1916] The Ottawa Naturalist. 39 



There is still much to be learned about insect galls and 

 their makers. Many new galls await description, and exact 

 knowledge respecting the habits of gall makers is far from com- 

 plete. Certain localities offer exceptional facilities for solving 

 the unknown, and we would suggest to nature lovers that the 

 local occurrence of numerous galls should be considered an 

 invitation to enter a charming and delightful field of study. 



THE BARX OWL XESTIXG IX SOUTHWESTERN 



OXTARIO. 



By W. E. Saunders, London, Ont. 



The Barn Owl (Aluco pratincola) has been known in Ontario 

 only as a casual visitor, and I may, therefore, be excused in 

 stating that I regarded with incredulity a letter from Mr. W. 

 C. Armstrong, of Chatham, written on June 29, which told me 

 that there was a nest of the Barn Owl containing six birds near 

 there. However, when I telephoned him he was very positive, 

 and as a result I took the next train to Chatham, and in the 

 afternoon drove out to Charing Cross, where the young birds 

 were in the barn of Mr. H. C. Hunter. To my surprise there 

 were really six young Barn Owls, almost full grown and appar- 

 ently full fledged. They were in a little pigeon house under 

 the ridge of the barn, and as may be supposed, the floor, about 

 seven by five feet, was well covered with pellets. The pellets 

 from these young birds were of a peculiar flattened oval shape, 

 and were remarkably uniform in character. They contained 

 a remarkably small proportion of bone, possibly indicating 

 extraordinary digestive activity. All the identified bones were 

 those of the common field mouse, and the fur appeared to 

 belong entirely to the same species. 



Immediately on our appearance on the ladder they began 

 to hiss in a manner that was to me entirely novel and surprising. 

 All six birds made the noise together, and it resembled that 

 made by escaping steam. I supposed they stopped to take 

 breath sometimes, but as they immediately began hissing again 

 I failed to detect them in the act. They were crowded together 

 in a corner of the little room, and when after a while they stopped 

 hissing, it reminded one of the habits of the frogs which call so 

 frequently and continually, and then on the advent of an in- 

 truder cease calling altogether. That is exactly what the owls 



