EASTERN SCREECH OWL 245 



contained five young, partially clothed in the downy juvenal plumage, 

 that were being brooded by a red adult; when I released her, she flew 

 swiftly and easily to another apple tree and dove into a cavity. We 

 explored this orchard thoroughly on April 19, 1934, but could find no 

 trace of the owls; but in another old orchard, about 200 yards away, 

 we were more fortunate. An upright branch, or fork of the main 

 trunk, of an old apple tree had an open cavity, facing upward; looking 

 downward into this we could see the gray owl clinging to the rough 

 side of the cavity and sound asleep; about 30 inches below the open 

 cavity was a knothole, barely large enough to admit my hand; this 

 was only about G inches above the nest of leaves and rubbish, on which 

 we could dimly see the red owl, sitting on her eggs, blinking and 

 snapping her bill. I succeeded in relieving her of six, nearly fresh, 

 eggs; she made no resistance, as I reached under her, but finally 

 climbed up and clung to the side of the cavity below her mate (pi. 61). 



All the above nests were in Bristol County, Mass. In most cases 

 the eggs were laid on the rotten chips and other rubbish that the owls 

 happened to find in the cavities; I believe that they never carry in 

 any nesting material and that where such material is found it merely 

 indicates that some other bird or mammal had brought it there 

 previously. But the nests often contain a few feathers of the owls, 

 or the feathers, fur, or other remains of their victims. Though I do 

 not claim that it has any great significance, it is an interesting fact 

 that it has always been the red bird, in a mixed pair, that I have 

 found sitting on the eggs, or brooding the young. 



The above nestings were apparently typical of the nesting habits 

 of the screech owl in other sections. A. D. DuBois writes to me of a 

 nest he found, about 50 feet from the groimd in a large sycamore; the 

 owl sat with its head out of the hole, watching him, until he climbed 

 to within ten feet of the hole; this habit has been noted by others. 

 Major Bendire (1892) says: "Mr. Oliver Davie mentions his having 

 found several nests between the broken siding of ice houses along 

 streams. Mr. C. S. Brimley found a set of three eggs of this species 

 placed in a cavity of a stump, the bottom of which was below the 

 level of the ground outside." 



Screech owls have been known to nest in bird boxes, set up for that 

 purpose on trees or buildings, and they would probably do so oftener 

 if given more encouragement; a little sawdust or excelsior in the bot- 

 tom of the box is quite to their liking. They have also nested in 

 dove cots and in purple-martin houses, and not always to the injury 

 of the rightful occupants, as the following experience, related by Ralph 

 R. Wilson (1925) will show: 



During the winter of 1923-24 two Screech Owls took up their quarters in one 

 of the roomy compartments of the largest nest-box. I was away that winter and 

 the following spring, but when school closed (May 2G) I returned and found ten 



