22 Relationship of Sparrows. [ ZOE 
them into their eyes; being very sharp they easily enter the flesh ot 
the hands and, retrorsely barbed, they remain there several days 
and are very disagreeable. The long fruit appears like a small 
joint. In September, with its numerous dark green leaves, it is 
not easily distinguished from the bushes amongst which it grows 
and resembles Peirescia, from which genus it is however separated 
by its barbed setze, its fruit and seeds. 
STRANGE NESTING PLACE OF THE BARN OWL. 
BY W. OTTO EMERSON. 
A neighbor informed me that a pair of barn owls (Strix pratin- 
cola) had taken up their abode on the tin roof around the cupola of 
their house, and upon visiting the place I found twenty-odd eggs 
which had not hatched, owing perhaps to the intense heat of the tin 
roof during the day or from the inability of the owl to cover so 
many. There was nothing used for nesting material or to prevent 
the eggs rolling about the smooth surface. After removing these 
€ggs two more were laid, which in due time hatched. The two 
young were placed in a cage upon the lawn under a tree, and were 
kept well fed by the parent birds, as many as eight or ten gophers 
being found some mornings scattered over the lawn, and how many 
had been fed to the young during the night there was no means ot 
knowing. The cage, one day, was moved to another place, and 
when the owls discovered the absence they made a great fuss by 
loud calls, screeching and by snapping their beaks. A lady went 
out of the house to try and stop the noise and was followed by the 
owls until the cage had been placed under the first tree, then they. = 
quietly departed. On September 13, when the young were about © 
two months old, they appeared to be in perfect plumage, 
THE RELATIONSHIP F BELL’S SPARROW AND 
Ae SAGE SPARROW. 
BY F. O. JOHNSON, 
The winter habitat of the Sage spatrow (Amphispiza belli neva- 
densis ) extending into the southern counties of California, affords. 
an excellent Opportunity for studying the relationship of these two __ 
forms. Perce 
In the winter of 1888-89, in the vicinity of Riverside, Cal., I _ 
gave these birds some attention. Viasawe . 
