296 



THE OOLOGIST. 



teen weeks, we may assert that the first 

 egg was laid bj^ Decem))er first. In late 

 July of the same year I saw an equal 

 sized pair of young Eagles Avhich were 

 but just removed from the nest on the 

 Cheneaux Islands. Maeinac Straits in 

 the Great Lakes. These instances show 

 ditTerence of three to four months in the 

 time of nesting between Northern Mich- 

 igan and Middle Florida. 



Amekican Baun Owl. Slrix j'^f'^tin- 

 coln Bonaparte. This is a rare Michi- 

 gan species and I cannot add any notes 

 concerning it as I have never met with 

 the bird. I am ijerfectly satisfied hat 

 a numlier of notes which have been 

 given me by inaccurate observers, re- 

 ferred to some other species, more jjro- 

 bably the Barred Owl. 



A. H. Boies records it from Southern 

 Michigan and says it is a resitleut. Cov- 

 ert mentions this Owl as "an acciden al 

 visitor." J. D. Allen shot one in Van 

 Buren County. Chas. E. Bendire in the 

 Smithsonian Contribution to . Know- 

 ledge, Vol. xxviii p. 335 says this Owl 

 is found at Saul Ste. Marie. 



It is highly probable that the Barn 

 Owl is only a straggler within our 

 boundaries. 



American Long-eaked Owl. Asio 

 wiLsnnianus (Less). This Owl can 

 hardly ever be called common but is al- 

 waj's to be found in certain sections in 

 the right kind of land and WM)ods. It 

 was known as early as 1839 in our state 

 when Dr. Sager recorded, it in the 

 Michigan Geological Report. Since 

 then it has appeared in all State list-; 

 and in most local catalogues. It is a 

 resident as are all of our Owls with 

 three or four excej)tions of wiuter vis- 

 itors from the north and the straggler 

 mentioned above. Some collectors 

 claim that this Owl withdraws to the 

 south in very cold weather. 



A. E. Chambers of Kalamazoo found 

 a nest neai- this city. The date was 

 Ai)ril 27, ISTS, and tlic nest was situa- 

 ted al)out forty fi'ct from the o-rouiid in 



a tamarack in a low swampy section of 

 land. It was built nearly at the top 

 and where the body or trunk of the 

 tree was not over three inches in diam- 

 eter. The extreme top of the tree had 

 been broken oft" and the limbs coming 

 up at the sides gave support to the nest. 

 The structure was composed of dead 

 tamarack twigs of a sjze up to that of 

 a lead pencil. It was a bulky affair 

 and nearly or (juite eighteen inches in 

 diameter; external depth ten inches or 

 more and internal depth six inches. 

 The interior was softly and plentifully 

 lined with feathers and the inside pre- 

 sented a marked contrast to the exterior 

 in appearance. 



The old bird could not be seen till she 

 tiew off Avhich she failed to do until he 

 was within a few feet of the nest. She 

 kept near at hand for several minutes 

 flew in short circles over the despoiler. 

 After descending the female was secured 

 but the male, who appeared on the 

 scene, was too shy to be taken. 



Six white, nearly spherical fresh eggs 

 were found deposited on or in the bed 

 of feathers, and as nicely provided with 

 warm covering as is ever tound. An- 

 othei' nest found May 33 oi the same 

 year contained live young ones about to 

 leave the nest: This nest constructed 

 like the other was situated in the top of 

 an ash stub about twenty feet from the 

 ground. We attempted to rear some of 

 the young but failed although good suc- 

 cess has attended our ert'orts with the 

 (ireat-horned Owls. 



These structures we-'^ evidently old 

 Crow's nests which had been rejjaired 

 and lined by the Owls, hut 1 will not I 

 vouch for this jx'culiarity. Several > 

 writers speak of this habit and it is 

 reasonable to ailmit of it when we con- 

 sider odd choice of the (Jreat-horned 

 Owl. 



The l^ong-(>ared Owl is found in 

 swamps and low woods, and unlike the 

 Screech Owl is never to my knowledge \ 

 in u])lan(l oak woods. It is mut-h more 



