32 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



iugtou Territory, where it is presumed to be a resident. It is also said to be 

 a resident in Canada, and to be found in the vicinity of Montreal. Mr. 

 Lawrence does not include this bird in his list of the birds of New York, 

 but Mr. TurnljuU states that several have been taken as far south as New 

 Jersey. Throughout New England it is occasional in tlie winter, but com- 

 paratively rare. Mr. Allen did not hear of any liaving been taken near 

 Springfield. On the coast of Massachusetts they are of infrequent occur- 

 rence, and are held at high prices. A fine specimen was shot in Lynn in 

 the M'inter of 1872, and is now in tlie collection of my nephew, \V. S. 

 Brewer. On the Pacific coast it is resident as far south as the mouth of 

 the Columbia, and is found in winter in Northern California. 



Dr. Eichardson met with tliis Owl in the fur regions, where it seemed 

 to be by no means rare. He mentions it as an inhabitant of all the wooded 

 districts which lie between Lake Superior and latitude 67° and 68°, and be- 

 tween Hudson's Bay and the Pacific. It was common on the borders of 

 Great Bear Lake, in which region, as well as in a higher parallel of latitude, 

 it pursues its prey during the summer months by daylight. It was observed 

 to keep constantly within the woods, and was not seen to frequent the barren 

 grounds, in the manner of tlie Snowy Owl, nt)r was it so often met with in 

 broad daylight as the Hawk Owl, apparently preferring to hunt when tlie 

 sun was low and the recesses of the woods deepl)' shadowed, when the hares 

 and other smaller quadrupeds, ujwu wliich it chiefly feed.s, were most 

 abundant. 



On the 23d of May, Dr. Piicliardson discovered a nest of this Owl, built 

 on the top of a lofty balsam-poplar, composed of sticks, with a lining of 

 feathere. It contained three young birds, covered with a whitish down, 

 to secure which it was necessary to cut down the tree. "While this was 

 going on, the parent birds flew in circles around the tree, keeping out of 

 gun-shot, and apparently undisturbed by tlie light. Tlie young birds 

 were kept alive for several weeks, but finaUy escaped. They liad the 

 habit, wlieii any one entered the room in which they were kept, of throw- 

 ing themselves back and making a loud sniqiping noise with their bills. 



In February, 1831, as Audubon was informed, a fine specimen of one 

 of these Owls was taken alive in ^larblehead, ^lass., having been seen 

 perched upon a woodpile early in the mornintr. It was obtained by ^Ir. 

 Ives, of Salem, by whom it was kept several months. It was fed on fish 

 and small birds, and ate its food readily. It ^^•ould at times utter a tremu- 

 lous cry, not unlike that of the common Screecb-Owl (Scops asio), and 

 manifested the greatest antipathy to cats and dogs. 



Dr. Cooper found this bird near the mouth of the Columbia River, in 

 a brackish meadow partially covered with small spruce-trees, where they 

 sat concealed during the day, or made short flights from one to another. 

 Dr. Cooper procured a specimen there in June, and has no doubt that the 

 bird is resident and breeds in that neighborhood. He regards it as some- 



