46 The Ottawa Naturalist. [May 



REPORT OF THE ORNITHOLOGICAL BRANCH, 1907-08. 



The Ornithological Branch of the Ottawa Field Naturalists' 

 Club met during the year 1907 at more or less irregular intervals. 

 It has carried forward the work of rendering complete and up-to- 

 date the local list of birds. Field work was carried on, especially 

 so during the spring and migration months of last year. The 

 spring migration of birds of 1907 was found here, as over practic- 

 allv the whole eastern half of North America, to have been very 

 abnormal owing to the protracted cold weather of that spring. 

 These variations in temperature, etc., render the migration of 

 birds doubly interesting to the observer, as there are no two 

 migrations quite alike. An account of the last spring migration 

 was published in the ''Ottawa Naturalist'' in the May and 

 August numbers. Other facts concerning the birds hereabouts 

 have V)een published from time to time. An interesting specimen 

 has latelv come into the hands of one of our members, namely, 

 a Great Horned Owl {Bubo virginianus) from Inlet, Labelle Co., 

 Que. In plumage it is a much lighter one than those found here 

 usually are, and it furthermore bore very palpable evidences 

 of having, shortly before it was shot, engaged in a fight with a 

 porcupine. It was liberallv sprinkled over vvith quills, especially 

 in the sole of the right foot, the quills having penetrated even 

 that horny and hard skin, also under the right wing, on the 

 breast, neck and even two in the left eye-lid. Some of the quills 

 had penetrated the thick solid muscles of the breast, lying against 

 the sternum. Fifty-six quills and parts of quills were extracted 

 from the skin and flesh and about 10 more were left in. How 

 did this owl come to tackle such an undesirable antagonist or 

 pre}^? The probability is that the owl was foraging for food, and 

 being very hungry — which is a common occurrence for them in 

 winter — she swooped down on the first moving object that even 

 remotely appeared like legitimate prey and in her eagerness, and 

 possibly by reason of the darkness of the woods, did not find out 

 her mistake until she had reached forv/ard with one claw and 

 gotten that full of spines and simultaneotisly receiving a slap 

 from the tail of the porcupine that lodged the rest of the little 

 barbed spears in her anatomy. Most of the hawks and owls 

 which we receive here in winter have empty stomachs, showing 

 that hunger must be a verv frequent, if disagreeable experience 

 with them. It also seems that at such times the gall discharges 

 very copiously into the stomach, as the stomachs in such cases 

 are always very green, as are also the intestines. Probably a 

 way nature adopts to relieve the pain of hunger somewhat. 



Now, a few recommendations. We would tirge such as take 



