120 



full force during March ; has its first brood on wiug by the middle of 

 June ; departs before December, excepting those which spend the 

 winter north. 



Dimensions. — Average measurements of fifteen specimens: length, 

 12-60; stretch, 20-75; wing, 6-25; tail, 4-63; culmen, 1-42; gape, 

 1-57; tarsus, 1-14; middle toe, -87; middle toe and its claw, 1-27. 



Family, STRIGIDJE. 



126. Bubo virginianus (Gmelin). Grkat Horned Owl; "Hoot 

 Owl." a permanent resident; breeds. Have heard its notes at mid- 

 day, in cloudy weather. 



Dimensions. — Average measurements of two male specimens : length, 

 21-44; stretch, 53-88; wing, 1448; tail, 8G3; culmen, measured from 

 frontal feathers, 1-55; from cere, 1-10; tarsus (about), 2-30; middle 

 toe, 2-00; its claw, 1-12. 



127. Scops asio {Linne). Screech Owl; Mottled Owl. A 

 perfnanent resident ; abundant; breeds. 



On May 30, 1875, I found a Screech Owl's nest in the hollow bole 

 of a buttonwood-tree, about fifteen feet from the ground. On 

 thrusting my hand into the cavity, it was instantly seized by the old 

 bird, which I drew out of the hole and flung away from me with the 

 utmost dispatch, without reflecting that I was allowing an interesting 

 specimen to escape ; but I removed one of the younglings, and after- 

 ward captured both of the parents, which were in the gray plumage, 

 as were their three young. Two of the young w^ere kept all summer 

 as pets, and were allow^ed perfect freedom ; towards autumn they left 

 the place, but one of them was found in the woods and brought back, 

 but soon left us again ; they were never heard of afterwards. The 

 parent birds were shot at night. On my first nocturnal visit, both 

 birds flew close about my ears, and uttered a curious, deep, guttural 

 sound, like one of the notes of the Black-billed Cuckoo {Cocayzus 

 erythrophthalmus) ; sometimes they darted with great swiftness close 

 to my head, and snapped their bills sharply as they passed. I killed 

 the female, and shot the male on the following night, when I was as- 

 sailed in the same manner as on the previous evening. 



On the following season, a pair of Golden-winged Woodpeckers 

 {Colaptes auratus) took possession of the owl- tree, and held it until 

 the spring of 1879, when I was again attacked by a pair of Screech 

 Owls, when walking past the tree one dark night. On examination, a 

 single young bird, and an addled egg^ were found in the tree ; the 

 latter was, of course, appropriated on the spot. The old birds 

 snapped their bills as usual, but also uttered an indescribable cry 

 which was new tome. A few days later, I visited the nest in the day- 



