^6 



THE OSPREY. 



propensities. The charges ag-ainst him are true, 

 thoug-h I have never had a chance to verify them. 

 Butas in the case of other birds, much i;ot>d may 

 be said uf him. In three stomachs examined I 

 found notliini; but spiders and insects, in- 

 cluding- beetles (Cirrcj/'/t/iT and Ciiirii/ioii- 

 idcr) and grasshoppers. The farmers in 

 this vicinity say that he is an industrious 

 niouser, and among them he is known 

 as the "mouse-bird." I once found a 

 haif-eaten held mouse fixed in the crotch 

 of a willow Ix-aach which was undoubt- 

 ably put there by a Shrike, as I had 

 frightened one from the same clump of 

 bushes immediately before. Returning 

 the next day I found that the mouse 

 was gone. On account of his numerous 

 visits to the city I suspect that he is in 

 the habit of catching English Spar- 

 rows. If so, may he prosper in his good 

 work ! 



This Shrike is shrewd in his man- 

 ner of escape. Many a time have I 

 seen one alight in a bush or tree, 

 but on going to it invariably found 

 no Shrike. He probably went through 

 the bash and flew away close to the 

 ground. He is also fond of flying 

 along a ditch at right angles to his 

 former direction, and is generally 

 successful in gettina- away. He 

 has the low flight peculiar to shrikes 

 and while perching keeps moving his tail 

 up and down. Like the Sparrow-hawk, the Butch- 

 er-bird may often be seen hovering in the air not 

 far from the g^round, apparently looking for 

 some luckless mouse or insect. The Shrike's 

 notes are varied and some are not unmusical, 

 though the song is generally low and discon- 

 nected. Sometimes, however he does very well, 

 for a Shrike, and I have often been deceived, 

 thinking there nnist be some new songster at 

 hand. 



There is one individual of this species with 

 which I feel somewhat acquainted, as he has a 

 permanent winter residence which I visit oc- 

 casionally, not far from my home. He lives in 

 a patch "of willows gi'owing along a small 

 stream, bounded on one side by the prairie, on 

 the other by a corn field. Here he finds shelter 

 and water, together with plenty of mice, birds 

 and insects, to supply all his wants during the 

 winter. Strange to say, this bird does n<it re- 

 sort much to thorn hedges, so I have had no 

 opportunity to observe that most interesting 

 habit of impaling prey on thorns for future use. 

 With his daring, active disposition, the Shrike 

 is an agreeable contrast to the prosy Blue Jays 

 and Crows of our every day winter experience. 

 ^E. BLACKWEI.DER, Morgan Park, III. 



Ne.st of Thk Bia'E-fkontkd J.w. — This nest 

 was taken by myself on May 12, 1898 and is now 

 in my collection. It was built in bay sapling 

 about 18 feet from the ground, in a redwood 

 forest. The photograph was taken from an 

 adjacent fir sapling, by roping the two trees 

 together for steadiness, hanging on with teeth 

 and eyebrows, and trying several difl'erent ex- 

 posures. In spite of such difficulties, two of 

 the plates turned out fairly good and almost 

 identical. — Jo.SEi'H M.^iLLiAKD, San Ccronimo, 

 Cal., Sept. 4, 1898. 



Great Horned Owl's Nest and Ecos. — 

 There was a slight hint of summer in the south 

 wind this morning, and my spirit w;is restless; 

 so I wandered awaj' from the abodes of man, 



GREAT HOBNED OWLS NEST. 



stalking about in the woods, wading through 

 snow knee-deep part of the time, until I came to 

 the brink of a high bluff on the bank of Root 

 river, whose waters were still covered with ice 

 IS inches thick. I leaned against a tree and 

 watched some Crows circling over shrubbery 

 in the distance, making a clamorous noise in 

 keeping with cheerless surroundings. While I 

 pondered, a Great Horned Owl, floated noise- 

 lessly on her downy wings from the cliff on 

 which I was standing. How majestii'ally she 

 sailed in silence until concealed in tall timber on 

 the oi)posite bank of the river, whence soon 

 came the dismal cry, lioo-hoo-hoo! I wondered 

 not at her reputation as a bird of mysterious 

 omen. Then the thought of a possible nest on 

 the ledge below struck me so forcibly that a few 

 moments later found me on the river, trying to 

 climb the perpendicular bank, with my hand 

 camera fastened to my waist. The ascent ivas 

 slow, but when about 25 feet above the river I 

 was rewarded by finding the nest in a crevice 

 of the rock. It contained two white spherical 

 eggs, about the size of hens" eggs. They were 

 deposited on the bare rock, save a few feathers 

 from Mother Bubo, and nearly fresh. I took a 

 view of the nest, secured the eggs, and then 

 carefullv descended, feeling well repaid for the 

 difiicult'scramble.— A. L. StEYSTER, Preston, 

 JMinn.. March 6, 1898. 



Boh White in Nokthekn Iowa. — In early 

 days the (Juail was very abundant in this part 

 oflowa. ~It was not uncommon, in passing 

 through woods bordering streams, to see per- 

 haps a dozen or more coveys during the day, 

 numbering from ten to sixteen or even eigh- 

 teen birds. During extremely cold winters, 

 they become very bold, and of tea took up 



