THE 05L0GIST. 



common in suitable sections than is 

 generally supposed, but as it is a noctur- 

 nal species it is rarely met with. In 

 tamarack swamps and well removed 

 from all habitations the Long-ear linds 

 its food and makes its home, and in 

 these situations the birds maj'^ live nn- 

 ilisturbed forages and remain unknown 

 to all the inhabitants of the neighboi-- 

 hood; until at last comes the persistent 

 egg-crank, who invades the swamp and 

 brings in the iiirds and eggs. 



This Owl has a very uncanny seiies 

 of notes, which, when uttered in the 

 depths of a forest, and in the solitude of 

 a lonesome spot on a dark night aie in- 

 clined to make a boy or man fv'el skeeri/. 

 The song, for song I suppose it truly is, 

 is terribly weird, and will make any 

 j)erson jum])at first. 



On one occasion I was tramping and 

 collecting in the month of May and on 

 finding myself a long distance from 

 home resolved to camp in the woods as 

 I had often done before. Selecting a 

 l)rotected position by the side of a log 

 I built a tire and .turned in with some 

 dry leaves for a matress and the sky 

 and foliage for a counter})ane. With 

 my gun at my side I was just falling in- 

 to that ])leasant state Ijorderingon sleep 

 when from almost exactly above luy 

 extemporized beil chamber came the 

 most unearthly, devilish noise tliat I 

 ever heartl. You could not call it a 

 shriek, yell, scream or any other sound 

 which man can make, or whidi could 

 be made by any crcatiu-e of this uoild 

 known to civilization. 



My readers may think that they ha\i' 

 been frigiitened some time in their lives, 

 but it is to be douljtcd if they were ever 

 as scared as I for a memenl. My seal]) 

 solidified and straighteneil up ••each 

 particular haii'" of my head until I 

 kn<)W that my head looked like a brush- 

 pile. 



Of course my terror wa> all over in 

 a coui)le of seconds after that nocturnal 

 "lover had linished hi- <litty. I.ut foi- an 



instant I think I was as badly scared as 

 , any Ijoy ever was. I knew it was an 

 owl. and I was sure it was harmless and 

 I was not a coward by any means— but 

 catching me as it did, and before I had 

 the ])ower to realize, it scared me as 

 badly oi- worse than a cougar's scream, 

 a lion's roar, or the war whoop of a 

 band of red-skins could have done. 



With the Prairie Warbler. 

 Bv TiiKoDoKK W. Ki( ii.\Ki)s. M. D. 



()f the various birds in^eeding here- 

 abouts which from an Oologisfs stand- 

 point may l)e called ••desiral)le" none 

 can be found to better advantage than 

 the Prairie Warbler. Arriving about 

 the third week in April they soon be- 

 come fairly common. and although many 

 are but transients bound furthei- north 

 enough remain throughout the summer 

 to make them the most munerous fam- 

 ily. exi-ei)ting of course the ever present 

 .Summer Warbler and perhaps the Black 

 and White Cree]jer. Hut in sjjite of 

 their numbers they are far from con- 

 spicuous for besides theii^ shy and re- 

 tiring ways they are decidedly local in 

 distribution and are prone to monopol- 

 ize ceitain chosen s|)ots to the entire ex- 

 clusion of many othei-s apparently 

 (|uite as desirable. Atxl this is a trait, 

 by tlu' way. often noticeable in ii less 

 degi'ce with uiauy olln-i' birds not coui- 

 mouly regarded as sociable oi- inclined 

 to colonize. I have no doubt this i.s 

 largely a matter of food supply some 

 places being more infected with their 

 icsect |)n'V than otlieis. 



Orn-c having located such .a pl.ice dur- 

 ing the breeding season the linding f>f 

 the nests themselves is a matter of little 

 dillicully to the ar«leiit collector who 

 lia> i)ro])erly cultivated his "oiilogical 

 eye. ■ and I shall always remember with 

 keenest |)leasuie my first ex|terience in 

 such a s|)ot. A large hilly Meld h:wl be- 

 couu' overgrown with low. thick, scrub 



