No. 20.] THE BIRDS OF CONNECTICUT. 85 



Portland, Aug. ii, 1897. Latest record. New Haven, Oct. 18, 

 1888; Portland, Oct. 18, 1893; Danbury, Nov. 13, 1892.1 



Eggs. 2 to 4; early in May. 



Nesting dates. Earliest record. April 22, 1897, three eggs 

 (Hill). Latest record. July 4, 1870 (F. S. Smith). = 



They do not breed in the vicinity of Portland (W. W. C. 

 and J. H. S.), nor along the Connecticut River, except near its 

 mouth, where J. H. H. reports a colony of twenty-two pairs at 

 Niantic. C. L. R. reports them breeding commonly along the 

 shores of the Sound in New London County, and in several 

 swamps a dozen miles in the interior up the Thames River valley.^ 

 Mr. Williams has known a pair to nest in Litchfield Count>\* 

 L. B. B. saw a specimen in Warren, Litchfield County, June 7, 

 1900, and E. S. W. saw one in Litchfield, July i, 1893, and July 

 4, 1905. These last are our only inland records during breed- 

 ing season. 



Suborder STRIGES. Owls. 

 Family ALUCONID.F:. Barn Owls. 



Aluco pratincola (Bonaparte). Barn Owl. 



A very rare accidental visitor from the south. 



Connecticut records. Merriam^ notes the following: Linsley 

 took it at Stratford; about 1841, Hartford (Ayres) ; Oct. 28, 1868, 

 Sachem's Head (in coll. of Wood) ; " some years ago " (before 

 1877), Madison (in coll. of Capt. Brooks). 



Later records. About 1875, Stamford, one taken (Schaler) ; 

 June 15, 1891, Leesville, one shot by W. Chase (in coll. of J. 

 H. S.) ; Aug. 28, 1891, Litchfield, one shot (in coll. of L. B. W.) f 

 1892, Winsted, nest with six young in an old factory found by 

 H. Kinney (H. K. J.) f 1893, same locality, same nest, set of 

 seven eggs taken by Williams (H. K. J.) ; June 25, 1896, Port- 

 land, a young male taken (in coll. of J. H. S.) ; Sept. 11, 1903, 

 Stratford, male (in coll. of L. C. S.) ; Sept. 14, 1906, Portland, 



' O. and O., xvii, ii, p. 172. 



' Merriam, Birds of Conn., p. 88. 



*0. and O., x, 6, p. 89. 



♦Job, The Sport of Bird Study, p. 297. 



'Merriam, Birds of Conn., pp. 66-7. 



• A*k, ix, 2, p. 202. 



'Job, The Sport of Bird Study, p. 298. 



