entire foot, tarsus and tibia, of a smaller Owl, —
probably Scops asio. — Austin F. Park, Troy, N. Y.

Bull. N. O.O. 5, July, 1880, p. 5

Barred Owl. — A very fine specimen was
brought me by a friend a few days ago,
who, while driving along saw it perched on
the fence. A club was thrown at it, but as
it did not move my friend walked up to it
and found it was blind. He lifted it into
his sleigh and brought it in, when I found
that the bird had had iritis, in which ex-
treme adhesions had taken place, render-
ing the eyes almost wholly useless. The
bird has a fine plumage although almost a
skeleton. — G-. A. McCallum , Dunville,

Ontario. O.&O. Vlll. Mar. 1883. p.Ji

Amount of Food Consumed by the
Barred Owl

BY C. S. BRIMLEY, RALEIGH, N. C.

As a matter of some interest I give the
■ amount of food consumed by a young Barred
Owl from June 4th to 26th inclusive, viz.
twenty-three days, while in confinement :

1 Purple Gallinule.

20 Catbirds and other birds of same size.

12 Birds size of Orchard Oriole.

27 Chipping Sparrows and other birds of
same size.

10 House rats.

16 Meadow and other mice.

1 Lizzard.

2 Terrapins (flesh off).

In all eighty-nine animals, birds etc., an av-
erage of three per diem, which in round num-
bers would be 1,000 a year, and the Owl didn’t
get what he considered a full meal more than
twice during the twenty-three days.

O.&O. XII. Aug. 1887 P-122

Something about Owls.

O. O. Ormsbee, Montpelier, Vt.

Of the Barred Owl, inhabiting the entire
country east of the Rocky Mountains, one
hundred and nine stomachs were examined,
Five contained poultry or game-birds,
thirteen contained other birds, five contained
Squirrels, four contained Rabbits, and the
! others contained Mice, Frogs, Lizards, etc.

O. & O. Yol. 18, Oot. 1893 p.138

, Though I came up to Killingly in pursuit of
the winter birds, I will leave it to the reader if
the birds are not “getting onto” me. Just
listen. A week ago last Friday evening, when
walking by the side of Alexander’s Lake, with
skates in my hand, a B arred Owl of common
size but unexampled courage disputed my pas-
sage across a small stream of water. I could
not make out whether Syrnium was a-fisliing,
looking for rodents in the rockwork, or had
some dead quarry near. After a short prelimi-
nary skirmish, his audacity cost him a blow
from a skate, which put him “out of it” for |
awhile. But after I had dropped my skates
and picked up my specimen to smooth its plum-
age, the “specimen” came to life witli a ven-
geance, and, assaulting me in the flank, fixed
its talons into my overcoat and the small of my
hack. Then ensued a battle-royal that would
have made the gentle reader laugh in owlish
glee to witness. The angry owl, hissing and
snapping its bill, and still working its talons
through kersey, kilt and jaeger; and J. M. VV.
trying to shako himself free, jumping, swearing
and blindly striking at his enemy in the rear
with an old burnt sassafras stick.

^ . W . UJ — .

Marob. 1892. p * 3 S'

WAYS OF THE OWL.

3 1 3

channels of least resistance are used, and the greatest amount of
labor performed with a given amount of energy.

As long, therefore, as physical exercise is grossly neglected,
and unpsychological methods of teaching remain in general use,
disease must continue in abundance, though ever so many im-
provements be made in sewerage, ventilation, and disinfection ;
for, as our argument has shown, attempts at prevention will in
great part remain ineffectual until good systems of physical and
natural methods of mental development have been introduced
into the schools.

hi^I^XL! h, 3 ^ , /m

WAYS OF THE OWL.

By FRANK BOLLES.

OHSTCE June, 1888, I have had in my possession for longer or
FO shorter periods eleven live owls, including snowy, great-
horned, long-eared, barred, and screech owls. I have also had op-
portunities of watching Acadian and screech owls in a wild state.
In June, 1888, 1 secured two young barred owls from a hollow beech
tree in a White Mountain forest. I have them still after three
and a half years of happy companionship. During the first sum-
mer they were pets not easily petted. They used beak and claws
fiercely and resented familiarity. I kept them in a large slatted
cage in my barn, where they had plenty of air and light. They
bathed freely and frequently. They ate largely of animal food.
They were awake by day, restless at twilight, but profoundly quiet
by night. They could see perfectly in bright sunlight, and better
at night than most creatures. In the autumn I took them to Cam-
bridge, where they were given a large cage in my cellar. During
the winter I handled them more and more freely, beginning by
using stout leather gloves, but soon stroking and rubbing their
heads with my bare hands. They became more and more gentle,
and I found that even when they nipped me with their beaks they
did not attempt to cause serious pain. One of them, whose name
is Puffy, injured his wing early in his captivity, and has never been
able to fly. The other I keep clipped in one wing. In the spring of
1889 I began taking Puffy with me on walks. I found at once
that he was wonderfully useful in attracting other birds. During
the summer of 1889, the following winter, and the summers of 1890
and 1891 he was my companion on walks, drives, and trips in my
Ituskton boat. To a smaller extent I have taken his mate Fluffy
with me, but he is of a less patient disposition than Puffy, and
during a long walk is sure to hop from the stick upon which
I carry him many more times than Puffy would in an equal period.
In May, 1891, 1 secured a third baby barred owl from the same beech

I

«

THE AUK:

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF

ORNITHOLOGY.

vol. vii. April, 1890 . No. 2 .

BARRED OWLS IN CAPTIVITY.

BY FRANK BOLLES.

Chocorua is one of .the boldest, most picturesque, and at the
same time one of the most southerly, of the White Mountains of
New Hampshire. At its southern foot are several small lakes fed
by its streams. The chief of these streams is called Chocorua
River, and its main lake Chocorua Lake. North of this water,
fringing the river for half a mile, is a growth of yellow birch,
beech, and hemlock of considerable age and size. The dainty
Parula is frequently seen in its gray moss. Cooper’s Hawks,
Broad-winged Hawks, and Yellow-bellied Woodpeckers are com-
mon tenants of its shades. On June 1, 188S, while nest-hunting
in its midst, I saw a Barred Owl sitting on the edge of a cavity
in a beech. The tree was a giant. The cavity was about thirty-
five feet from the ground, on the southwesterly side, and quite
large. The Owl did not move, even after I threw a stick at her.
Convinced that the cavity was worth exploring, I went home and
returned with a friend, a ladder, and a gun. As a result two old
birds were shot, and two young ones taken from the nest. The
gun was quite necessary, for my friend would have fared badly in
climbing if I had not shot the old birds before they could attack
him. Their threatening cries and ImQ^apping of their beaks
were quite enough to discourage an unarmed robber.

I wrapped the two young birds in a towel and later placed them
side by side in an ordinary canary cage. They were savage,
using beaks and claws vigorously. When released in my door-

5°4- 2 he Barred Owl [Syrnium nebulosam']. By R. Rowe. Canadian

sportsman and Naturalist, Vol. I, p. 27. -Its abundance at St. John, N.

■’ ,n the . wint er of 1880-81. Notes also the capture there of various
other species. SPOt,

43 . Three Early-breeding Birds. By J. M. W[hippl c] . Ibid., VI, p 80

Great H mS d n , ?! °' Vl “ March ’ notes °n the breeding of the

Great Horned Owl and Red-shouldered Hawk, and on early sprino-

arrivals ; reference to Woodcocks lulled by telegraph wires. WWU, ScL&Lauo, J oaft

1982. “ George . By LI. LI. Brimley. Ibid, nn A 4- ** *

Barr ed Owl. \ ttU» & Oolo gist’s Serai- animal, Vnl , 9. rui.ii*

Barred Owl. By F. II. pp. 69, 70. -Jits

\ & Q.voz.vni

737- Barred Otvl. By F. II. Cfarpenter],
nesting habits, as observed at Rehoboth, Mass.

B angor ,
Maine .

I saw at Crosby's three G reat Grey Owls , one of them in
flesh. Also found that Mr. Merrill, of" Bangor had received two
more, and a taxerdermist at Skowhegan( on the Kennebec) had two nor?
making seven of these rare birds. Two of those Crosby had were a
very dark blue-grey, if that term is allowable — almost a purplish
shade. One had breast of one color, the other flecked with white
streaks, one in flesh was much lighter. These were all sent in/to
be mounted and could not be bought at any reasonable price. Mr.
Merrill bought his. There was a curious incident connected with
one of Crosby's. When the first was mounted Crosby bought a Rich-
ardson's Qwl alive, of a boy who sawh it sitting in a fir bush
close to a house in the city, holding an Ehglish sparrow in its
claws(this proves that it hunts by day). He went up and took it in
his hands. Mr, Crosby let it go in his work-room, where it flew
around all day. There were on the shelves lots of Snowy, IhrasJ;
Horned, jarred, Haw k , Lon g and S hort -earned, Screec h. Richards on's
and A rca dian owls, besides lots of most kinds of our small birds,
but only one Great Gr ay ...Owl . In the morning Mr. Crosby fount/, to
his great disgust ( that the rascal had picked the head of the Gre at
Grey almost bare, from eyes to neck. He estimates some 500 feath-
ers picked out, all of which he had to replace singly, sticking
them in place. — (Letter of Manly ftardy , Jan. 30, 1890.)

itfQ fh+H.

¥1 *Q£f**

us a CCA ^M^r v . - $tfTf-^4uC. <1*4^4 ft" i n/~y +4

<Uc7*^JL <X„ ®)\j*-y &cO~C f»* )4u ^.\xh++*

^6r * y-a -tx—t ***~'&-t ~l4*^y ^UVVt^ ^

/ir?/

/Aa. ^* 7 ,

irvt

^ * / 4 ^y^OJ^rlxi^^LAud. t 4^v-vc. QAxa >-4 &~y G * 7 ^Wcc o^*xC J^L^A- (A TLxdrvAy £^7

\}<xJaa**- 7~\ ~I^Aas* a* 6~?v-<y (xns^A^ CAt~ll*x/~*-*^

*' IJ JVtiloA t _ ~f' C*n 6~n AaaA, 4u - cL«^y CK. -£ tU^rC Ay %. (A* $)CaaA / C *aa. fPtj-Z'rv*.

„. <7 7 ^ £^rh/^r//4^ ^ * 4& *«s*-

n-UiXt , Ijy — ■ a^>\ ^ ' /evv-»C» ftcC^JXSC ^TaTJ T^pZZsXX^~X ^j-j, i*-y 5PCtert*s*^ / * •

'* cL^J J \ArC&\*^ ' [/l, ^ j^cj- autaC 4b - <^4/y caa fa~y / ^o-O-ctA. /^wA Ja caj~x>^i &-CxyA

h/. h . Cv*v ^C<>^o-v^. ^ r - CtmXl^Lf' — C\z*Z^: **/ 06\-k. ^-^Ajjyt^C ZXXXat-

/•/* fy(-^ (aakh-^ £aaA. '/cas%*» f / \* ^■ ■ t ~’ i -~ fcv\M — t-tAA> — w£,

CcTX- 7 ^ / ^XAAAaAa-\xZ /uA-w. C^C/i7s

JL /yL&n,

7

(

\

$ j/lXJlXsCAAKAXJ)

fi\A^A, cXA^a.

CaJ

|M!M.

4 -<. WA-i. u\ ir'tt&s vt .

(\/7

^ C O'^-'v l^/-v* , 6^ t/V^ j^KA*J tVv

(atvaaXvx-. (r\+A> VwC Vu ^aJL^ c*si P%*A*^Ks^y’ o~* Lo<yyAj ^ &a*aj ^ (A^a T^aATaa^

c . t '

CAA. 1 ^A j\J~Ut tij /K^A-a^—

if Cu^/(-X x Ay IAJ^SK-X/L/J ^CC^IA^A-T-, ffl\s\ iAa()^IvA„ AAa'CA^aU^x r/fi-\ ZAs^-jf /

6 / / / -

4VVy ^■'L c-<a^7 ^/0^1/T~~

/ / /P

^yT Z 7 <h V 7 a . <£ ,

-V clrCCZA. Jv-CA., y t /fr^z J

t'i' 1/lAA

y 7L ca^na^^-v

C\^^4~y OpX ^f\^j Out M7nV /-^ (cZU^ ?-' i ■ 2-b/ IffllJ

CcJ^U 4 ] /l-xr*-,’ \.*._. ffi\ , x , /5^/a[ax, -'i-a^ /TZeTl

/Aavlv 7 (-*+'& 7+ r-.. -» 7ZZ7^

rtf , £J ' ^ ^ /

(fxAy^C^ 7 ^^7ZZ _ {/

4^^ p^'6~*~jzz A y i)w, a ’-t^>- -4?

/.(..M A //t <s \ - , ./) ■/ A> Ax

Ljfty IHvvV

tVA^vl^VV (14

/!r?o. < 4 ^?

£3l CO<y~^—c
vAjCa^ / Z-a-^V-<^cL

Lij^yy^A.

SxJtc: CK. ^ -&—C \ ^7 ~Kk — Crx 7j~^^ LCSasCc. OL^?.-*) c<

CA . (>-r ' a a-4a a >

Tliaa <7

T^y' <pr

/ / r. ^l 'cA Aur&

/ /

^Ay, //, /£/<J

I

/frW-fy 9n<>^

r

/w

fall

A A

AtM /^w^r\. f — c/^~~{' Iaj t'—/ ! r r S — * — 4 ~ ^Ca- '"' -~V ' - ' /

'^vv- ^ f^*r£Z~ Y IA/YaaaaCA^, Y 7 V\, p lA-ovfj / i-e^y.

Aaj t 'i^ziL^

tV»o) l/v\

A-yi^. (K (fa-*~o*y( ^£*^t

J )Hvw^v*- 4 ^Civ

i/, *

'./ / ( 2 ^c^-z-<^- ^

j OTyCc^

<3^f 6rt^r ’ JA OytstU,

— S' /^y 2s<*<*~y ^ L6Uf<yl''lKZ.

j^/ if 1 2<lJc/^- J*—

. — . P^Alr^j^ e \j-^.j':j -\JL kjA, -^V**—-^ (Krs^^y J

/V 96 - 5*7 / J

.-O'M.

7

I\Aa^

^VV 7

; o/il*v\_ fa~4kj/+*, ^?v*. Cv. /<5Cv<L Awj

^ U>-u 3 Ci / /§~~ UTM ^UkA. ?*6 r 22

V

frl ^+4 .

fc*jyi+r^ {&*AA f /\jJLy^*yA _ C\, U^wfcA^ <xA“ly 'f^A, f 4WX - Ctr(Ar\*jA-. S' J-X+A

, /J , fH 4^V4^. ^«^Ca/V T?4 ^0*rP ~Cy h\ . &AfvU_ -/' 1*>*W

d^yt t+Jfc. '/'i 4 . x yy ,

t^r tj vw. t?w

CvX\^U 4 A^f frV\ ^VV ^y^lTVw ^ ^ ^i-V-W y 4 *^W\.

^ &y ^ . ^-A^*vty W^O k*TV° V C\. hzil\ W \yAzr

A^ftA/'T'<*~C”~ fC\ tvA^Uvv^ «-tf bl-sr-\ CTyxXj tsr^&CZZrs*-*^. th^A^ c/

A*~^a-A- frj Xrj tbv\ ^ ^ • Cwvcaaj^. w, h. $>. &a*/v£-i .

. <2 (^Hiy» d*-*AA. HmjJL- W*a^ wOutv, > W. UrAAyU Pfv> . /&UAss^j

^JOUjIa^I “{AKAi'l <J^v 4 vO ^k-X E*\ ° v ^v ^

'T f-+~*M ( . Aa. Wv-yvLA/Wj

K*^.« > » | ^ ^ t • ^4 , ' 4 ti ^ ^AmZuC '^ /s *v /

».jJ3t. **v 'b*k ' t ^w ^ ^~~AA 4 TT^^fu" -*^- kSTVhn 4-< ,

‘^yUsC w*- ^

< U »v<- Mx

■i

&

<^..^' f'^1 /' — * — '* ^^" '^- *^ > * —

d v /^. */-/'’ ^yL y - .\

/ X ', , < P *- - / ' ^ f t - ‘ i v j ' '=-'-

. x ' ' .

' V 7 .* yX'< — ^ y ' a <5 — V V-(^ y /f ' — '

/ /-rT. £ ( /^^-J <P/) J

^ y , y ^ x

i *_v ^iTt-/ £

y

-t-V C

' ✓ cJ$(L

^l~

\

?

^ «C .”\ »

f — <?

x > — ^ y y t ^ c*^ o ?

^ Sc.' ' / '/^ * ^

^r- ^ yy ^y^,,

/y ^ yfiy

>- ■^/ , *.y V/' . pw/ p <^ /

p^k. y < <. / ^

yy?

e/ O^

y ^

Wh. tf.'MT'JO^J^,

%/^^JIiaJIjl*4 .

syvux^iA.

&

Scot iaptex cinere a.

Belmont ,
1898.
liar oh 2.

I

i

t

I#

Mass .

I drove to the Payson place this morning to make enquir-
ies respecting the fine Great Gray Owl which Frazar sold me a
week or so ago. Mr. Mai one told me that he shot it at about
2 P.M. on February 22nd. During the whole forenoon the Crows
had been making a great outcry behind his house and their
numbers kept increasing until as he thinks upwards of 100
birds were assembled. Their clamor fihally became so loud and
incessant as to annoy him seriously and soon after dinner he
took a Flobert rifle and went out to disperse them. Immedi-
ately behind his house is a row of tall Norway spruces, behind
this an old apple orchard and just beyond the orchard a dense
growth of Norway spruces, larches and arbor vitaes encircling
an open space in the middle of which are the stables and pad-
dock of the fine old Cushing estate. A circular driveway
passes under or through the trees which average 50 or GO feet
in height. Between the driveway and the paddock, in the mid-
dle of the thickest spruces, stands a white pine - a vigorous
tree with a full, green top but with dead under branches.

The Owl was perched on one of these dead branches about 25 ft.
above the ground and some five feet below a fork in which
there is an old Crow’s nest.

As Malone approached the spruces he saw great numbers of
Crows sitting on or flying over them and, picking out a bird
that offered a good mark, he fired at it but missed. A few

(•i

Scot iabtex cinerea.

Belmont ,
18S8 .
March. 2.
(No. 2).

Mass .

moments later a woman, who had come from the Pay son farm
house, impelled by curiosity to find out what the Crows were
about, called to him that she had found a great Owl and ashed
him to shoot it. On going to the spot he at once saw the bird
sitting erect and looking, he says, "as big as an Eagle". It

j

stared at him fixedly with its yellow eyes wide open out
showed no alarm at his presence although he went almost di-
rectly under the branch on which it was perched. After look-
ing at it for a moment he fired but missed. At his second
shot the bird flew across the paddock and alighted on the end
of a spruce limb but it was badly wounded and soon fluttered
down to the ground where it stood erect presenting so menacing
an appearance that Malone did not dare touch it for several
minutes. If lived two or three hours after this.

| Lake Umbagog. Great Gray (?) Owl .

j

1898. At about seven o'clock this evening the mysterious Owl

| Sept. 25. that we hear at Pine Point only at wide intervals began honk-

I

J

i2£L on the hemlock knoll behind the camp keeping it up for
several minutes and then moving further off to the eastward.

He did not hoot at all on this occasion.

Scotiaptex nebulosa (Forster), Gkeat Gray Owl. Breeding records
of this species are rare enough to make note of a bird recently received
by the Museum. It is a young bird just changing from the natal down
into the juvenal and first winter plumages. Patches of the former
remain on all parts of the body but interspersed freely with the latter
two. The natal down plumage is dull brown, made hoary by the
lighter tips to the feathers. The underparts, wings, back of the neck and
facial disk are barred with yellowish gray. The juvenal plumage includes
the large flight and tail feathers which are as in first winter coloration.
The remainder of the plumage is heavily barred with an ochraceous gray
more yellow on the back of the neck and shoulders than elsewhere. The
bars average about half an inch wide and the same distance apart. The
first winter plumage shows but here and there in small patches and is about
as generally seen in winter specimens.

The large wing and tail feathers are well formed and the bird was evi-
dently capable of short flights. However it had not left the nest long nor
was it able to fend for itself. Another in like plumage was taken at the
same time so the brood had evidently not separated and I think we are
justified in concluding that the nesting site was not far distant from the
place of capture.

These birds were killed July 31, 1911, in the township of Chisholm,
Nipissing District, Ont., by Mayor Kelly of Powassan, Ont. Chisholm
township lies about five miles east of the extreme eastern corner of
Lake Nipissing, extending south and east from that point. — P. A.
Taverner, Victoria Memorial Museum, Ottawa, Ont. /

64 - The Great Gray Owl. ( Syrnium Cinereum. By Wm. Couper.
Ibid.. V, p. 54, Sept. 1880.— Capture of young birds in the downy plu-
mage in Canada. QQlQgi&ii

*-*

Snwasr Birds of Bndbnry, Out.

A.H.Alberger.

370. Great Gray Owl. One taken in the
fall. 1889.

' Oj XV, 3tae 1 1890, p»87

Nawfoundland Notes. A Trip up the
Humber Biver, Aug. 10 - Sept, 24, 1889,

25. Scotiaptex cinerea. Great Gray Owl. — One seen August 23.

Louis H. Porter, New York City.

Auk, XVII, Jan., 1900, Q.J2,.

inv.

^ C'V'-vJn cJ t j

Great Gray Owl ( Scotiaptex nebulosa). A specimen of this
rather rare casual visitant was shot last Nov. 20, by Mr. W. Kelley,
a farmer of South March, fourteen miles west of Ottawa.

Screech Owl ( Megascops asio ). — This species has now
been definitely established as breeding here. Last July and
August Mr. George White found at various times 4-5 Screech
Owls in a rarely used outbuilding, to which they had found an
entrance, but could not find the exit. Two were starved to death
when found, the others were yet alive and were released.

2 Transactions of the Canadian Institute, I, 1889-90, 5.

^3 Lcx-oC* 0 / / ri/rvv2S C<uaa cl ft.

f f - /

/asiA~ / I. '13aaoGj /

Jo-,, 14*7, ^ 7y

141. Scotiaptex nebulosa. Great Gray Owl. — Winter migrant
of irregular occurrence. The great flight that took place in the winter of
.. 4 gg 9 _gO ig recorded by Mr. Wm. Cross. “I have received twenty-three
specimens, and have had them reported from various parts of the Province.

One of my acquaintances stationed at Barrie, received twenty-six this
season. They began to come into this region in November, and increased
in numbers up to February, after which they became very scarce again.” 2
This is the largest flight recorded, but specimens have been taken in
December, 1890, January, 1894, January and March, 1895, and January
and February, 1896; the visits appear to have ceased after this. O

. — , of

^

Q'£jeyi<2

, fy

stasis _

sy*T/

I

y

^ r f 9 .

Brewer, Maine.

It seems singular about the Gray Owls. In all my life I nev-
er knew certainly of but one being taken before. That one I saw.

I also know of one being seen several times at Ghesuncook Lake in
the winter of 1884. (Letter of Manly Hardy,, Jan. 30, 1890)

Bangor,
Maine .

Since writing you, another Great Gr ay Owl has been brought
in- -making a total of 7 so far-- will report "any further captures
that I hear of. (Letter of Harry Merrill, Feb . 7, 1890)

?} * *

Brewer, Me.
1890.

Large numbers of Great Gray Owls have been taken in this 3
State this winter. Mr. Daniels of.Partland reports in the Port-
land Transcript of 25 being tfought^there . Thirteen have been
brought into Bangor, and I hear of four others.

Letter of Manly -Hardy, April 9.

Brewer, Me.

( 1890 y

Apr .26/ Letter

of Manly Hardy^

As to Gray owls, I have sent off all my "Transcripts”, but
you could got a copy by writing to Elwell& Pickard of Portland
or to Mr. paniels. He might also perhaps give newd of some others,
6*»©sl>y * had 13 brought to him and lately got another badly,
mounted from Isle au TT aut which was taken there, making 16 Merrill
of pangor has had three. I hear of _ two at Skowhegan; one at G ar ~
land, a little south of Moosehead ^.ake, and one at Lincoln. My
opinion is 100 taken in the State would be a low estimate. It
seems singular that one should be taken on Isle au Haut, one of the
extreme outer islands, but it has always been a resort of Acadian
and Richardson's Owls. Crosl>y has sold all his Gray Owls except
the mounted ones. He sold one to Joe Jefferson, the actor tor $20
Daniels states that he bought some at $>I each. Crosly got some at
that. They were very dark more of a purplish tint than gray.

Bangor, f^aine.

During the past month six Great Gray Owls have been shot with-
in a radius of 40 miles of this city, and have been brought here
to be mountedjmany more may have been shot and not preserved.

T hese birds are very rare in this vicinity, and since my interest
in birds, I have not known( personally ) of but one or two being ta-
ken in this state, ^his flight seems rather remarkable on many
accounts, our winter has been very mild as a whole, although we
have had some extremely cold days, which were, however, exceptional.
Being eol^weather birds, and considering this very "open" winter,
they c an hardly have been driven south by the weather. As to
food supply — that is , of course, problematical. It was noticed,
however, that Pine qrosbeaks arrived here in flocks of consider-,
able numbers rather early in the fall or winter of 1889, and it is
possible that the Owls followed the flight of small birds, tnat may
have been driven south by lack of food. (Letter oi Harry Merrill,

Jan. 28,1890)

Ja M E S II . B OWL E rt .

Tsaac; H. Merrill .

I

s . 5 3

OFFICE OF

%

F

■

funnier jlliUTtll, % itnber$

AND PROPRIETORS OF THE

Bangor Safe Deposit Vaults.

Jami-i s II . B owle i i .

Isaac ILMerrill

OFFICE OF

%

flWUeiV* jllcrriil, jankers

AND PROPRI ETORS OF THE

l~

Gkeat Gbey Owl. S. S. Bowler, Bangor, Me., says he
received from Katahdin Iron Works a perfect specimen.
Length 25^ ; wing Ti% ; tail 12. Extent 55 inches.

G.&O. IX, Jun.1884. p, /£.

Two Great Gray uwis re eeivea Irorn ^euast, Maine.
Color of the eyes of one a light straw yellow.

0,&0. XV, Feb. 1890

C. F. Newell, an en’ergetic taxidermist, located at
Calais, Me., last fall, and during the winter has done
quite an extensive business. He was enabled by his
location to obtain a large number of deers’ heads, for
which he found a ready market. On Nov. 10, the
hunters reported to him that they had seen four white
{Albino) Bucks. He succeeded in securing one. It was
entirely white except a patch on the head. Last sum-
mer he had a set of moose horns that weighed 40 lbs.,
and the extent was 4 ft. 9 in. He has reported some
Great Gray Owls. He is now preparing to take a trip
north for the purpose of collecting mammals.

O.&O* XV, Feb, 1890 p ,30

Great Gray Owl.

I had a Great Gray Owl come in to-day. It
was shot at Wells, Me., last week. 1 thought
you would like to know about it for the O. $ O.

E. P. Wonaon.

Gloucester, Mass.

O.&O. XV, Mar. 1890 P y<r

70

N

xj-ako Crabasrogr, Me.
Sept. & Oct. 1893.

Lpr, U

r

f w fit

t-fi

'Vom \ A A O'

'•' 4 - 7 A Im/x4 V
k , . ‘/ 7

a **-y yv^t.

t^Cw-, y /vn-?Zv wjct XZZZZ /a

H-

j) /t '' f li\^ TZk. y A^hT'" <£«->.- ..

A^w ^ 4/>r

T:~ ■]?

# * * / # .^L 'f **. . . a

* 7 /

%v'l

n

j^ako Uinbasrog, Me.
Sept. & Oct. 1893.

*-} /f iJA>. 'Usv^ /"JjA,

^-r v Mm. c, ^

’■ ■ Tjy •' , 1 // .

f YJMy y/S./f jj .

';/ V t C'y vui^ 2^CT / L i

WZa^,:, kt-tAJi /> ,

OZn^U 0AA~ "f'-A r. iT"7-.C_0-- ' L^CZ. ^

$ A tk\A, 75 'jr X kt V <3«~'« ,. /

AfVw '^V ^

^A -.■-. ^ . ij i.

-VO-*^ t.^^. ^ Aiww ^v

^ /! / fj A ♦ <1 *A i>

‘ / * . £< U$krl~

^ /?,!. $c, ^U. ,miAa<pZA'. .

Great Gray Owl ( Scotiaptex nebulosa).— The general rarity of this
species and the irregular intervals of its visits, should warrant a record
of all specimens that come to our notice. The following have been cap-
tured during the present winter: —

The S. L. Crosby Co., taxidermists, Bangor. M e., have received eight
specimens up to Feb. 1, 1907, these being the first sent to them for the
past three years.

Mr. Walter D. Hinds, taxidermist, Portland, Me., had received the
following up to Feb. 8, 1907. Two from Ba iley's Island. Portland H , r .
bor; two from Cape Elizabeth, Me.: and one from Damarisco"tta~ke.

The first specimen was received Nov. 8, 1906. '

Mr. W. P. Conger, taxidermist, Burlington, Vt., has received six speci-
mens, with the following data —

1 d, Malone, N. Y„ Jan. 1, 1907.

9, Shelburne, Vt., Jan. 2, 1907.
d, Champlain, N. Y., Jan. 2, 1907.

9 , South Burlington, Vt., Feb. 2, 1907.

9 , Colchester, Vt., Feb. 7, 1907.
d Colchester, Vt., Feb. 11, 1907.

Mr. C. E. Dionne, of Laval University, Quebec, under date of March
6, 1907, informs me that he has examined six specimens the past winter.

Rev. C. W. G. Eifng, Ottawa, Ont., in writing on winter birds (The Ottawa
Naturalist, Vol. XX, Feb. 15, 1907) states: “Of the Great Gray Owl, I
have seen and heard of four so far this winter, all of which have found
their way into the hands of Henry the taxidermist.”

Mr. Henry W. Howling, taxidermist, Minneapolis, Minn., had received
eleven specimens prior to Feb. 7, 1907.

Mr. J. D. Allen, taxidermist, Mandan, N. Dak., under date of March 11,

1907, writes: “I have never had any Great Gray Owls in the flesh until
this winter. Two fine specimens have been received, one from Moorhead
and two from Detro^^ 7B.

’S > ^c/c/o?z. J7 Zdr'-fr*

Col.Bostoa Soc. Nat. History,

Scotiaptex nebulosa. Great Gray Owl _ a
that was shot at Stockton Springs, Maine, in Janua^TL^t^

Apr-lOO# ,p. Z3V-

Auk 25

A Great Gray Owl was shot, January 14, in Vermont
near the Massachusetts line. It was a £> and very poor
in flesh. The stomach contained the remnants of a

mole.

Q?. X V. far. Ik7<3.p.&9.

^ .

^ . — v ^ ft - . ^

V, Af*. n° 7 , /.. 2 . 0 - ^

. Auk, XIV, Jan. , 1897 , p./oo

I^ulLg si i — UroiXXt^ }y\ <vx4^^4-c»/> eZZ5

" /5J6

Ulula cinerea. — A Great Gray Owl was captured in iilandlord, March 4.
This is the third of the kind known to have been taken in this county.

(s. h\ M/V</3

^co (2t ,

IcU*/, *ZZnu

/f, ' J ' S^Ly

22 c:

// 7 ^
^z^^zzzr ft > ^

<"o*i , J Co-^Y

■*- ^ ^ — y

— ^- , , r

[J&zr t£ 2 £L. s^zzr ^ -wzr 77 Cc^zjtJ^ ? /r- /ns)

Capture op the Great Gray Owl in Massachusetts. — Under
date of Feb. 25, 1882, Mr. Robert O. Morris, of Springfield, writes me
that “ a Great Gray Owl ( Syrnium cinereum) was captured in Agawam
last week, the skin of which has been preserved.” A later letter, in reply
o a request for further information, states that the capture was made by
Mr. E. A. Kellogg, on February 21, and that Mr, Kellogg’s attention was
attracted to the bird by a number of Crows circling around a pine tree on
a branch of which the Owl was sitting. Length of the specimen, 28
inches; extent, 60 inches ; tail, 13.

Only two specimens have been recorded as positively known to have
been taken in this State in the last forty years, but there are several earlier
records. — J. A. Allen, Cambridge., Mass. ^

BallN.-O.'O, S.Apil, 1883, p, /^ 3 *

Addition to the Bristol County List.

A gentleman residing at Taunton, Mass. , shot
in the outskirts of the city an Owl, which
from his description conforms exactly to that
of the Great Gray Ow l (Ulula cinerea.) in
size, shape and coloration. It is impossible to
mistake the Great Gray for the Barred or Great
Horned Owl, as this gentleman has shot a num-
i ber of each of the last two. Unfortunately
! the owl was not considered rare and he did
j not have it preserved. John C. Gaboon.

o &Q. XIV. Feb. 1880 p.25

7 f

6i3- Winter Birds in Western Massachusetts. By W. W. Colburn.
Ibid.) No. 6, p. 106. Capture of the Great Gray Owl ( Syrnium cinereuni)
at Agawam. (This specimen is also recorded in Bull. N. O. C., VIII,
p. 123, and by W. A. Stearns in Amherst Record (newspaper) of Au ff .

1, 1883.) Stop. & Stream, YoLXX

From Eastern Maes. M.A.Frazar.

Along the coast of Maine great gray owls seem to have
been more abundant than ever previously recorded.
Only one, however, come under our notice as taken in
this State, and that was killed on Deer Island, Boston
Harbor, on Feb. 4.

"lor, & 53trm, April 24, 1800. p.233

Great Gray Owl in Worcester County, Mass. — A Great Gray Owl
( Scotiaftex cinerea') was killed in Princeton, Feb. 28, by E. T. Whit-
taker, a member of the Worcester Sportsmen’s Club. The day was severely
cold, the thermoneter registering 4 0 below zero. This is the first record
for this species in this County. — George B. Churchill, Worcester, Mass.

Auk, 8, July ,1891, p. 3/3

The Great Gray Owl near Boston. — On February 7 of this year I saw
a Great Gray Owl ( Scotiaptex nebulosa ) in Dedham, Mass. I was
attracted to the spot by a great clamor of Crows and soon found my bird
perched on a low limb of a white pine in open mixed woods. It held in
its claws a dead and partly eaten crow, which when it was finally dropped
by the owl in flight, I found to lack the head and fore part of body and
the viscera. The owl seemed perfectly fearless of me, but showed ner-
vousness when the crows cawed near by, and followed with its eyes the
flight of the single crows that flew over its tree from time to time. I
drove it about from tree to tree with snowballs. It flew low and always
took a rather low perch, —from ten to twenty feet from the ground, and
usually on a large branch of a pine tree, near the trunk, though twice it
alighted on the very top of a red cedar. I could get as near as the height
of its perch permitted and was frequently within twenty feet of it during
the hour or two that I spent in its company. — Francis H. Allen,

Boston , Mass. Auk, XXI, Apr., 1904, p- 3. 7^'

ioi3- Great Gray O-wl. Spectral O-uil. Strix cinera (sic). [By
F. T. Jencks.] Ibid., No. 7, p. 3.— Record of a specimen killed “late in
the winter of 1882 and ’83,” on Fox Island, near Wickford. R. I. Reference
-is made to another specimen in the collection at Brown University, “said
to have been taken in Seeltonk, Mass., s °b*e i w f nt U e f*nF’ ir^ Ut
apparently not previously recorded. SSiBSf Not©S Nwi» &

Great Gray Owl in Rhode Island.— A very fine specimen of this
species ( Syrnium cinereum) was killed at Wickford, R. I., March 25, 1S83.
Mr. Gray, in our employ, heard of it and succeeded in pul chasing it.
We had a Horned Owl to mount the same day, and also a Barred Owl.
The body of the Great Gray Owl was less than half the size of the
Horned Owl’s, and but little larger than that of the Barred Owl, though
the bird itself exceeds the Great Horned in size. The eye is very small,
and the breast feathers extremely long. Taken all in all, it is the most
bird for the least substance we ever examined.— F red. T. Jencks, Provi-
dence, R. /• Buli N| 0f 0| Q t July. 1883, P, /V3.

Great Gray Owl ( Scotiaptex nebulosa ) in Rhode Island. — Through
the kindness of Messrs. Angell and Cash, taxidermists, Providence, R. I.,
I am enabled to quote the capture of a third specimen for the State. This
bird was shot within a mile of the city limits of Providence, on Nov. 19,
1906, and proved to be a male. The two previous records are given in
‘Birds of Rhode Island/ Howe and Sturtevant, 1899, p. 62, one speci-
men taken in 1870 and the other March 25, 1883.— Rttthven Deane,
Chicago, III. Ank, 24, Apr. , 1907, p. 2. >

• General Notes

s' -vests' ''^3 srjsiss- Z^S-

On January 19 I purchased a fine male of the Great Gray Owl from a
.farmer who had shot it the day before at North Haven. -r]- e Owl was I
still alive. — A. H. Verrill, New Haven , Connecticut.

Auk X, April, 1893. Q;3.

~^ast Tty a vz 7 Ccjtj rz.

Scotiaptex nebulosa. Great Gray Owl. — Dr. Sanford showed me
on April 13, 1907, a freshly mounted Great Gray Owl, the toes of which
were still flexible, which he had just purchased at a restaurant in New
Haven. This bird evidently had been recently killed, and Dr. Sanford
was assured it was shot in East Haven the last of March. I know of no
other certain record since Linsley (Am. Jour. Sci., XLIV, 1843, p. 253).

Aide 27.Oct*iei0 p, 463 .

A number of Grea t Gray Owls have been taken
New England this winter. Snowy Owls fairly common
other owls scarce. Redpolls common. Snow Buntings
Fine Grosbeak and Crossbills, scarce.

O.&O. XV, Feb. 1890 P.

Capture of the Great Gray Owl in the Adirondack, N. Y.
— In March, 1879 , a fine female of this rare Owl (Syrnium lapponicum
cinereum) was shot in the Adirondack^ by a guide, and forwarded to a
gentleman in New York City. Tt arrived in poor condition and was not
mounted, but a skin was made of it. This is, I believe, the first record of
the occurrence of this bird in this State. The specimen is now m my
collection. —Robert Lawrence, New York City.

Bull. N. 6.0. 5, April, 1880, p. ft*

Birds of the Adirondack Region.

C.H.Merriam.

ns-' t

I saw a Great Gray Ovv ' ne. ;men that was killed in north-eastern

the fall of 1870 ; and skinned a p ^ Lawrence has a female that

locality not stated) in March, x***

Bull N, 0.0. 5»0ct, 1881, p. 23. _

Ulula cinerea in Steuben, Co., New York. — I am pleased to report the
occurrence in this locality of the Great Gray Owl; a female in fine plu-
mage was shot some five or six miles southwest of this village on the
ioth of last February by a farmer who claimed it was trying to catch his
chickens. It was so tame he thought he could have easily killed it with a
club. The bird was thin, and from the appearance of its digestive organs
it had fasted a long time.— A. H. Wood, Painted Post, Steuben Co.,

N. T. Auk, V. J»n. 1888. p. f/O-lll-

The Great Gray Owl in Lewis County, New York. — I take pleasure in
recording the capture of the Great Gray Owl ( Scotiaptex cinerea ) in this
locality. It is, I believe, the first authentic instance of its capture in this
County (Lewis). It was shot by a farmer in the town of Watson, Dec. 17,
1889, and is now in my collection. The farmer said that he was slaugh-
tering swine, and the Owl flew from an adjoining piece of woods, alight-
ing in a tree in the yard (doubtless attracted by the fresh meat). The
bird, which was an adult female, was in very poor condition and the
stomach was empty. — James H. Miller, Lo-wville, N. T.

Auk,yiI.Aprtl,18»O.P. Xc(d

Auk, Xil, April, 1895, p. /$/■

The G reat Gray and Hawk Owls in St. Lawrence County, N. Y. —

While at Ogdensburg, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., recently, I examined a
local collection of mounted birds and study skins owned by Mr. H. M.
Davidson. In it I found three Great Gray Owls ( Scotiaptex cinerea ),
all of which had been shot in the county within a period of five years.
I also found four American Hawk Owls ( Surnia ulula caparoch ) which
had been secured within the past few years in a large swamp in the
township of Hammond, which is in the same county.

On the 19th of December, 1894, while at Carthage, which is at the
western border of Jefferson County, New York State, I saw a Grackle —
species not determined, as the bird flew on my approach. The day was
bright and clear, with the temperature but little above 20°. A farmer
near me remarked that he “guessed that bird had made a mistake and
thought spring had come.” — William Dutcher, New York City.

l > XIL July, 1895, 9 . 301 .

The Great Gray Owl in OmTda'Cbunty, New York.— A handsome speci-
men of the Great Gray Owl ( Scotiaptex cinerea') was shot at White Lake,
Oneida County, during a cold snap the first part of last February. It is a
rare bird in this locality, its occurrence being recorded about once every
ten years.— William S. Johnson, Boonville, N. Y.

1847. Great Gray Owl in New York. By O. Stewart Bamber, M. D.

ibid. ^Stream. Y6l» 88 , 8t - c - ac -

7 ?

Something abont Owls.

0. 0. Ormsbee, Montpelier, Vt.

Of the Great Grey Owl, which is very rare
south of the fortieth parallel, nine stomachs
were examined. All of them contained small
Rodents, and one in addition contained a
Snow Bunting.

O.&t O.Voi. 18, opt, 1893 p.138

Brief Notes.

/

I mentioned a

Great Gray Owl, which is only a ? Nyctea \

0.& O. Vol. 18, Oct. 1893 P.143

zo

de Monte^CanT 6 ^^* fflam

64. Nyctala tengmalmi richardsoni. Richardson’s Owl. — A com-
mon winter resident, and very tame. This Owl has a low liquid note that
resembles the sound produced by water slowly dropping from a height;
hence the Montagne Indians call it p ill ip -p ile- tsh ish , which means “water-
dripping bird.” These Indians have a legend that this was at one time the
largest Owl in the world, and that it had a very loud voice. It one day
perched itself near a large waterfall and tried not only to imitate the sound
of the fall but also to drown the roaring of the torrent in its own voice.
At this the Great Spirit was offended and transformed it into a pygmy,
causing its voice to resemble slowly dripping water instead of the mighty
roar of a cataract.

Bull, N. O.O, 7, Oct, 1882. p, 237

0%

I saw one Richardson’s Owl ( Cryptoglaux tengmalmi richardsoni ) only,,
which had been shot November 16, at Ottawa. — G. Eifrig, Ottawa,.
Canada. AtiSE, X-'-iV. J 1 . . 180 ? . P . 110—1 it.

Co H •

PeJck /',

(Xaa^c., x *- • p-, ~j y.

142. Cryptoglaux tengmalmi richardsoni. Richardson’s Own-
Winter migrant, of irregular occurrence, November 8 to April 3; I have
■examined nine specimens since 1885, but the number taken probably
averages one a year.

77"Z<2f77£, ,
Bceto* goo. Nat. History,

ora, Maine, where it was shot on December 22, 1906

A Ok 25,

Apr-I&Oe iP> 23

Richardson's Owl in Southern New Hampshire.— On December
I - 5 ’ i 8 79> I took a female Nyctala tengmalmi richardsoni at Hollis, New
Hampshire. It was in a small grove of white pines, and was sitting bolt
upiight by the side of a trunk about ten feet from the ground. It was
wide awake, for it watched me closely as I stepped back in order not to
mutilate it. The weather was mild at the time with about three inches of

On Am on ] TT7 . T T , _ _

Ml

/ti £

^ «» . <^f /fctJ&tsC l ^ty' *

A-/ “^♦t^., <«*£fc/ <-cc

^KrtJ-^ ^U-^7 *• ^!f- / ^

/vco-vj A <9 ^<sx 4; *-«. ^«*

^ ^ ^ ^kkj - <yi-^t«->. ^ ^ l -A^ , -*^->-y «*_

tx^6. t*->-<^cC ZT *A. yL+X~

Jr" <^~- d 2 **y£.

/fry

litu^cL

U^et^c *UZZ~^' ^UU^ //j/kfr^

/m/acu. *t>«u/c// /a-o-v *Sc ^*^-*-

Capture of Richardson’s Owl ( Nyctala tengmalmi rickardsoni )
near Providence, R. I. — A beautiful male specimen of this species
was taken east of this city and brought to us by a milkman, Dec. 18,
1882. As it passed through several hands before reaching us we could
not ascertain just where it had been killed, but think it must be accredited
to Massachusetts , as it was in all probability taken in Seekonk, where the
man lives who brought it to us. As the Massachusetts line runs but two
miles east of this city, this is almost beyond doubt a Massachusetts record.
— F. T. Jencks, Providence., R. /.

Ball N, 0.0. 8,ApiI. X883, p, Z.2 2-

Another Richardson’s Owl in Massachusetts. — As Nyctala tengmalmi
rickardsoni has been so seldom taken so far south as this point (central
Eastern Massachusetts), it may be well to record an additional example.
I have in my collection a fine specimen obtained in this place on Jan i,
1885. It was approached without difficulty in broad daylight by a wood-
chopper and killed with a stick.

This is aboutthe southern limit of the range of the species as at present
determined. I find but three examples on record to the south of this ; the
early one of Dr. Wood for Connecticut in 1859, and the two obtained in
1881 and 1882 near Providence, R. I., as reported by Mr. Jencks in the
‘Nuttall Bulletin’ of April, 1881, and April, 1883.

.The circumstances of this capture indicate the defective day-vision
1 characteristic of the strictly nocturnal species, in accordance with Richard-
son’s statement: “It is so much dazzled by the light of the sun that it
becomes stupid and may easily be caught by hand.” — F. C. Browne,
Framingham , Mass. Auk, 2, Oct, , 1886. P. 3 S'V.

Richardson’s Owl in Eastern Massachusetts. — A Richardson’s Owl
( Nyctala tengmalmi richardsoni) , female, was shot at Hyde Park, Mass.,
near the railroad tracks, towards the Clarendon Hills station by Frederic
Downey, November 26 , 1905 . It was skinned by Mr. Frank Blake Web-
ster, of whom I purchased it. It is now in my museum. — John E. Thayer,
i Lancaster, Mass. Auk. XXlll, Apr.. 1906, p kZ _-z ,-u.

Richardson’s Owl in Rhode Island. — A specimen of Richardson’s
Owl ( Nyctale tengmalmi richardsoni ) was obtained this winter near this
city. Its capture was ascertained by Mr. Newton Dexter, who saw the
bird in the possession of a young lady whose brother shot it. — Frederic
T. JENCKS, Providence, R. /. Bail. N.O.O. 0, April, 1881, p.

/S'V t-VKy&Z,

a/ns-iris/-

djUXslr&rx/

Among them is a Sparrow Qwl ta-
ken near PfQvjtlgp eg, and

Richardson’s Owl and Other Owls in Franklin County, New York.

— A specimen of Richardson’s Owl ( Cryploglaux funerea richardsoni ) in
the flesh was recently received by the American Museum from Dr. Wm. N.
MacArtney of Fort Covington, Franklin Co., N. Y. The bird was shot
on November 14 in a cedar thicket near Fort Covington, in the township of
that name, by Wm. N. MacArtney, Jr.

Dr. MacArtney writes that he shot one of these Owls in the nearby
township of Dundee, Province of Quebec, within a few rods of the State
line in 1879 or 1880, and about 1885 one taken in the same town was
brought to him, the latter specimen being now in his collection. All three
birds were secured in late fall or early winter.

Eaton, in his recently published ‘ Birds of New York,’ states that there
appear to be but two definite records of Richardson’s Owl in the State,
one from Oneida County, the other from Essex County.

Dr. MacArtney states that during the winter the Snowy Owl is fre-
quently observed, and occasionally the Hawk Owl, Barred Owl and Great
Gray Owl. The Long-eared Owl is seen at times, while the Great Horned,
Saw-wheQand Screech Owls are common, the rufus phase of the last being
rather rare.— W. DeW. Miller, American Museum of Natural History.

New Name for Nyctala. — The generic name of Richardson’s and the
Saw-whet Owls, Nyctala Brehm, 1828, is preoccupied by Nyctalus
Bowdish, 1825, for a genus of mammals, and as no other term appears to
be available I will propose Cryptoglaux (kpvtttos, hidden, and ■yXavl, an
owl), with Strix tengmalmi Gmelin as the type. The species in our list
will thus stand as Cryptoglaux tengmalmi richardsoni { Bonap.), and Cry^p-
toglaux acadica (Gmelin). — Charles W. Richmond, U. S. National
Museum, Washington , D. C. Auk, XVIII, April., 1901, p. I

CLCclc/^ccl

live tala acadica .

Great Island, Hyannis, Mass.

1888. Hearing the Nuthatches whining in peculiar low excited

Dec. 15. tones (in some dense woods of Pinus rigida) and incessantly
I went in search of them and found them dancing about among
the branches of a bushy pine. I suspected an Owl and looking
closely soon discovered one sitting erect and still on a hori-
zontal branch. It looked gray and ragged like a weather-beat-
en piece of bark. I took it for a gray Scops but on shooting
it found I had a Nyctala acadica. I gave the specimen to

Cory.

ftvi 4/"^ eS-tS

ft?0 }h^ *

-i3o r ^ <*«. / 7 t^. j * *4

^ I <) /< * # *^<1 /P ^Vv ^ "a .

7%^ Ai//^ ^ /*. />!*** J-*^> £tJ^Z^*C, fZ+yst .^xA (*+*■*+,

ht~ls%jU/ y J^V\ „ xl ' *-«-V. <f^tfVv^l (V\i2|[] ^UAa d^Ml,

y/^ vX^HAi^ <1 Hm/ ll^r-C /i A/^ /l-«>< . $y*~J‘/jf : f~% >AJ.

^/»a2iX ^^vc i^« rf\ ^a»\, //a^f <-. / /i^Ly. y« i^-j. ti

WVw . ^»t4, ~rf^Stf i^u-w

^(XfLpfd. / ' ~ /

/vvm( < <z ? « ^ <^. ,

4

AV ^1

/t « <7* V »^.

/■^ ' fjP 'i* m __ $ » fry tl- M.*. /« -V /3-»-^^ pt^JL^

HV* - /<wv*(y

*«Ax

A

/ *
<y»^<

si/«-y /5v,

l4>*yl/lflAA

vnfojywu,

&c^z - txA^ZXT &^£*

^Vuru- ^*</» J « ^ xfZAJJ^

4>«a*^v»j <r\ £*st>~xjLc-6 CKAms-

" * ^ LU^xr 1 ^'Oa>1/A ^ ^^Axaa^</iA 4 ^ (/^fv^

/

'• .y <^-« M.*jAi A si y^fx'icZ , /■ fi^xj I

itz^f /IAa

c ftXtui tfjctxjL^.

‘"7 v

(?

!%j I -^h,

I ktMLt

fw ^Aw 6- <£ l^AvtA/v 4^ZL<f TivA. ^ <X ^Xma^aAC,

y\s\ — £os'^\^I^a^ (>^ ~^fy{y\. Aj ,y IAAXXXX^Z--\A^~a^. ^-\a4-^ ~(yt\ a, yj/^\y^\As W- ^\__ r /*/~<^. 4^-£<si/\J Z-A ^\/\svA

Z^A I ft. Afi . ZislA-xA- ZX^Axx^, y\^-\)"\yKA-A^ ^V— (f—\. //LaJ^AaX, ^*fruAAs\j

A, (sT i^, i^O^cZAj vlA JAxa^<A . fy-C jLx^V ^pt^t>vv ^ S^Aj

/7-a ^<-

l^p-

•>1^

XaXI* Ah-k-aJ.^ >

i ^ JV Tvs '^4as?-L. . 7r fW7 X ^ lx\^ \J-£^A\. iAA\AA\^^A. Ca^-x^'S

0-— A-'Axvw p*- — c- v CAa^A

'"ftk, IS ^ IAcUmi J , C l^c/vv-'t-^- ■- A JAa>-{ frc ^aiaa^-Xa U£u^l-(\ /^. O^ZZAlvO- a \A* ^ CCA.^. «— v^

iZ^UAj ZZ- Jsi^As*S^~ ^ /^ it ^~X>~Xa^AA--i---€^

/, ^ ei A/ h<, Ia/T^-V j/x^u^-A /^A_

(hix^+^-fr-tAx C^r^A <Aa~a-A b [ £~k^ H^O y ^ i^'-^o-y

”^7 * ‘'t 'ZZCj A I , /i^ b A o~'- ,« q u — w ur4. Uv. JlbZfZA. i 7^..

ifnAuj XyAt^Ac/bb^ .ftm-/*^ ^ ‘^•-4 iH^r-M^ ^ tru-i^C-t <hA^c-^U-j

L / 77 x

>-y

?/

h

^ ^/ A

/)yn M .

7L

& L^/C^O ^

jfcZ ut~*^lC

si Au/A. ^

« M.- tVflxXJ £r>^ 717 1 _A)~x^>-t/\.

/ i } <y

U\s~K^ (X ^ aA^vvU^ 77*' A ~'^-' ^ *

7 CLy\sO y^sj y AAs7-77 $ CaasO - <-aJ 7\A a(

^7 A~v

&-XX—S ^ /

few*. 4?4 As*a.

/£

^4/l^VA-- ^A/V /iaa /%. o^a^.-(A- ( ^y ' y o-y' d^~ ^ ^jx.'C-a, /itsc/^ ^ j /7 ? / )

C CASls^~b^ f &X^K- dh-C+A. /l\^A PlAA'\s>^~^/> /> /7^

T

c »-v/ <

{cL

GuS~ Axrsk.

•z

/(/ 0”'VC/A c^v, y&V^, 0'7( J (aJX/TT&^/J

Cv^Cv^ /xTT 7U7 -c/« <^ r £x> VX'-vAA. J/ Ak M. f^\ YCI aJ <aa.

(fh x /TTTaI^ As hy^y — s_ U^'kAA^ (j-^J Y^Vv y^s 4y\r-\t^y(-s<A__ /-7y ^A- (7/\JaA> jlys^XZTZZbf ^v,^/

/ * 1 / ' t <x 2£Z^ t v ^

/*-*. h*yj ^LA>JJaa. 4^v^A_. - C^T-^jL* A*/f Ga^/A 0/7 ^ c ' v 'aji ' £*jC<Ay ^ Taa^+sAX .

y^O^/-t>-/L. \ y*~~<LA/'-K. ^/-'CAAA/'t^eT^ J. jcs^sO ~ CaJ7\aJ171 Xi — uy—£^\ <7o~^-A

&~\cljL/A ' fl As/ (_\ . G ^ A c/'77\Xa~^? /M A . J // „ ./. G/-X~ i>v_». >/ yss/A. 7

/ X7~ ^ <k '7^- 4

h

QUZ c/y.
. Ofest* /liAr6

/MX

^V^ri / f

/irW

y^XyVCAX^A^. (y\^A- Cty~ Qy'5~~^LZ7Z7s ^Iaaa~*-A 'JsCA-o-yX. <y~^7s) ^^/CA^ t ^ Cy-jfsL <?~ — --

^2« — ^/\A-£ '7^' ^ J (^XaP'/V'C^-'T-' £) 7s(\sKA^yJ — e/f

$Jl ^trv^w-v«C^

/ {(Jr$y^s&-*ryj

C- cL ^ *y\ y _ ($>%ji-- i>-<-^, Z/y ~/ o^yG cr^ > /Ct..

f'tr&A ^JxjAA' , 7a>--A-- Gtckz ^1. ^Lak^/x''Ia7 ~ //la.^ ^ GX Ao^rvO <3>x^_ $\^txsr — -o^v.

^yC ey-y^X 0~\f^\ ^ /wa /Mezz /?wt /. tT'

(r*yyZ // ^-i >-^

/7

Q. tyx^A^A.

0

'^jtr-f^k/) CT\

fy-u^ trUs y °^-

7 J\J\A~ /[/{aAks^j-^ h) (AA\^7\^-sy^ /-7 ~La.A^7 \ ^ <r/~G--t^{ Ay\y^c7^

n 7 / / / / ^

^xX” ^ ~7C\^ b

^AAjyjTTjAri ~7 \aj^s 7 ^x-v ~~^7\^ CL-cTT^^ <J^) ~7Ts^. ^/ax^v

^ AaatvO ckA ^777^,

Hr x.c^ -c^-/ 7\J L^v 7777 /^vA,gX. . 7<^ rX- 77bX. t^/77/7, ~^7-j /7r*_scsts ITTTcxA^Xa ^ 77,

TjjxjXj 'Vl^-^cL^ aTC 7<7aX^, CCy ^

GX-r^—cM o77 •^J*

IaGtxA} ^7r\i c /ZaA

.7s~~ 7A. < L\r\. „ ^ „

e,Lj 77777\^^_

n

/m -

//in/, //VToTi.

-t /J'

^/'W-v-v. ^ KjJ^rCCi J\Ay^y<^

a^iAs^+y -L*- A (jy O- ~~\_ 4s\s^*r-e/^_ > {y cx_ fy (ybs^cA^ * <A/v^y

tXs cX. J^AmLa. -v-v. - Ct-x^Lf t c/ A-S&^-jr^L A 0 ^ ^Vi. ^Tvt

^ 'Ci'K’x LJXZ^ n — A-o^aA, ^^-<s-. — ^~7 yuA^ — -4 J.

W^ CL 0^<L^wC»~v cT' A-^W^xT ^ /C^T, Vw

£^Ck/VA^«j£X ^ C *^AZd^ ^ W ^^'W^vji.A fv^ 4/ C^*t-?- V/ ^V|

f~tsU~y Wsy lA^eJX' > UsyA-Jr^-J*.^ J A ^ W&jJjJ ,

^1 ^VVl/( £1 «ClA"7 I'-ly — /a. fM^y ^1: £ 3 Ct-C * ^11 l/t-1, 1-V1*C„ ^

4^-n— y- . /2o V(X. /JviLl, ^ ^o-Ci,„n7 Cl^,,A., <Wv-» y u^ ; /M.ai-.^

^^VtA_^A<r > ,/ *-*-'? ^ Vj “' r " tf^O •■ ^V-IV ^ (^~L\r\SL-r’y4^ ^VVlVv 1 >lA/

J? ^ IcaL 0^j{. ^ ’ 'Ia.^LOaaa vt ^-VL

G^A> A>V' /^1AA 1 c4./l Vw^. (A/a/^/V. 0W -*yG\, f/^vA^v- <4.

\S) ^VVvaJ w^, VWy QA>Aty^tAS^^y '

(Aj\^Cifcsv^j> tA/%^ \jv~is-< 7 U^\A7[r* iAy\^_ t'A ^V\. *Hvw^

4. . A>v\a-^L O' ~ P U^ tf-tK^AS -' IauMavj ^ rvvi

^ t^v, ^^W, tAcxJWt?

J/’iA.j.r^t'i

hu 'i/xA

7

tO^yS ~As? 0<A IAav y t^A t/Vv ^l^v. ^/aaTaa i,

Ca)J-A.

As-*s'^el_ M^V CXkjA^a^a

^CXavn) - OnTAa^

yw

(0CL , ^ 3 • (} c /*? _ ^ O^. ^CXyW _ w/\x^c CisK~yzr-^j>

^Xxyj^y-*- t ^~^ y ^ j ~'^j’ J\j^3*Py> ►wa ^\y\ S LAj v _ nv ^ v _ rt-AAyj

L\r >-0 i<k^-*' ^Vx, AA^rx^kXr ^ ^ S^v «- (^

LAJCXXa^ ^<y\_ S^y ^ ^^-v#s>\. <V ^vv%_ ^^v/^-/< 1 a- oLat-^ 2 ^ &'y'/^-*' «A_»_ ^ O' '/ ^X-^A_A^«Nv)

<5V yC^v^N. ^\J'-J'S'^-* A ± J ur^\^~xM^ iwv c*S-<5~'^A «^a- ^Xv». Cxe^+A^,

^A^W>^' O- ^ rvA_4 t/J cf U^ O^y^yf CAjO^^s^ ,

\'\^T^* / '*''- r ^j CAry.- CIA •~SA/\-xA^, ^tX) '* / ^- r ' A ^-AAaJ-V~VJlX. <Z>y^y~~ ^»4. ^ tA,j yiyyk^jj'-tSvA-y

*Aj-~j 3) cC^y* ^WT_ . /A. W>ca.<j C^. <V /v<y*y^~

y~C^r^* — d\-^^ Cs-^pv^-^ V^ ^7 C^y— 4 4 ^ **-*>- V ^ A . <5^-fov.

^ ' Jet U^vaa. G A^ev( ^vs>^t UaXXv ck,^

Aj'-i A jT^vaa--' ^ x f -/ \ V-O'v^^^-cA' 7 • ^ y^^A. Aa

r '-■- — t^A ^ ^ve^sA: ' Mx, ^.,_^ _ /A /AA-f ~^> CCva

^ ^Cyy^y^A y<-L*J-^f O- f^+JXi ^Tv 6. 1^1^/ J' fyCA^ s^J 4^ ct

v.r £ii/C <M> oJ/Aa, I t-L-'v, ~C Tc -. • jy o tv^ r- »-$>- — ^ T' &

^0^ ^\AaA|, x3 *AA ^* — ^*— •— j yAT-t^f Vj^Jc4 ^-A- c^a-aTa W^ '

^ ^r, v - • 4 ^7 °p

Nyctala acadica

Concord, Mass.

1894 Another and very curious experience connected with an

| Oct. 11 Owl befell me November 13th. I had spent the day at Ball's
to

Nov. 21. Hill, as usual, and was pushing off in the canoe to return to
Concord when I noticed a great number of feathers floating on
the river. One of my men who had been at work on the shore
said that he had hot iced them passing for half-an-hour or
more. During this time there had not been a breath of wind

|

and they had merely drilled slowly with the current. As I

looked I could see them as far as the eye could reach both up

and down stream not scattered about but forming a nearly

straight and rather narrow line.

Paddling out I picked up a number of them and found that

they had belonged to a Saw-whet Owl. They had come from every

part of the bird including the wings and tail. Many of the

body feathers were in bunches - a dozen or more together.

This trail of feathers was as easily followed as the paper

11 scent used in the game of hare and hounds but it stopped

.

abruptly at the foot of the Beaver Dam Rapid. There was a
large musk rat house on the bank at this place and at first X
suspected that the little Owl had been plucked there but upon
examining the mound carefully I failed to find so much as a
single feather. I then decided that the plucking operation
must have ceased some time before I started and that the last

Nyctala acadica .

Concord, Mass .

1894. feathers which I came to had floated down from some distance

Oct. 11
to

Nov. 21
(No. 2),

above the spot where I found them. Accordingly I kept on up
stream scanning both banks closely, a not very difficult task
for they were nearly everywhere covered with snow. I was be-
ginning to despair of success, however, when, on reaching the
sharp turn just above Holden's Hill, I caught sight of a bunch
of feathers clinging to a twig of one of the large white ma-
ples which line the west and south bank at this bend. Pushing
in under these trees I at once found abundant evidence that
the Saw -whet had been picked and eaten there, but by what .
remained as much a mystery as ever. The murderer must have
been a bird, however, for he had chosen as a dining table a
stout branch which extended out over the water at a height of
about fifteen feet. This branch was smeared with blood and
several feathers clung to it ’while many others were caught a-
mong the button bushes beneath. On a snow bank at the water's
edge I found still others as well as a few small fragments of
flesh but these must have been cast down from above for the
snow bore no signs of footprints.

On my way down river in the morning I started a Red-tailed!
Hawk from this very belt of maples but yet I can scarcely be-
lieve that he was really the destroyer of the poor little Owl.

The latter was probably caught in the maples where he was eat-
en for Saw-whets are often found at this season in leafless
trees on meadows or the banks of streams .

91

live tala acadlca

Concord, Mass.

1396. At about 3 P.M. I was returning from Davis's Hill when I

Oct. 27. heard a number of small birds chirping and scolding loudly and

continuously in a cluster of young pines near the bottom of
the Glacial Hollow. Suspecting that they^mobbing an Owl I
went at once to the spot and found five or six Chickadees, two

Canada Nuthatches, several Juncos and Pox Sparrows hopping
excitedly from twig to twig in the upper branches of a pitch

pine. As usual in such cases they were moving in a circle and

I had only to scrutinize the central space closely to discover

the Owl, a pretty little Acadian sitting on a stout horizontal

branch about eight feet from the main stem and some eighteen

feet above the ground. He appeared quite indifferent to the
movements and clamor of his persecutors but he kept his eyes

fixed on me with some show of interest but without drawing in

or displaying others signs of suspicion or alarm. The Chick-

adees were the most noisy and aggressive of the little birds

about him but none of them ventured to approach him nearer

than to within six or eight feet. They called de-de-de-de

incessantly. The Pox Sparrow clucked loudly. Two Red Squir-

rels on the opposite side of the hollow added materially to

the racket by a continuous loud snickering but I doubt if

either of them really saw the Owl or knew what the excitement

was all about.

Hyp tala acadica.

Concord, Mass.

1896. I left the place without disturbing ai)y of the birds and

Oct. 27. went to the cabin for my camera. When I returned some fifteen

(No. 2). minutes later the Squirrels were still snickering but all the

little birds had derjarted. The Owl, however, was still

perched on the pitch pine branch exactly as I left him. After

exposing at him the only two plates I had I threw some pieces

of branches at him. Whenever one of them hit very near him he

would bend forward and examine the spot with close attention

At length

then resume his former attitude. Although I shook the tree
forcibly when the Owl at once left his perch and darted off
first sweeping down nearly to the ground then rising and fol-
lowing a foot-path, finally alighting in a young white pine
on a short, dead, lateral branch scarce six feet above the
earth. I walked up to within a few feet of him when he
straightened himself up and drew in his feathers so that his
body looked no thicker than his head (while in the pitch pine
he had appeared very plump and fluffy); I could have taken a
fine picture of him in his alarmed attitude had I any more

plates

Uyo tala acadica .

Cambridge

1898 .

Feb . 7 .

Mass .

Clear, still and mild.

Shortly after noon I took a walk about our garden on
snow shoes. The sun-light, reflected from the deep, unbroken
field of snow, was very dazzling. As I was passing near a
young scarlet oak, still covered almost as densely with foli-
age as in midsummer, I discovered an Acadian Owl perched near
the extremity of a long, horozontal branch about nine feet a-
bove the ground. How he chanced to attract my eye is a mystery
for there were no small birds about to betray his presence
and he was sitting perfectly motionless in the very middle of
a cluster of tan-colored leaves which matched his plumage close-
ly. When I returned with my camera an hour later he had not
changed his perch nor even his attitude. I took a number of
photographs some of which show his position and facial expres-
sion better than I can describe them. Walter Deane and Gil-
bert were with me and we all walked around and even beneath
the tree without appearing to disturb the bird. He seemed to
be very drowsy sitting, most of the time, on one leg with the
other drawn up under his feathers and his eyes nearly closed
although a sudden movement on the part of one of us would oc-
casionally cause him to open his eyes wide for a moment. He
was sensitive to certain sounds but paid no attention to our

voices.

Nvotala aoadica .

C ambr idge , Mass .

fk 1898.

| Feb. 7.

; (No. 2).

j

!

i

i

Feb. 13.

After I bad exposed all my plates we put up a ladder di-
rectly under the tree and Gilbert, ascending it, had his hand
within a few inches of the Owl when the ladder gave way and
fell with a crash striking against some of the branches in
its descent. The loud noise and the agitation of the tree
startled the bird considerably but instead of flying as we all
expected he would do he merely bent forward and gazed intently
down at the prostrate man and ladder. We remained motionless
for a few moments after which Walter, going around to the op-
posite side of the tree and waving the camera slowly, succeed-
ed in attracting the Owl's attention while Gilbert again
climbed the ladder and slowly extending his hand from beneath
and a little behind the bird caught it by the feet. It
snapped its bill sharply and rapidly when seized. I put it
into a large cage where it remained quiet until nightfall af-
ter which it fluttered a good deal against the wires. A dead
House Sparrow which I left in the cage was untouched the next
morning.

On looking closely about the garden I found on the snow
beneath a red cedar numerous feathers from the wings, tail
and body, of a House Sparrow and beneath the hollow, vine-en-
shrouded trunk of an old apple tree a very small pellet com-
posed of

The Saw -whet is still alive and apparently healthy. He

/of

Nyctala acadica .

i

!

I

t

j

Cambr idge , Mass .

1898.
Feb. 13.
(No. 3).

Feb. 14.

is rapidly becoming tame and no longer flutters against the
bars of his cage. The House Sparrow lay untouched in the
cage for four days when it was removed. A dead white mouse
was substituted and promptly eaten (all but the head) on the
following night. Yesterday at about noon the bird gave the
saw -whistling call at frequent intervals for an hour or more
the weather, at the time, being dark and lowerv. He called
again at noon to-day ’when the sun was shining brightly. At
close range (the cage is about 15 feet from my desk) the sound

has little or no metallic quality and bears only the most re-

mote resemblance to saw filing. On the contrary it may be
best described as a soft and low but rather throaty whistle
very like that of Glaucidium . It also suggests the peep of
Hyla nicker in^ii but is much less clear and bell-like and is

on a lower key. It is given very rapidly and evenly as a rule

and the number of repetitions is very variable. Twice or
thrice I have heard a prolonged, monosyllabic note more metal-
lic in quality than the ordinary call but otherwise similar.

The Saw-whet was unusually active this morning and during
the forenoon kept flying from perch to perch but it did not
appear to be in the least frightened or unhappy. At about 11
A.M. it whistled twice, but briefly and in subdued tones. At
3 P.M. I found it crouched on the bottom of the cage evidently

Hyp tala aoadlca .

Cambr idge , Mass .

1898. very ill. Someone suggested that a smell of fresh paint,

Feb .14. which pervaded the museum at the time, might be the cause. We

; (No. 4). accordingly toqh the bird out of doors but it expired only a
few minutes later. Its death struggle was as violent as that
of a bird that had been shot. It fluttered half across the
cage and at the last beat the floor vigorously with its wings.
On dissecting it I failed to detect anv signs of internal in-
jury or disease. The stomach was empty but the bird was not
emaciated. It was a male with testes as large as #1 shot.

Lincoln, Maine.

Nest and four eggs.

Nyotala aoadica .

1397.

Apr . 23
to

Apr . 29 .

1

i

" I found a set of four eggs of the Saw -whet Owl that
were partly incubated but had no difficulty in saving them.

This set is very different from the set sent last year. I
will give you the measurements which are not just correct as
1 have not got a good rule to do it with, but this will give
you some idea of them.

1st 1 1/4X1, 2nd 1 5/1 6 X 31/52, 3rd 1 1/4/ 31/32, 4th 1X13/16

You will see that the 4th is very small and is more blunt
than the rest and was not incubated any, probably not fertile.

I found the eggs in a poplar stub about 15 ft. high in a nar-
row strip of woods between two labes. I tooh five Flying
Squirrels from this same hole this winter and upon going bj*.
the place thought I would try the stub. Upon the first blow
from my hand the Owl looked out : of the hole. I then passed on
thinking perhaps the set was not complete. This was the 23rd
April. I went on the 29th and the female acted the same but
would not leave the hole and as I climbed up daer- disappeared
from the hole. Upon opening the cavity I found her at the
bottom of the nest and she did not leave untili taken from
the nest and thrown into the air. She then flew a short dis-
tance and waited until I left w'hen she flew to the hole and
went in. There was a freshly killed mouse in the nest. The

only resistance of the female was the snapping of her tiny
bill. Will sell the eggs at $3 each. Perfect in all respects"'.

Letter from W.J. Clayton, May 10, 1897, Lincoln, Maine.

/of

.Boston, 93. Sudbury St. , Sept, 3Q, 1892.

,M r. Viillia® Br.ewste r%

C one or d 1 *,

Masa. :

Dear Mr . Brewster ; -I have just bought an Acadian Owl, which is undoubtedly a young
bird of this year, though apparently in fu>31 plumage .stall I can see by the text-
ure of the plumage that it is without doubt this .years bird. It flew into a»

house on Deer Island and as it is so early in the /season, it strikes me that it mus*
must be a bird raised, in that vicinity. Do you want the bird if a nice skin at’

$8.50.

Yours. truly.

. #

/05

Nyctala acadica .

Worth Newry, Maine.

(b **3

y /0 /? 0±

£w 3

vr

H 7

!

'yL

oZ) ' tK' V Q/y'Z'l

^aaA e> JC\jdCXnt\Jcl CL } l g/

(s/l i l /£ L(.-J/:XL - /Wi cf CLn-% #)

- ft? .<& < 6 ;^/ OlU/£ ofci,x

dt ; * ->■ / ^ 2 2 ci . f 7 /. .7. / 'iyf'Cr. A

'*~/fuct\do vd)/ii AuA i^ i ei zf4t_£ (OJuJ

■ k? , /fs J? 7 /T V . 2 ^ / y * ,

J • ^/VvVyL^'i Qcrh/J- 4Ctc/jUn^M

t m J #/ &

j - /V <J Oc t-u-a v X

CTL'inzd XLe&^nASYnrA ~CU-

6*cm o^&t/I
/} *> /

/ I znCc , ; ? -2 * j'l . r^cXi > ^

y— / / '/ 2 aV-‘" 0 \j(d-A'

2~£ xLXxrf xiyic^^h. xPixai^^^i

Cine l QJAj 2 / ( ^ c2^n/Cccur!

Cj. th'd c\ sC'ft. ci r.'U f C> 1 lie! 7\el i J 7
COxS, t_ / ?v/kcj i i

x nnn ,-7 n 7 / Xr>i^'tj ^ .. v a

ig 2 ” v n? C:CACi/Ck.

Jn

f'/GX OL

'ff-LA a > I c ) J t K O^cf v /£*

0 L- }

/vn V Px} . j i l a : d tt q

> 1<J^ XiC d- 's^&s&L

. vk /fL.-

Sfas ^fivO Ol i^ & /

otcc/ji CA >'f a/ f'/oXX'H Cp. /m A/

J^juCtff oi

Orrrifjfc

dLfa/H-'-'ti &t p L/vl ■ J Al . //i ; (/- c> ,/

, ! ■ ?h- 'v? i /V A$x a 0 / / 1 a

tPj£tpl Pl^lx t^-7'An l^ <mrp"

(pprszs) o^wt~ %

, ) 1 I / u c?^ /f/Ocn j P„/a- / / a A

a ty -'>->'1

Me

/

> 7 <;

Ct I"? &/ 0^-71 t /

^ ' t? '>-»• •? (AQA a t
{ c> 4/-j , Aw / i <5 <Q / / V

, >4 (X^v^e *~ s3 xi'gA# i ^yf . XlC J t~
/Air-At J dd o 'JS d( O /(Qv! /pdi

AA §? & 4t- - A / <?/ <0,1 I " eOGT
id ^ ^ y >a fr -iix-

A. Oi viet

Nyctala acadica .

North Newry, Maine.

Birds of Upper St, John,
Batoiieider.

80. Nyctale acadica (Gm.) Bd. Saw-whet Owl. — This bird is not
uncommon at Houlton. Mr. Frank P. Orcutt told us that it was tolerably
common at Fort Fairfield.

Bull, N.Q.O, 7 , July, 1882 , P.156

Birds -within Ten Miles of Pen
de Monts, Gan, Gomeau & Mema

65. Nyctala acadica. Saw-whet Owl.— Not very common. In
winter Mr. Comeau once saw one of these little Owls fly out from within
the carcass of a great northern hare that had been caught in a snare. The
Owl had eaten away the abdomen and was at work within the thoracic
cavity when frightened away.

Bull. N. O.O, 7,Oot,1882,p,2S7

Uf/wUx^. 0 u/ (QrvCa^U) . . W - C .

This ride took in a circuit of twenty-five miles, and we came
back without a specimen save a poor emaciated Saw-whet Owl
which we found lying peacefully on his back on the snow at the
foot of a fence post, from which he probably dropped dead the
night before in a fit of starvation.

Bull, N.O.O. 8, Judy. 1883, p. J */ 4 ■

Notes from the Magdalen Islands.
Nvotala acadica. June, 1900.

H.K.Job, Kent, Conn.

Auk, XV111, April, 1901, p.200.

143. Cryptoglaux acadica. Saw-whet Owl. — Regular winter resi-
dent, October 4 to March 3; probably resident, as I have a young bird
taken May 15, 1889, and another young one taken in August. A large
flight of these owls occurred in the fall of 1889, and in October (12 to 28),
1895.

Birds of DeadBiver Region, Me. F. H. O.

79. Nyctale acadica, (Saw-whet Owl). In late
autumn this little Owl is quite frequently ob-
served by the crews at the logging camps. While
I have enjoyed considerable acquaintance with
this species in other portions of Maine, my record
for this region is very brief but very satisfactory
when viewed from a collector’s standpoint. On
the morning of Jan. 7tli I went into the grain
shed of the camp and there saw sitting closely
together on a joist, three Owls of this species.
They are now lying side by side in the same
camphor scented drawer. From that date I made
it a regular duty to pay a morning visit to the
grain shed, hut save for a little band of Chicka-
dees it remained tenantless.

Copyright, 1S86, by Eaton

O.&o. XI. Deo. 1886. p. 177

cut-o.dJe.o~ . _ Profile House N.H. July 27-Aug. 7 J 886

"Winter Birds of Webster, N. H. by Faloo.

| Saw-whet Owl, ( Nyctale acadiea).

O.&O, X. Jan. 188-5. p./t/L

During the winter of 1880-81, no less than seven specimens of the little
Acadian Owl ( Nyctale acadica) were taken, all within a few days’ time.

Ball. N. O.O,

Auk, XXI ily, 1395, p • o X ,

'h'rGA c

Two weeks later a Saw-whet Owl was sent to me, a bird that

asked only the hospitality of a night’s lodging when the weather was incle-
ment, and was dispatched with true American promptness. I considered
the Meadowlark’s presence at that time of year unprecedented in this
locality, when the mercury often reminded us that we are near neighbors
to the North Pole. Was it ever known to winter so far north before?

THE M. ABBOTT FRAZAR CO^T"^^

Tel. 1310*2 Hay market

(Mxtiipr mists

Send Stamp for Catalogue

<7.

y ^ 3 yHJtrv^rt, £& '

s '

AND DEALERS IN

Naturalists* ^appltrs au& ^prrtmrna

No. 93 SUDBURY STREET /O

Boston , Mass

THE M. ABBOTT FRAZAR CO.

Tel. 1310-2 Hay market

...SaxtbrrmiHtH

Send Stamp for Catalogue

AND DEALERS IN

Naturaliata’ l^upplua an&

No. 93 SUDBURY STREET

Boston, Mass., 190

HZ

„ , n, 'E. Mass. i 885 . ^ . .

'h/'Lc^w [ fy j

Ca^

fy^ULU

( fo y &Z~s£ y 3 ( $ \ n i~ ^i^LS^ue. J

\ *- *&&& : ,'^*jit . * 3 ^

fat/x4j' {/^oM aJ^^. y

ML

^Vvu^. <<1 lu^Z ^ IM^-vc.** jU^_

Kh /fitt-v-t^vi. * ^bOiA l^t 4st*t*C? ■

^f ^prx^A d vud^f ' L fl-t^M J

-/fry eddh.

Jady3c ^ &c-*-d<*d+~ dc^^J> <xd

7 — O^dlyd^tr;

^ <.*— c,c ^

^c/d^yddi tvv ^7 /&.

£jKZZ ZL C^rd fd*A

Cud \y<X* (J C^~. <X d_ ^tr^u

#/*yr or~

^£: 2^1 y /Mz? <Lj^ <j-

(to~G^(d d ~y£<y ^ //C^sy< 7 ^<^ -

GreatlcJ. Mass. Dec. , 1888 . ,,,.

n^tZ^L a.c*M**> /(,' L***. x .

Owls. — Tlie number of Owls shot in Greenfield
and vicinity since May 1st, 1884, are as follows :
Three Arcadian.

(#4*62 X .Man. /m7

p-6M

December 14th, a $ Acadian Owl was shot at
this place and brought to me to be mounted.
Stomach filled with bones and feathers of small
birds. The same man who shot this one brought
me one last winter taken in this city.

O.&O. XI.M»y.l886.p.7'7

Rap tores, Bristol County, Mass.

Hilton B. Read.

Saw-whet Owl ( Nyctale acadica). This, the
smallest of our owls, occurs with us only as a
• rare winter visitor. While not so uncommon
as to merit particular comments, yet I refei to
the following dates of capture -within our lim-
its; Seekonk, Dec. 1880, (Miller), Seekonk,
Jan. 1882, (Carpenter), Dartmouth. Jan. ,
Mansfield, Feb. 1883, (Carpenter).

O.&O. XII. Aug. 1887 p.118

Birds of Bristol County , Mass.
F.W. Andros.

Nyctala acadica (Gmel.), Saw-wliet Owl.
I Winter visitant, rare.

O.&O. XII. sept. 1087 P.1S0

Birds Known to Pass Breeding Season
nr. "Winchendon, Mass. Wm. Brewster

12. Nyctala acadica.

Auk, V, Oct,, 1888. p. 389

Notes on Birds of Wincbendon, Mass,
William Brewster,

Nyctala acadica. — A common resident, doubtless breeding numerously,
although Mr. Bailey has not as yet succeeded in finding nests.

Auk, V, Oct,, 1888. p. 390

f

t

h^yoLt JU. oxoM^,

I**'

V,

xA

®~u .'7 ^ V- * ^

^ y^. o^ ^

^ Aj J_ w A W^C. w-

• * /f^ v uo 5'vu/^

wUV M jr ^ ^

{ x m 3 t UX 7* rvr ^‘

’'~~' < T. — - ‘~

“*~ < ~'^~ - tj^r <—

^ wwk.

^ % rwr
r j -cC. «'*-»''* 11

W. 1 ^ J _ >, ,

( v^^ t R J

Nest of Saw-whet Owl at Bridgewater, Mass.— Upon Patriots’ Day
(April 19, 1906) in Bridgewater, Plymouth County, Mass., I found a nest
of the Saw-whet Owl ( Cryptoglaux acadicd). An old Flicker’s excavation,
about 16 feet from the ground in a decayed poplar stub, furnished the
site. In the bottom of the excavation was an old squirrel’s nest,, and a
quantity of hair and feathers from small animals and birds evidently
killed and eaten by the owl. Upon this mass the eggs, 4 in number, were
placed.— Arthur C. Dyke, Bridgewater Mass. „ rr

p Ault, xxill, July, % 9 Qv. i • 3 i /•

•h

K £* r * uU *

■ L & •

i w W W J " — —

xr C^L Q.

uL <f> 7 4 ?

caT

V-4^ .

// 5 "

Distribution of New England Birds. -
A Beply to Dr. Brewer. h.A. Purc’ie.

• r v j

yjS - ec _

0 — O A_* l ~ ^ <St ,^

“ M ' : s “ ,m " " d »*•
° e it as resident, and as common in Maine.”

BuU. N.O.C. 2, Jan., 1877. E . /y.

//£

Birds of the Adirondack Region.

C.H» Morris m.

116. Nyctale acadica ( Gmelin) Bonaparte. Saw-whzt Owl. — ToU
erably common resident.

Baa N. O.O. Q.Oot, 1881, p,232

Long Island Bird Notes N . T. Lawrence

8. Nyctale acadica. Saw-whet Owl. — Mr. Osborne killed one of
these birds on Montauk Point, November 20, 1885.

Auk, 2, July, 1886. p.272

Diligent and careful inquiry has failed to reveal
the presence of any Acadian Owls . I know of
no Ontario County specimens, though Rathbun
mentions it as a rare bird in central New York
(List p. 27.)^ /g

O.&O. X. July. 1885, p.///

Lon* Island Bird Notes. Wm. Butcher

17. Nyctala acadica. Saw-whet Owl. — Giraud says of
this Owl, “With us it is quite rare.” * My notes as given below
would indicate, on the contrary, that it is common, at least in the
winter months. December 6, 1884, Capt. Hubbard, of the File
Island Life Saving Station, shot one on the beach, which he sent
to me. One was sent to me from Merrick, December 31, 1SS4.

Mr. W. F. Hendrickson, of Long Island City, one of my most
earnest and reliable observers, writes me regarding this species
as follows: “November 15, 1884, saw one with a gunner who
had killed it near Train’s Meadows, Queens Co. December
27, my brother found one, a female, at Ravenswood, Queens Co.,
which had been frozen. November 4, a friend shot one at
Creedmore, Queens Co., and I saw one in his shop which he
was mounting for a customer. It was also killed on the island.

March 30, 1885, I found the feathers of one scattered about as
though it had been killed and eaten by a cat or Hawk. Mi.
Franklin, of Port Washington, Queens Co., informed me that on
February 28, 18S5, a small Owl had flown or fallen down the
chimney flue into his library. He caught it alive and afteiwaid
liberated it. From his description of the bird it was undoubtedly
this species.

Aukt S. Oct. , 1886. p.

* Birds of Long Island, p. 23,

Nyctala acadica. Saw-whet Owl. — W hile walking on the uppei pait
of Manhattan Island, above High Bridge, on the Harlem River, March 13 ,

1881, I saw a fine Saw-Whet Owl which alighted on a stump among some
red cedars and afterwards flew freely about without apparent inconvenience,
the day being dark and cloudy. — E dgar A. Mearns, M. D., Fort duelling,
Minn. Auk , Vll. Jan. 1890. p . ?e - ?/.

/ The fire draws upward with a steady flame, brightening
as the night grows darker and the stars come out one by
one. It shines on the tree leaves overhead and moves
them to a gentle fluttering by the current of hot air
which it sends up; it lifts the shadows of the surround-
ing woods and sometimes lights the wings of a bat cir-
cling near. At times an Acadian owl may pass softly
through the lighted space, or sit iu' fhe gloom just out-
side, making known its presence by one of its several
noises. The best known note is the'saw- whetting, from
which it gets its name of saw-whet owl; this closely
resembles the sound of filing an “up-and down” mill saw,
set in a frame. It also makes a whining noise, and the
soft conversational co-eo-co, co-co-co already mentioned.
Besides these, I am told of a note resembling the tinkling
of small bells and of a harsh, nasal ah-ah. Indeed, I have
myself heard at night in the woods a sharp, harsh noise
—which I was told was made by the saw-whet — that re- j
sembled this as much as anything, but the heaviness of
sleep interfered with scientific accuracy, and in my jour- i
nal I find merely the comment: “Not knowing the other j
noises I did not remember this.” This bird undoubtedly
breeds in the woods north of Katahdin, hut in the lati-
tude of Bang«r I have never seen one earlier than Oct.
19 nor later than March 21. Between these dates they are
not rare, being most frequently found in barns and out-
houses, where they go for warmth and mice, What they
sat whtn in the wood? I do not know, never flaying seen

/!#***?

FOREST AND STREAM.

1 one which did not appear half starved, nor having found
the feathers of any small bird or any sign of their caten-
ing bird, mouse or shrew; but I have known four ot therm
to be picked up dead, apparently from starvation. /

Early Occurrence of the Saw-whet Owl.— Believing that I have one
of the earliest records of the Saw-whet Owl ( Cryptoglaux a. acadica) for

Long Island, I should like to record' it.

On October 26, 1911, I was told that a young owl was killed on one
of the streets of Elmhurst, Long Island. I looked it up and found it was
a Saw-whet Owl. I secured it and it is now in the collection of the Ameri-
can Museum of Natural History — How arth S. Boyle.

13 %

II t

AA^otAiey.

March 27, while passing a large birch,
noticed a hole about three feet from the
ground. Examination proved it to con-
tain a Saw- whet Owl , which we let remain.

April 6, I again visited the hole where
we had discovered the Saw-whet Owl, and
was agreeably surprised to find it tenanted
as before with the addition of a set of two
eggs ; average dimensions 1.05x90.

fa o.&o. IX. Jan, 1884. p. 9

'Jesting of the Saw-whet Owl.

Correspondence

Editor of O. & 0.:

On the 6fcli of July last, I took a set of four
eggs of the Saw-wliet Owl. The eggs were
placed in the deserted nest of a Woodpecker,
in a stub about twelve feet up and within ten
feet of a travelled highway.

This was the second set from the same nest.
A set had been taken a week or ten days
previous by a frien d of mine. He was not
able to give the exact date. I was unable to
visit the nest again, but was informed by my
friend that the bird soon laid a third set
of four, which were allowed to hatch.

In both cases when taking the eggs, the old
bird had to be taken from the nest by force.
Both sets were perfectly fresh, and are now in
my collection.

Birds are abundant here this winter, which is
quite the reverse of last season when but very
few were seen.

O.Vol.l7,May 1802 p; 80

s the nest of the Saw-whet Owl is con-
fed quite a find and I have had the good
me to take several sets, I will give some
iy experience in that line, thinking it may
rest the readers of the “ O. & O.” About
piles from this village is a tract of mixed
ier land of ioo acres, more or less, com-
d of about three-fourths hard and one-
h of soft wood timber, containing many
jrowth trees and old stubs, a favorite re-
Eor Hawks and Owls. Previous to this
m I had taken two sets of Saw-whets
an old maple stub in this piece of woods
jast season found the nest in the same
place, containing young birds. As this brood
was raised unmolested, I thought my chances
for taking a set from the same nest were
excellent this season. After three visits to
the stub this year I made up my mind that I
should have to look in some other tree for
my Saw- whets, as I had seen nothing of them
and it was getting later than the usual time
for their nests. I was thoroughly acquainted
with this locality, but it is something of a
task to search carefully a piece of timber of
this extent, and after a long and diligent
hunt I began to think that my collection
would not be enriched by the eggs of Nyctala
Acadica. On approaching an old beech stub
I was suddenly surprised to see the round
head of an Owl looking down at me from an
old Woodpecker’s hole twenty feet from the
ground. At this sight my spirits went up
and at the same time my coat and vest came
off and I prepared to “ shin ” up to the
■ ! nest. Perhaps some of you know how easy
it is to shin a tree that the bark has peeled
1 from and left smooth as a flag staff. Add to
this the fact that the stub was two feet in
diameter and it is not very surprising that I
j came down suddenly after an ascent of eight
or ten feet. I also discovered after two trials
that the tree would not be safe for anyone to
climb to the top of, as it leaned quite a little
Ij and was nearly rotted off at the base. This
put a different aspect on the matter, and I
j began to devise some way by which to get
the eggs which I felt sure were waiting for
me at the bottom of that old nest.

I decided that I should want at least a
j rope and an axe ; so I went home and got
these articles and returned with a man to
assist me. The first thing was to put the
rope around the tree and take a loop in it,

| then push the rope as far up the tree as we
; could reach with a pole, nearly twenty feet,

OOLOGIST.

”3

nd

:ub

'all

en

all

Id.

;ch

his

ow
»wl
th-
ick
3e-
re-
ing
the
)wl
jer
put
tin
jed
ras
ras
:he
his
r a
lo,
>ty
he
ne
ir-
:er
ee
he

id

(re

er

r-

u-

Ist

to

jof

in

id

ot

been past the nest since and do not know
whether the Owl kept on laying in the same
nest, but shall visit it in the spring and hope
to find her at home. It was surprising how
the Owl returned to the nest after being
thrown off -at least five times and robbed of
her eggs three different times. Each time
she followed the same course, crouching to
the bottom of the nest and fighting for her
treasures, and after being thrown off would
dash past within a few inches of my head,
trying to frighten me away.

I took a set of Red-bellied Nuthatch in
much the same manner as the Owls’ nest.

It was in a shaky fir stub, about twenty feet
up, and would not begin to bear my weight,
so I took along a boy weighing about sixty
pounds. I cut a small fir sapling, which
reached nearly to the nest, and held it up
against the stub while the boy scrambled up.

He then rested on the top of the sapling
while he whittled out the nest and took eight
fresh eggs. In taking a set of broad-winged
Hawk from a huge birch it was necessary to
carry a twenty-five foot ladder a mile. Two
fresh and handsomely marked eggs made
this a very satisfactory piece of work. The
way of the collector is hard and fraught with
many difficult and dangerous climbs, but
when success has crowned your efforts it is
pleasant to think how some of your treasures
were earned. Fred B. Spaulding.

Lancaster, N.H. _

O.aO.Vol.18, Ang. 1898 p. 113-113

Probable Breeding of the Acadian Owl {Nyctale acadica) in
Massachusetts. — The capture of this species in the adult state is by no
means of rare occurrence in Massachusetts, but its presence is generally
detected in the winter months. Of its breeding so far south in New Eng-
land I think there has hitherto been no instance recorded. We are now
able, however, to note the capture of three specimens in the plumage of
the so-called “ albifrons.” The first was taken in Newton, Mass., on June
28, 1876 ; and the second at Hingham, Mass., on July 5, 1876 ; the third
was captured in one of the cells in the Penitentiary on Deer Island, Bos-
ton Harbor, on the 8th of the same month, by an inmate of the prison.
These localities being some ten or fifteen miles apart, it would seem hardly
probable that these three Owls belonged to the same brood. On April 4,
1877, a specimen in adult plumage was captured in the Penitentiary on
Deer Island, where the above-mentioned immature specimen was taken. 1
am indebted to Mr. Wm. J. Knowlton, of Boston, for the above facts, and
from him I obtained one of the young specimens. — Ruthven Deane,
Cambridge, Mass.

Ball. N.O.O. 2, July, 1877. p, rV.

Breeding of the Acadian Owl in Eastern Massachusetts. On
June 4, 1880, I found a rtest'of the Acadian Owl ( Nyctale acadica), contain-
ing five nearly fledged young, in a cedar tree, in the midst of a dense swamp
in Braintree. The nest was an old nest of a Night Heron, repaired with
a few leaves and feathers. From the size of the young birds it is evident
that the eggs must have been laid about the end of April or very early in
]yj a y._ The young birds were clad in a mottled plumage -gray intermixed
with a sprinkling of red. Close to this nest of the Acadian Owl was
found the nest of a Long-eared Owl. I have never heard before of Owls
of different species nesting so near each other. — N. A. Francis, Brook-
line, Mass.

Bull. N, O.O. July, 1881. p, J S' 6 .

j’j'TistASiXZx €*} - fl ips-* t

KAMx. d t ' (jh> 4: /

y£vww..<

A h fa, faj

Brewster on the Breeding of the Acadian Owl. 143

4. Loxia curvirostra americana, Coues. Common Crossbill.
Scattered irregularly all through the pine woods. Breeds at 7500 fe-

5. Xanthocephalus icterocephalus, Bd. Y e 1. 1. o w- 1 r 1; B l a c k -

bird. — “At 9300 feS

6. Corvus americahqB, Aud. Common CrjimT— “A t 9300 feet.”
The Crows of Southwest CcHQrado have many^lesson to learn. Gun in
hand, I have walked past withntxtYew fegj^of half a dozen who merely
honored me with an idle stare.

7. Cypselus saxatilis, Ridjg.
feet; breeds.”

8. Ceryle alcyojj rdSoie. Belted KiNGFisnfe^ — I have found it as

high as 9500 Breeds on all the lower rivers.

9. MetSnerpes torquatus, Bj>. Lewis’s WoodpeckiJk^— Very com-
mon up to 7000 feet.

kiroated Swift. — “At 10,000

/y5"

BREEDING OF THE ACADIAN OWL (. NYCTALE
ACADICA) IN MASSACHUSETTS.

BY WILLIAM BREWSTER.

So far as I can ascertain, the single egg of the Acadian Owl
which is preserved in the National collection at Washington is
the only authentic example known. It accordingly gives me
unusual pleasure to announce the recent acquisition of a fine set
of fully identified specimens taken by Mr. W. Perham at Tyngs-
boro, Mass., April 5, 18S1. Mr. Perham is probably already
known to some of the readers of the Bulletin as a remarkably
successful collector of Hawks and Owls. He takes many eggs
of the Mottled Owl by hanging up artificial nests in suitable
places in the woods. These “ nests” are made from sections' of
hollow trunks boarded up at the open ends, with entrance-holes
cut in the sides, and the Owls apparently find them quite to their
taste for they freely appropriate them, both as roosting and nest-
ing places.

Sometime late in March of the present year a pair of Saw-
whets took possession of one which was nailed against the trunk
of an oak in an extensive piece of woodland. No nest was made,
the eggs being simply laid on a few leaves which squirrels
Owls in Confinement. — William Brew-
ster reports in Bulletin a Saw-wliet Owl,
laying an egg (soft shell) while in confine-
ment.

O.&O. Vll. Oct. 188 2 . p . /6 g •

An Owl’s Egg laid in Confinement. — The history of my Acadian
Owl, given in a late number of this Bulletin.* has an interesting sequel.
On February 4, 1882, the bird (then but nine months old) astonished its
friends — and perhaps itself as well — by laying an egg in the bottom of its
cage. This, when first brought to me, was of normal size and shape, but
soft and leathery to the touch, like the egg of a turtle. One side was
fractured ; and soon afterward the shell around the edges of the hole began
to curl inward until, in a short time, the whole egg became shrivelled and
distorted. Finally, in the course of a day or two, the shell crumbled and
scaled off in small fragments leaving only the half-dried velk and al-
bumen.

Of course more eggs were looked for, and in anticipation, the floor of
the cage was lined with saw-dust and a hollow stump even supplied to
serve as a nesting-place. But despite these attentions the bird obstinately
refused to gratify our hopes. For several days after the removal of her
egg she was restless and irritable, continually flying from perch to perch,
and fiercely attacking any one who ventured to approach her. Indeed, it
was two or three weeks before she recovered her wonted gentleness.

I cannot now recall an instance of the breeding of Owls in confinement,
but the present occurrence would apparently indicate that it might be
accomplished with Saw-whets, which, as captives, seem to be more anima-
. ted and cheerful than most of the members of their sedate family. — Wil-

- — a wat, camped near tne

base of Mt. Katahdin, While On a trip in that section in search of the eggs of
our Birds of Prey. The weather at that time being quite cold, it was
necessary to frequently replenish the fire. About 3 o’clock in the morn-
ing I arose for that purpose, and noticed a small object moving around
amongst the remains of our last meal. Further investigation proved it to
be some kind of small Owl, gleaning among the bones for stray morsels
of meat. On my near approach it flew into a tall fir, and was hid from
sight. During breakfast I again saw it, coming down to within a few feet
of us, when, apparently seeing us for the first time, it again retreated to the
fir. I then saw it was a Saw-whet Owl, and it seemed to be in no wise
affected by the light. At night one of my companions informed me he
had seen a pair of small Owls sitting together in an immense birch, but no
nest could be found.

The next morning we struck camp, and moved toward the summit of
the mountain. In about a week we returned over the same route and again
camped at the place just mentioned. On the second night I was surprised
to see the little Owl come as before. We concluded he must have a nest
near, and the next day, April 30, we commenced to search for the nest.
In the afternoon one of my guides was so fortunate as to discover the Owl
going into a hole made by a Woodpecker, in a large birch. He looked
in but could see nothing, and had stopped up the entrance with moss, so
that I might see it just as he found it. On going to it and removing the
moss I found the entrance quite large, having been slit by some animal
trying to effect an entrance. Carefully cutting away the bark below the
hole exposed the nest, which was merely a mixture of fine chips and small
feathers of the Grouse. It contained the old Owl and three young ones.

I was disappointed at not securing any eggs, but felt amply repaid in
viewing one page in the life-history of this little Owl, who sometimes
visits me in my more southern home.

The young Owls were wonderfully droll-looking little fellows, and as
they gazed at me with upturned eyes from down in the heart of that canoe
birch, in the middle of that immense forest, stretching away for miles
remote from any human habitation, I thought that single look was
worth hours of gazing at prepared specimens, inclosed in mahogany cases,
in our scientific museums. The formation of a collection does not consti-
tute all there is in the study of ornithology ; and around the memory of
the scene in that old Maine forest are clustered affections which time
cannot destroy.— F. H. Carpenter, Rehoboth , Mass.

Auk, l, Jan, , 1884 , p. w.

121

A Saw-whet Owl’s Nest.

As the nest of this bird ( Nyctale acadica') is
quite rare, I will describe one which I found
this season, thinking it may interest some of
the readers of the O. and O. The 16 th of May
found me in a large tract of woods hunting for
a nest of a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers which
I knew were breeding in the vicinity. Al-
though I was unsuccessful in finding what I
was particularly in search of, I stumbled upon
a nest which pleased me far more.

Out of curiosity I visited a stub from which
a set of Pileated W oodpecker’s eggs were taken
two years ago. The large round hole from
which the eggs had been taken was visible at
some distance, and after passing behind some
trees I was much surprised to see this hole filled
with some grey substance. Upon a nearer ap-
proach I discovered this grey substance to be
the head of a Saw-whet Owl. I rapped on the
stub and shouted to drive her from the nest but
she only sat there and stared, evidently at a
loss to determine what sort of an animal I was.

Finding that I could not frighten the bird
from the nest, I stripped off my coat and pre-
pared to “shin” the tree. This proved to be no
easy task as the tree was two feet in diameter
and the nest was fifteen feet from the ground
and there was not a branch on it. As soon as
I began to ascend the tree the owl flew off and
lit in another tree about fifteen feet distant,
from where she silently watched me. After
considerable hard work I reached the hole and
was delighted to find five eggs at the bottom of
it. The hole was about a foot and a half deep,
and was lined with a few feathers. I could not
tell whether these were owl’s feathers or the
feathers of some of its victims. I could not
reach into the hole with my coat on and could
not carry my collecting box without it, so I
had to bring the eggs down one at a time in my
mouth. The eggs were chalky white in color,
though pretty dirty, and were quite fresh.

They measure about 1837 p> / ^

Taking out my box I packed the four eggs
snugly away, and found that the nest was made
of feathers, the top of chips, and that it con-
tained part of a mouse for future use.

The nest was about six inches from the hole,
and it may possibly have been a Flicker’s old
nest, but I hardly think so.

I succeeded in blowing the eggs fairly, but
incubation was pretty well advanced. They
resemble the eggs of other owls very much,
but are not as spherical as those of most
species. The measurements are as follows:

1.25 x. 99 .

V. Swallow.

wn-headed
life near

156

ORlSTITt

or nests is
e edges of
st found in
hill some

o were on
standing in

General Notes,

Another Record of the Breeding of the Saw-whet Owl (. Nyctale acadica )
in Eastern Massachusetts— As there are still but few records of the
breeding of the Saw-whet Owl in eastern Massachusetts, I take pleasure
in adding one more.

On July 3, 1803, Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., and I were setting a line of
traps in a heavy white pine swamp that lies along Red Brook in the town
of Wareham, Mass. We noticed a large old pine stump which was broken
off at about 25 feet above the ground and full of Woodpeckers’ holes, and
pounded on it. We had pounded but once or twice when a Saw-whet
Owl popped her head out of the uppermost hole and kept it there
motionless, although I fired at her three times with my pistol. The third
shot killed her and she fell back into the hole.

On taking the bird out, I found there was a nest containing seven eggs.
The nest was quite bulky and composed of gray moss (Usuea) interwoven
with small pieces of fibrous bark, a few pine needles, small twigs, and
feathers of the bird herself. The hole in which the nest was found was
18 feet from the ground and about 8 inches deep.

In the nest besides the eggs was a half eaten red-backed mouse (Evo-
tomys gap fieri) .

Three of the eggs were in various stages of incubation, one being on the
point of hatching,— in fact the young bird had already cracked the shell.
Three were addled, and one was perfectly fresh.

On dissecting the old bird we found that she had laid her full set of
eggs. Her stomach contained the other half of the Evo tomys, which she
was apparently eating when we disturbed her.

I believe the only other records for Massachusetts are : —

‘Probable breeding of the Acadian Owl ( Nyctale acadica) in Massa-
chusetts.’ R. Deane, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. If, July, 1877, p. 84.
Ihree specimens in first plumage are recorded,— one, taken June 28, 1876,
at Newton, Mass., one at Hingham, Mass., July 5, 1876, and one July 8,
1876. J

‘Breeding of the Acadian Owl in Eastern Massachusetts.’ N. A. Francis
Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. VI, July, 1881, p. 185. Nest with five young
found June 4, 1880, atBraintree, Mass.

4 Breeding of the Acadian Owl {Nyctale acadica) in Massachusetts.’ Bull.
Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. VI, July, 1881, pp. 143-145. Account by William
Brewster of nest with four eggs taken at Tyngsboro’, Mass., April 5, 1881,
by W. B. Perham. Ibid., Jan., 1882, pp. 23-25. Additional noteson nest-
ing at Tyngsboro’, byW. B. Perham, who found seven nests in all

‘Ornithologist and Oologist,’ Vol. XIV, Oct, 1889, pp. 155-156. Record
of nest with four eggs, well advanced in incubation, taken at Dunstable,
Mass, May 1, 1889, by C. W. Swallow.

^ In connection with this see also account of four nests found at Holland
Patent, N. Y, by Egbert Bagg, in ‘Ornithologist and Oologist,’ Vol. XII,

4, Apiil, 1 SS 7 , p. 57- Outram Bangs, Wareham, Mass.

Auk XI. Jan. 1804 p. 77-78

/g.s of North

Taking out my box I packed the four eggs ^ (rf a negt

snugly away, and found that the nest was made a p(md) by

of feathers, the top of chips, and that it con- , es not 0 th e r-
tained part of a mouse for future use. the Brown-

The nest was about six inches from the hole, hi „ h Qr

and it may possibly have been a Flickei s o < to ^j ye my
nest, hut I hardly think so. j the nes ting

I succeeded in blowing the eggs fairly, but
incubation was pretty well advanced. They
resemble the eggs of other owls very much,
but are not as spherical as those of most
species. The measurements are as follows:

1 . 32 x 1 . 05 , 1 . 33 x 1 . 04 , 1 . 30 x 1 . 03 , 1.25 x. 99 .

C. W. Swallow.

Dunstable, Mass.

0 ,& O. X.I V* round nr ref orm was on the

uplands, and four in stumps standing in or
close to water.

Of six nests with eggs found in 1889 , three
were in stumps standing in water, and three
more in stumps close to water.

The birds also commenced to line their
holes in four other stubs, and to dig holes in two
more in 1889 , of which two stood in water and
four close by ; a nest with young was also found
in a stump in the creek, bottom standing in
water.

Thus of twenty-two nesting sites which
have come under my observation, eighteen
stood in or near water, and four were on the
uplands, thus showing a great preference for
damp localities. Now let other Southern
collectors come forward and say what is the
Nuthatches’ preference in their localities.

C. S. Brimley.

Raleigh, N. C.

No

/22

A Saw-whet Owl’s Nest.

As the nest of this bird ( Nyctale acadica) is
quite rare, I will describe one which I found
this season, thinking it may interest some of
the readers of the O. and O. The 16th of May
found me in a large tract of woods hunting for
a nest of a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers which
I knew were breeding in the vicinity. Al-
though I was unsuccessful in finding what I
was particularly in search of, I stumbled upon
a nest which pleased me far more.

Out of curiosity I visited a stub from which
a set of Pileated Woodpecker’s eggs were taken
two years ago. The large round hole from
which the eggs had been taken was visible at
some distance, and after passing behind some
trees I was much surprised to see this hole filled
with some grey substance. Upon a nearer ap-
proach I discovei
the head of a Sa'
stub and shouted
she only sat the:
loss to determine
Finding that .'
from the nest, I

pared to “shin” i)IjOGTST. 155

easy task as the

and the nest wa^
and there was n(

I began to asceni
lit in another t

from where she On May 1, 1889, I started out determined to
considerable hai take a look for hawks, and also to keep my eyes
was delighted tq open for signs of nests of the Crow, Ruffed
Grouse, Woodpeckers, or other early breeders.

I first struck out for a small swamp, in which
were some large pine and oak trees, and a few
hemlocks. I went up to two nests here, and
found both filled with leaves, evidently the
home of squirrels.

I then started out for higher land, and, after

’ Nesting of the Saw-whet or Acadian
Owl.

it. The hole w
and was lined w
tell whether th-
feathers of son
reach into the h
not carry my i
had to bring the

mouth. The eg tramping for about two hours, and going up
though pretty 1 to a number of nests in pine trees with the

. — rtl- T /I Antilorl f A XT! L'l f O

They measure adWSf <

O & O.Xn.Qct. 1837 P. / 7*

General Notes.

Another Record of the Breeding of the Saw-whet Owl {Nyctale acadica )
m Eastern Massachusetts— As there are still but few records of the
breeding of the Saw-whet Owl in eastern Massachusetts, I take pleasure
in adding one more.

° n J ul y 3 > lS Q 3 , Ml-. Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., and I were setting a line of
traps in a heavy white pine swamp that lies along Red Brook in the town
of Wareham, Mass. We noticed a large old pine stump which was broken
off at about 25 feet above the ground and full of Woodpeckers’ holes, and
pounded on it. We had pounded but once or twice when a Saw-whet
Owl popped her head out of the uppermost hole and kept it there
motionless, although I fired at her three times with my pistol. The third
shot killed her and she fell back into the hole.

^ ^ On taking the bird out, I found there was a nest containing seven eggs.
Ihe nest was quite bulky and composed of gray moss {Usnea ) interwoven
with small pieces of fibrous bark, a few pine needles, small twigs, and
feathers of the bird herself. The hole in which the nest was found was
i8 feet from the ground and about 8 inches deep.

In the nest besides the eggs was a half eaten red-backed mouse {Evo-
tomys gafi fieri) .

Three of the eggs were in various stages of incubation, one being on the
point of hatching,— in fact the young bird had already cracked the shell.
Three were addled, and one was perfectly fresh.

On dissecting the old bird we found that she had laid her full set of
eggs. Her stomach contained the other half of the Evotomys , which she
was apparently eating when we disturbed her.

I believe the only other records for Massachusetts are : —

’Probable breeding of the Acadian Owl {Nyctale acadica) in Massa-
chusetts.’ R. Deane, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. II, July, 1877, P- 84.
Three specimens in first plumage are recorded, — one, taken June 28, 1876,
at Newton, Mass., one at Hingham, Mass., July 5, 1876, and one July 8,
IS76.

‘Breeding of the Acadian Owl in Eastern Massachusetts.’ N. A. Francis
Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. VI, July, 1881, p. 185. Nest with five young
found June 4, 1880, at Braintree, Mass.

‘Breeding of the Acadian Owl (. Nyctale acadica) in Massachusetts.’ Bull.
Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. VI, July, 1881, pp. 143-145. Account by William
Brewster of nest with four eggs taken at Tyngsboro’, Mass., April 5, 1881,
by W. B. Perham. Ibid., Jan., 1882, pp. 23-25. Additional notes on nest-
ing at iyngsboro , by W. B. Perham, who found seven nests in all.

‘Ornithologist and Oologist,’ Vol. XIV, Oct., 1889, pp. 155-156. Record
of nest with four eggs, well advanced in incubation, taken at Dunstable,
Mass., May 1, 1889, by C. W. Swallow.

In connection with this see also account of four nests found at Holland
Patent, N. Y-, by Egbert Bagg, in ‘Ornithologist and Oologist,’ Vol. XII,
No. 4, April, 1887, P- 57.— Outram Bangs, Wareham , Mass.

Auk XI. Jan. 1894 p. 77-78

Taking out my box I packed the four eggs
snugly away, and found that the nest was made
of feathers, the top of chips, and that it con-
tained part of a mouse for future use.

The nest was about six inches from the hole,
and it may possibly have been a Flicker’s old
nest, but I hardly think so.

I succeeded in blowing tlie eggs fairly, but
incubation was pretty well advanced. They
resemble the eggs of other owls very much,
but are not as spherical as those of most
species. The measurements are as follows:
1.32x1.05, 1.33x1.04, 1.30x1.03, 1.25 x.99.

Cl. W. Swallow.

Dunstable, Mass.

The Preference of the Brown-headed

Nuthatch for a Nesting Site near
Water.

Mr. Davie, in his Nests and Eggs of North
American Birds, records the finding of a nest
in a hole in a stump, standing in a pond, by
Mr. Noble of Savannah, Ga., hut does not other-
wise indicate the preference of the Brown-
headed Nuthatch (Sitta pusilla) as to high or
low localities, and this leads me to give my
experience, which is, that when the nesting
time comes, tlie place to look for nests is
along tlie creek banks, around the edges of
ponds and such places. One nest found in
1885 was in a fence post on a hill some
thirty yards above a swamp.

Of three nests found in 1887 two were on
the uplands, and one in a stump standing in
water.

Of five nests found in 1888, one was on the
uplands, and four in stumps standing in or
close to water.

Of six nests with eggs found in 1889, three
were in stumps standing in water, and three
more in stumps close to water.

The birds also commenced to line their
holes in four other stubs, and to dig holes in two
more in 1889, of which two stood in water and
four close by ; a nest witli young was also found
in a stump in the creek, bottom standing in
water.

Thus of twenty-two nesting sites which
have come under my observation, eighteen
stood in or near water, and four were on the
uplands, thus showing a great preference for
damp localities. Now let other Southern
collectors come forward and say what is the
Nuthatches’ preference in their localities.

C. S. Brim leg.

Raleigh, N. C.

/Z2-

Nesting of the Saw Whet Owl.

BY EGBERT BAGG, TJTICA, N. Y.

Regarding the breeding of the Saw Whet
Owl, ( Nyctale acadica ) but little has been re-
corded. 'Up to tile time of Baird, Brewer and
Ridgway's great work, the nest of young birds
found by Audubon near Natchez, and that with
eggs, (of which a single specimen was preserv-
ed in the Smithsonian Institution,) taken by
Mr. R. Christ, at Nazareth, Pa., seem to have
been all the recorded nests. Since then Mr. W.
Perham, of Tyngsboro, Mass., has examined
no less than seven nests, mostly in artificially
arranged hollows put up for the purpose of
attracting the owls, from only one of which he
seems to have secured a set of eggs, that belong-
ing to Mr. Wm. Brewster. From some of the
others he took young birds, one of which while
in the possession of Mr. Brewster, laid a single
egg, not fully developed. Mr. N. A. Francis,
of Brookline, Mass., records a nest with young
birds in an old Heron’s nest, which is probably
a most unusual location ; and finally, Mr. F. H.
Carpenter found a nest of young birds at the
base of Mt. Kathadin, Maine.

To these few records I have the pleasure of
adding four more, and to these five eggs, two
sets of seven each ; and I can hardly doubt that
the particulars of the successful search of the
Spring of 1886 will be interesting to the readers
of The Ornithologist and Oologist.

Dr. Wm. L. Ralph and the writer have for
several years had an alliance offensive and de-
sensive in collecting eggs and birds of out-
neighborhood, and when, during the seasons of
1884 and 1885, the Doctor, who was working at
that time from Holland Patent, about twelve
miles north of Utica, on the R. W. & O. R. R.,
found that these little owls were comparatively
common in that locality, we determined to make
a strong effort to find their nests; and to that
end employed a man by the day to patrol the
woods and swamps from the first of March, for
that particular purpose.

As Dr. Ralph was in the South at the time,
the matter was left in my hands, and I had the
pleasure and honor of collecting the first full,
normal set of eggs of this bird. On the 27th of
March, 1886, I received a postal card from our
man, stating that he had found a Great-Horned
Owl’s nest, ( Bubo virginianus) , and I went to
Holland Patent to collect the eggs. During the
trip the man told me that he had found seven
places where the Saw Whets were spending
their time ; and that on the 12th of March he
had found one of these owls in a hole, and had
no doubt that she would build there; but that
he had visited her on the 25th of March, and
that although the bird was still there, he found
no signs of nesting. On the 6th of April he
wrote me that he had called on her again on the
day before, (April 5th) and that there were six
eggs in the nest. On April 7th I was at Hol-
land Patent, and although it was about as disa-
greeable a trip, as regards weather, as I ever
made, rubber boots kept the mud and water
from my feet, and a rubber coat the rain from
my back. It was a hard tramp through the
mud and rain, loaded with gun, climbing irons,
ropes, etc., but at last we reached our destina-
tion, and found, in high and dry woods of hard
wood timber, with a few hemlocks scattered
among them, and about five rods from the open
field, a dead maple stub, and in it at a height of
twenty-two feet from the ground, a deserted
woodpecker’s hole. (This hole had been de-
serted by its original occupants for at least two
seasons, for in 1885 it contained a nest of flying
squirrels) .

It took several hard blows upon the stub to
produce any effect; but suddenly, like a trans-
formation scene in a play, the hole at which I
was gazing disappeared, and in its place was
the flat face of a little owl, fastened against the
side of the stub. That was exactly the effect
produced, as the hole was perfectly round, two
inches in diameter, and the bird’s face exactly
filled it. There she sat and no amount of

pounding upon the stub produced any further
effect, except to make her roll her eyes. My
companion therefore fastened on the irons and
began to climb the stub, which shook and
swayed with his weight, but still the bird did
not move until his face was almost on a level
with her's ; when several threatening motions
of his hand at last induced her to 11 y out and
alight on the nearest perch, the horizontal limb
of a small hemlock, about a rod from the nest.
There she sat, perfectly immovable during the
three-quarters of an hour that we spent in ex-
amining the nest, and immediately after my
companion descended to the ground, she flew
back into the hole.

I must not forget to mention one curious fact.
When the bird’s face first appeared at the hole,
I exclaimed : “ Why! it is a young bird.” The
dark face and the white eyebrows were very
marked, but immediately upon her alighting
upon the branch, in the full light, this entirely
disappeared, and her face was the ordinary face
of an old bird. Exactly the same effect was
noticed with one of the others mentioned fur-
ther on.

We found the hole to be a foot deep and eight
inches in diameter at the bottom. There was no
nest except the rotten chips left by the wood-
peckers and a few of the owl’s feathers — prob-
ably accidental. There were seven eggs, pure,
dead white, without gloss or polish. They
were nearly the same size at each end, and
about “oval” in shape, according to Plate xvi.,
figure 11 of Ridgway’s Nomenclature of Colors
and Ornithologist’s Compendium. They meas-
ure as follows: 1.18x.95; 1.13x.96; 1.19x.96;
1.18 x .97 ; 1.16x.98; 1.14x.99 and 1.17x1.00.
They were variously advanced in incubation,
though none of them were very much incu-
bated, showing that the bird had been sitting
since she began to lay. The consistency of the
albumen was particularly viscid, and the yolk
small and light colored.

The other nests were so exactly similar to
this one that a short descripion of them is all
that is necessary.

The second nest was also found near Holland
Patent, on April 21st, 1886, in a woodpecker's
hole, in a dead stub, forty feet from the ground,
and contained five young birds and one egg,
which was just on the point of hatching.

The third nest was taken the same day, near
the Trenton Falls of the West Canada Creek, in
a woodpecker's hole in a stub, twenty feet from
the ground. The hole was nine inches deep and
nine inches in diameter at the bottom ; and was
lined either purposely or accidentally with a

few feathers, dry birch leaves, and chips left
by the original architects. It contained seven
eggs, exactly similar to the first set, and meas-
uring as follows ; 1.18x.97; 1.18x.98; 1.24 x
.98; 1.24 x. 98; 1.25 x. 98; 1. 21 x. 99 and 1.23 x
1 . 00 .

The fourth nest was found April 30th, 1886,
about one mile north of Gang Mills, Herkimer
County, in a deserted woodpecker’s hole, in a
stub, fifty feet from the ground, in a heavy
swamp ; and contained seven eggs within a day
of hatching.

From this very successful Spring's work, it
seems that we are either particularly fortunate
in our location for studying the nesting of this
bird, or what is more likely, that the nests have
not been more often found simply because they
have not been systematically and diligently
sought for.

With the data furnished in this article I have
no doubt some of the readers of The Orni-
thologist and Oologist, if willing to do the
hard and disagreeable work of searching the
swamps in March and April, will be able to add
to the records of the Saw Whet.

i lr€

Oneida County, New York,

William L, Ralph. & Elgbert Bagg

Nyctala acadica. — Our fifth nest of this species was taken near Holland
Patent April 30, 1889, from a hollow 65 feet from the ground in the dead
limb of a living tree. The clutch (which was probably not completed)

consisted of four fresh eggs

Auk, VII. July, 1890, V'J.3/- '23

/W

V

JA

^VtA (K*. ^ /ft« .. » 6- IM.

Uf-rrh-cLt 0-*.*^ &+-*. &*iJZZ CC^. t£*-*~*~

buj t*Uv^9 %^JLi_jJL ^

^ A^uvv auC*^tL*

/Qtuf^-— & '• *- f - ■

&uV\j4

PL+, C4LA*st~

/ „ r ^ j/ (ii **J( «m.'«^»/'

.7 r r f **'*•

(4-t/*_fcASK&- * y i>V*+-J‘ - ' *~CJC t^XCZi,

CtU. AjLuC t <*• ^oc*^C

^ TSCCo^

a !L cmL ^UavAjuX ... ^

in a. y.iA* - ajy^X ^-/

^Cvi 4 *JaA. V '/y^Xsu - w c^-v3->j~ 2^*_T c jsisn-*~^-P r

A Rainy Day in the Woods.

Saturday, December 26, 1891, we shoul-
j dered our guns and pocketed our note-books,
and started off for a tramp through the woods
to see what we could collect and note in the
bird line. By we I mean my cousin Drank
and myself.

It was cloudy and rather dark and rainy,
just the day one would expect to see Owls and
such, and therefore we concluded to go first to
a strip of woods called Ober’s, and then
through a large, dark woods and swamp called
the Park. Birds (as usual here) were scarce,
except, of course, the usual amount of Crows
and Chickadees. By the way, if it were not
for the latter the woods in winter would seem
very lonesome to me. They always seem so
sociable, and welcome you to the woods at all
seasons.

We had been walking on the road for
awhile when I happened to glance into the
woods, and ray eye caught sight of a small
! object on a pine tree, which looked some like
a bird but more like a pine knot. I kept my
| eyes on it, however, and thought I saw it
move. We went closer and found, sure
, enough, it was a bird, and one we had been
; looking for, a Saw - whet Ow l. He seemed very
tame, so I thought we might capture him
! without shooting. First I tried walking slowly
around behind him with a long pole I had cut
to hit him with. As fast as I walked he would
turn his head until it got around exactly the
the opposite way from what it should be.
I thought then of the piece I read in the
O. & O. about walking around and around an
owl until he twisted his neck off. But I found
this was not that kind of an Owl, for just then,
almost too quick for me to see him, he turned
liis head way around the other way. Finding

I could not get out of his sight, to approach, I
got my cousin to go around in front of him
and execute a war-dance to attract his atten-
tion, then I walked carefully up behind and
tapped him (the Owl) on the head, and in a
minute more he was in my hands, looking sur-
prised and shocked at such treatment. We
thought of keeping him alive at first, but
finding he was going to be troublesome we
decided it would be better to carry him home
in a cone.

The next birds noted were Golden-crowned
Kinglets, in a flock of six or eight, of which
we captured two. Soon after this we noted a
large flock of Juncos and also a flock of Bed-
polls. We captured one from the former and
none from latter flock. In coming back
through Hie woods we started one Buffed
Grouse which I fired at but failed to get.

In the course of the day we overturned an
old stump and in it there was a large butterfly,
which when released seemed to be as lively as
though it were the middle of summer. Is this
not an unusual occurrence ? I always thought
they died in the fall.*

We spent the rest of the day and evening in
my workshop, mounting our specimens.

Birds have been very scarce here this fall
and winter so far. We saw more on this tiip
than I have seen all the rest of the winter put
together; and what we thought would be
rather a dreary, wet trip turned out to be a
very pleasant one, in spite of cloudiness and
occasional showers. As I write this the Saw-
wliet stands on the mantel, all wound with
string, staring at me as though he knew just
what I was writing about him.

C. E. Brown.

Beverly, Mass.

* Not at all an unusual occurrence. The family
Vanessa often hibernate in stone heaps and exposed
buildings, and the first butterflies of the spring are
these insects, which have been warmed by the approach
of the sun.— E d.

Jaa.O.& O. Vol. 17.1892

A Rainy Day in the Woods.

Saturday, December 26, 1891, we shoul-
dered our guns and pocketed our note-books,
and started off for a tramp through the woods
to see what we could collect and note in the
bird line. By we I mean my cousin Frank
and myself.

It was cloudy and rather dark and rainy,
just the day one would expect to see Owls and
such, and therefore we concluded to go first to
a strip of woods called Ober’s, and then
through a large, dark woods and swamp called
the Park. Birds (as usual here) were scarce,
except, of course, the usual amount of Crows
and Chickadees. By the way, if it were not
for the latter the woods in winter would seem
very lonesome to me. They always seem so
sociable, and welcome you to the woods at all
seasons.

We had been walking on the road for
awhile when I happened to glance into the
woods, and my eye caught sight of a small
object on a pine tree, which looked some like
a bird but more like a pine knot. I kept my
eyes on it, however, and thought I saw it
move. We went closer and found, sure
enough, it was a bird, and one we had been
looking for, a Saw-whet Owl . He seemed very
tame, so I thought we might capture him
without shooting. First I tried walking slowly
around behind him with a long pole I had cut
to hit him with. As fast as I walked he would
| turn his head until it got around exactly the
the opposite way from what it should be.
j I thought then of the piece I read in the
O. & O. about walking around and around an
owl until he twisted his neck off. But I found
s this was not that kind of an Owl, for just then,j
almost too quick for me to see him, he turned
his head way around the other way. Finding!

I could not get out of his sight, to approach, I
got my cousin to go around in front of him
and execute a war-dance to attract his atten-
tion, then I walked carefully up behind and
tapped him (the Owl) on the head, and in a
minute more he was in my hands, looking sur-
prised and shocked at such treatment. We
thought of keeping him alive at first, but
finding he was going to be troublesome we
decided it would be better to carry him home
in a cone.

The next birds noted were Golden-crowned
Kinglets, in a flock of six or eight, of which
we captured two. Soon after this we noted a
large flock of Juncos and also a flock of Bed-
polls, We captured one from the former and
none from latter flock. In coming back
through ihe woods we started one Buffed
Grouse which I fired at but failed to get.

In the course of the day we overturned an
old stump and in it there was a large butterfly,
which when released seemed to be as lively as
though it were the middle of summer. Is this
not an unusual occurrence ? I always thought
they died in the fall.*

We spent the rest of the day and evening in
my workshop, mounting our specimens.

Birds have been very scarce here this fall
and winter so far. We saw more on this tiip
than I have seen all the rest of the winter put
together; and what we thought would be
rather a dreary, wet trip turned out to be a
very pleasant one, in spite of cloudiness and
occasional showers. As I write this the Saw-
whet stands on the mantel, all wound with
string, staring at me as though he knew just
what I was writing about him.

C. E. Brown.

Beverly, Mass.

# Not at all an unusual occurrence. The family
Vanessa often hibernate in stone heaps and exposed
buildings, and the first butterflies of the spring are
these insects, which have been warmed by the approach
of the sun.— E d.

Jaa.O.& O. Vol.17.1892 p;

7

0. 0. Ormsbee, MoatpeEeT, Tt.

Something about Owls,

In the last of the

Winter quite a number of Saw. - whet Qwls_ were
found dead, in most cases within or near some
barn or oilier building, where they evidently
killed themselves by flying against the walls, as in
one instance the Owl was seen in the act of strik-
ing. In other cases the Owls were found in some
open field, or where there was but few trees. All

Of the Saw- Whet Owl, also rare below the
the fortieth parallel, twenty-two stomachs
were examined. Seventeen contained Mice,
one a Sparrow, one insects, and three were
empty.

0.& O. Yol. 18, Oct, 1893 p.188

the birds I examined fairly swarmed with para-
sites. Is it not possible that these parasites, com-
bined with the scarcity of food during the past
severe Winter, so enfeebled the birds that a very
slight blow while flying about would kill them or
that in some cases they literally starved to death ?
A few Richardson’s Owls were taken .— Louis M.
Todd.

O.SsO. X. June. 1885. p. ?«T.

puring the last three years we have had reported a
noticeable number of instances where the Acadian Ow l
has been found dead during the winter. Why is it?

O &0. XIV. Feb. 1889 p.29

Capture of an Acadian Owl under
Peculiar Circumstances.

On the evening of January 21st, as I was
passing through Main St., I was startled by
something passing with the swiftness of a snow-
ball, hut with the silence of a moth, close to
my ear, and I turned in time to see the un-
known object strike the glass door of the
store I was then passing, and fall to the
ground. Perceiving that it was a bird of
some kind, I captured it under my hat, and it
proved to be a specimen of the Acadian Owl
(Nyctale acadica), which I kept captive. The
little fellow was very fearless and would strike
viciously at my hand whenever I put it into

his quarters, but, as he refused to eat, he died
within two days of the time of his capture.

This owl is apparently more destitute of sight '

during the day than others of his relatives

which I have had in confinement and was very

wild, spending most of the night in beating

himself against the wires of his cage. I think

it probable that, while passing over the city,

he was attracted and dazzled by the bright

lights, which caused his untimely capture.

Harry G. White.

Taunton, Mass. 0,&0. XIV. May, 1889 p.77

Brewster on the Acadian Owl.

2 3

the swamp, in immense numbers. A thorough exploration of the swamp
would no doubt have added largely to the list of Water Birds, but I could not
afford the time and labor necessary to accomplish even a partial explora-
tion after the birds had begun breeding.

NOTES ON THE HABITS AND CHANGES OF PLUM-
AGE OF THE ACADIAN OWL (. NTCTALE A CA-
DICA), WITH SOME ADDITIONAL RECORDS OF
ITS BREEDING IN MASSACHUSETTS.

BY WILLIAM BREWSTER.

In the Bulletin for July, 1881, I gave an account of the breed-
ing of the Acadian Owl at Tyngsboro’, Massachusetts, with a de-
scription of a set of eggs taken there by Mr. Perham on April 5.
Early in June of the same season Mr. Perham sent me a brood of
four young Saw-whets which he had taken from the nest about
the 15th of the preceding month. They were all in the plumage
of N. “ albifrons and showed little individual variation, save
in respect to size, the two females being slightly larger than their
brothers. In their fresh, silky feathering they were beautiful
little creatures, the warm sepia-brown of the upper parts harmon-
izing well with the rich fulvous beneath, and their white foreheads
showing in strong contrast with both. Nor were their manners
less engaging than their plumage, for, unlike most Owls, they
were perfectly gentle from the first, never attempting to bite o r
scratch those who handled them. With each other they were really
affectionate, often going through a caressing performance with
their bills, and showing a mutual forbearance at meal-times which
was very pleasing. They eat all kinds of meat with avidity, but
seemed especially fond of mice. The latter were invariably
skinned and the flesh torn in shreds and devoured, the skins being
swallowed afterwards as dessert. I often saw them eject those
peculiar pellets of bones, fur, and other indigestable fragments
which all Owls and many Hawks are in the habit of depositing