THE OSPEEY. 



67 



climbers and rifle. The tree was much big-ger 

 than it looked, without bark or limbs, and as 

 smooth as a bald man's head. The first rap on 

 the trunk disturbed the bird, which circled about 

 screaininff ang-rilv and presently settled on a 

 tree nearby. I needed another Eaf,''le, and soon 

 had her plugged with cotton; then with climbers 

 and strap I slowly worked my way up to the 

 ne.st. It contained a set of two eggs. 



The lower end of Dall Island was reached 

 about six o'clock; we were then 20 miles from 

 home, on the shore of the open sea. Here on 

 the very point was a nest I had previously 

 noted. "Signs were good" here also, as the 



bird's white head could be seen, turned toward 

 me as I came up. Landing some distance down 

 the beach I started to get supper, but the desire 

 to climb to the nest was too strong; so I dropped 

 the fire-wood, and taking my rifie and climbers 

 started for the point. The Eag-le left the nest 

 before I reached the tree, and in circling' about 

 witVi easy turns just above the trees, presented 

 a tempting mark. Somewhat to my surprise I 

 shot it through the body as it passed an open- 

 ing in the branches. After the dog's excitement 

 had cooled down his attention was drawn to 

 something' in the surf, and not a hundred yards 

 off" was a Pacific Loon, flapping' its wings. 

 Throwing- another shell into the chamber I took 

 a chance shot as the bird rode the top of a swell. 

 This was another good one, for Bob brought the 

 Loon to me, shot through tlie neck. If anythinfj 

 will make a man's blood tingle, it is success of 

 any kind, and as I started up for the Eagle's 

 nest, I keenly felt every pulse-beat. The ascent 

 was easy, but I could only gain the top of the 

 nest by tearing away some of the side; for it 

 was an immense affair — probably the accumu- 

 lation of years — five feet high and about four 

 feet across the top. After safely packing in a 

 box the two eggs it contained, I drew myself up 

 into the nest itself, and from this novel perch 

 thoroughly enjoyed the view spread out before 

 me. To tiie north lay hundreds of little g^reen 

 islands in long chains; to the east. Prince of 

 Wales' Island appeared in dim outline across 

 iiixon's Entrance, while on the entire south and 

 west rolled by the great Pacific, where the 

 red sun was sinking' beneath the waves. Who 

 would not be an Eagle on such an island — 

 monarch of all he surveyed? A good hot supper 

 "f coffee, flaps, venison and potatoes disposed 

 'f, several pipes smoked, a romp taken with 

 I lob on the sand, I rolled in iny blankets on a 

 lied of moss; but as sleep seemed out of the 

 ■ luestion, I fell to meditating on the scenes of 

 the day. On every island or point that con- 

 tained an Eagle's nest I had also found small 

 I'olonies of Northwest Fish Crows breeding ; in 

 several instances nests of both species were in 

 the same tree. The birds were apparently on 

 friendly terms, sitting side by side on the same 

 branch and feeding oft' the same salmon; but 

 let a Raven or Gull attempt such familiarity, 

 and there would be trouble at once. It also 

 occured to me that none of the many black, iui- 

 mature Eagles seemed to be breeding', and I am 

 inclined to believe that they do not assume the 

 responsibilities of raising a family until they 

 have their mature plumagpe. 



CAPTURE AND CAPTIVITY OF GREAT HORNED OWLS. 

 By M. a. C.\kkiker, Jr. 



THE banks of the Missouri, in the southeast- 

 ern part of Nebraska, are broken up into 

 bluffs and hills, which rise from SO to 300 

 feet above the rapid flowing' river. They were 

 formerly and are in some parts still covered 

 with heavy timber, which gave refuge and 

 abundant food to many large Hawks and Owls, 

 such as the Barred, Great Horned, and Long- 

 eared Owls, and Red-tailed and Cooper's Hawks. 

 These still remain, though they are becoming' 

 fewer every year. 



April 2, 1898, while hunting for nests of the 

 Red-tailed Hawk in a, sparsely settled district, I 

 discovered a bulky nest about 40 feet from the 

 ground in a largfs linden tree, growing in a 

 deep ravine. It looked weather-beaten froiu 

 beneath, but on climbing up the ravine I saw 

 the head of an Owl resting on the edge of the 

 nest. I climbed the tree, and when about 20 

 feet up, on the straight, branchless trunk, I 

 was startled by the sound of swiftly flapping 

 vv'ings behind me. Before I could turn my 



