Mar. 1888.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



37 



soinely spotted and clouded with russet and 

 chestnut. The larger end is entirely obscured 

 by them: 1.40x1.13. No. 3. Delicately cloud- 

 ed and spotted with russet and chestnut. The 

 markings entirely cover the ground color at the 

 smaller end : 1.44 x l.l.'i. 



Set X\'I. June 13, 1J<77. Ulne Mciinilains, 

 Northampton County, Tenn. Ccilleeled by 

 .Shriller. Nest on a chestiuit tree about tliirly 

 feet from the giound. Foui- eggs, incubation 

 very far advanced; dull giayisli while ground 

 color. No. 1. Heavily blotched and spotted 

 with burnt umber, the markings forming a par- 

 tial band around the centre of the egg: 1.50 x 

 1.24. No. 2. .Speckled and spotted with burnt 

 umber. At the larger end there are very heavy 

 blotches of the same color : l..*)4xl.24. No. 3. 

 Speckled, spotted and blotched very heavily 

 witli burnt umber: 1.51x1.24. No. 4. Heavily 

 blotched and clouded with burnt umber and 

 raw umber. The markings aie nuub heavier 

 at the larger end : 1.52 x 1.20. 



Set XVII. May 19, 1885. Near the Hlue 

 Mountains, Northampton County, I'enn. Col- 

 lected by Shriller. Nest on a white pine tree. 

 Four eggs, incubation commenced ; grdiind col- 

 or grayish white. No. 1. Heavily blotched near 

 tlie larger end with very dark chocolate and 

 cinnamon: 1.53 x 1.23. No. 2. Heavily blotched 

 at the larger end with dark chocolate brown 

 and cinnamon: 1.51x1.23. No. 3. Heavily 

 blotched with dark chocolate and cinnamon. 

 The markings form an indistinct band near the 

 larger end: 1.48x1.21. No. 4. A'ery heavily 

 blotched with dark chocolate brown: 1.52 

 X 1.23. 



And now there remains to be described seven- 

 teen eggs of this species, which are not one set, 

 but which were all laid by one bird. On May 

 23, 1880, "J. M. W." found a nest in a pine 

 grove near Norwich, Conn. Mr. Kawson de- 

 scribes the male as being " ridiculously small, 

 and of Jay size. The female was normal, with 

 a peculiar break in her quaverings of alarm, 

 marking her identity anywhere.'" Mr. Hawson 

 continues: "From nest in pine but thirty feet 

 south of road, May 23, took one broken and 

 three fresh eggs. Same Sunday, p. ni. nest 

 torn down by Crow hunters. Entire new nest 

 then built the next day in pine, one hundred 

 feet north of road. Take three eggs May 30, 

 leaving none. June 1, note one egg, but leave 

 it. June 2, take two eggs leaving none. June 

 5, note one egg. June 0, two eggs in nest, take 

 one. June 9, take two eggs substituting pig- 

 eon's. Mawk on side of nest — not covering 

 eggs. Clutch not laid. June 11, one egg. 



June 13, one egg. June 17, one egg. June 19, 

 one egg. June 21, one good egg. June 23, 

 nest egg cold. .Male and female not seeu. 

 June 25, take last egg — under-sized." 



These seventeen eggs are n<iw befon- me, and 

 they arc particularly interesting as showing 

 two points: (1) the general resemblance in 

 markings of the majority of them, and (2) the 

 gradual exhanstion of coloring matter owing 

 to the great number laid in ((uick succession by 

 this one female. Tlie ground color of all is of 

 a bluish wbili'. and Ibcy arc blutcbed, clouded 

 and spotted wiili burnt umber, chestnut, cinna- 

 mon, diab-graj', and lighter tints of the same 

 colors. They present a great uniformity in 

 size also, except the last laid egg, which is 

 smaller. The others all average about 1.40 to 

 1.45 in length, by 1.17 to 1.19 in breadth. 



The persistency with which this liird laid is 

 truly remarkable. 



Nesting of the Barred Owl. 



nv ".t. M. w.,'" NORWICH, conn. 



During the last ten days in Janu;iry, 1888, the 

 Barre<l Owl was heard calling nightly, with the 

 mercnry steadfastly at zero. The nights were 

 wonderfully clear and woe befell vermin or ro- 

 dent that crossed the mooidighted spaces in the 

 woods on the snow-covered earth. But it was 

 not alone for his early breakfast that Sijriiium 

 lets us know he is afield so soon this season. 

 Notwithstanding the intense cold, he knows it 

 is time to look up ids mate, and all through Feb- 

 ruary he grows noisier in his addresses, and his 

 sei-enades are not hushed until the eggs are 

 laid, when he is under the spell of the same in- 

 stinct which makes the Buteos silent during in- 

 cubation. 



During the open Februaries, several years 

 ago, Mr. Brand and myself took eggs in win- 

 ter, but of late the last of March sees full 

 clutches of this bird. 1 have seen eggs on a 

 solid cake of ice In a hole and in open nests 

 with a foot of snow in the woods. On March 

 13, 1887, Mr. Win. Ely of this place, took a set 

 of four fresh eggs from an open nest almost in 

 the city limits. Sets of four are extremes and 

 are far from common. Three eggs is the rule 

 for young birds and two eggs for old owls. 



Though Syrnium dearly loves a hole or crev- 

 ice in a tree and will cling to a suitable hole for 

 years though often harried, yet any old open 

 nest will be made to answer the two month's 



