No. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. 89 



Eggs. 4 or 5 ; the last of April. 



Nesting dates. Earliest record. April 9, 1910, three eggs 

 (C. G. H.). Latest record. May 9, 1892, two eggs (Beers). 



This species frequents even our largest cities, as one was seen 

 by L. B. B. on New Haven Green on the evening of Feb. 22, 

 1885, and another on April 3, 1893. 



Bubo virginianus virginianus (Gmelin) . Great Horned Owl. 



A tolerably common resident, especially of the wilder por- 

 tions of the state. 



Nest. This owl usually occupies the old nest of a hawk, 

 crow, or squirrel, though occasionally building for itself. Height : 

 45-75 feet from the ground. Location: most frequently in a 

 hemlock or pine, or perhaps a chestnut or cedar. 



Eggs. 2-3 ; last of February or early in March. 



Nesting dates. Earliest record. Feb. 19, 1877, two eggs 

 (J. H. S.) ; March 9, 1904, three young (L. B. B.). Latest 

 record. April 25, 1902, two eggs (Hill). 



L. B. B. and H. K. J. have both noted an unusual habit of 

 the parent birds in apparently destroying the nest when the 

 young become old enough to balance themselves in the fork of 

 the tree, thus removing the conspicuous nest and leaving the 

 bird well protected by the harmony of its colors with the bark 

 of the tree. 



Nyctea nyctea (Linnaeus). Snowy Owl. 



At present a rather rare and irregular winter resident, prob- 

 ably absent most winters, but occasionally occurring in consider- 

 able numbers, especially along the coast. Most frequently re- 

 corded in November and December. 



Earliest record. Stamford, Sept. 18 (Schaler), Oct., 1874 

 (Hoyt). Latest record. Branford, April 15, 1902 (G. V. Smith). 



Recent records. Although this species was noted pretty regu- 

 larly up to 1890 or thereabout, records in later years have been 

 growing increasingly scarce. During the winter of 190 1-2 large 

 numbers of Snowy Owls appeared on the New England coast 

 and not a few of them reached Connecticut; captures were re- 

 ported during this period from Stonington, Mystic, Noank, New 

 London, and Niantic by Hill, from Saybrook by J. N. C., from 

 Clinton by J. Peck, from Milford by L. C. S., and from Branford 



