Mar. 1888.] 



AT^D OOLOGIST. 



^9 



SETS COLLECTED IN CONNECTICUT. 



Set VII. JIaich 20, 1878. Xoiwii-h, Conn. 

 Collected by "J. M. VV." Xest in l;itci:il (is- 

 sue, fort}' feet up, in iiiiiiiciiioi i:il ehestnut. 

 Female visible from gioiind when she is sit- 

 ting. Ttiese birds bred in tliis tree for over 

 twenty years. Three eggs, fresh; l.S2xl.()7; 

 1.89x1.07; 1.89x1.66. 



Set, VIII. Mareh 29, 1878. I'reston, Conn. 

 Collected by "J. M. W." Nest a hollow four 

 feet deep in immense chestnut stub, twelve 

 feet high, overhanging a ravine. Mr. Rawson 

 looked down on owl snapping her liill. then pulled 

 her out with long ciooU. held her awhile, and 

 tinally launched her into mid-air. This hole 

 was first found, with eggs, on April 22, 1877, 

 and they were observed there every suc- 

 ceeding year until 1887, when it was empty. 

 Three eggs, fresh: l.!)0xl.(J4; l.'J8xl.()2; 

 1.96x1.64. 



Set IX. April 17, 1878. Norwich, Conn. 

 Colleeteil by '•.!. JI. W." Slight old open nest 

 in low fork of chestnut, ten feet from ground- 

 Owl on eggs until poked with a stick. \'ery 

 large female. Two eggs, fresh: 2.01x1.61; 

 1.95x1.62. 



Set X. March 29, 1879. Treston, Conn. Col- 

 lected by '"J. AI. W." Nest in open shallow 

 fissure in beech tree. Nothing but contact 

 feathers added to sticks placed in hole by stpiir- 

 rels. Three eggs, fresh: 1.9Gx].(;6; l.OJ x 

 1.6.5; 1.98x1.67. 



Set XI. -Vpril 17, 1879. Preston, Conn. 

 Collected by ",I. M. \V." Xest in immemorial 

 ehestnut stub, within four rods of beech tree 

 where Set X was found. Xo nniterial what- 

 ever taken into the great hole. Laid by the 

 same bird as Set X. First egg of this second 

 clutch laid April 12. Second egg seen on .\pril 

 l.")th. Clutch taken on .\pril 17th. Three eggs, 

 fresh: 1.78x1.01; 1.87x1.05; 1.89x1.09. 



Set XII. May 10, 1879. Preston, Conn. Col- 

 lected by ".J. M. \V." From same chestnut 

 stub as Set XI. Laid by same bird as Sets X. 

 and XI, and being the third clutch laid by the 

 same female that season. Male bird alighted 

 near by and snapped his bill. Two eggs, fresh: 

 1.77 X 1.01; 1.91 X 1.65. 



Set XIII. March 22, 1879. Norwich, Comi. 

 Collected by "J. M. W."' Nest in fissure of 

 butternut tiee, thirty-five feet high. On .March 

 10th a broken egg was noticed by Mr. Rawson, 

 and the male bird was shot. On March VJtli 

 there was one egg in the nest, on the 22nd 

 clutch was taken. (Fi-esh eggs from this nest 

 were sent by Mr. Kawson, in 1880, to Dr. 

 Wood for incubation under a hen, and they 



were hatched in thirty days) . Two eggs, fresh : 

 1.91 xl.OS; 1.90x1.65. 



Set XIV. March ;{0, 1870. Xorwicli, Conn. 

 Collected by ".I. M. W."' From old, tinu'-worn 

 hole in side of big chestnut. (Set VIII was 

 from the same nest in 1878). The female flew 

 oil' as Mr. Rawson got in sight of the tree. No 

 material ever in this aperture. (First set of 

 two eggs taken Mai-ch 19th). Two eggs, fresh : 

 1.95 X 1.64; 1.97x1.03. 



Set XV. April 31, 1881. Norwich, Conn. 

 Collected by "J. M. W." In first crotch of a 

 sturdy young chestnut. Kggs left ten days 

 after being found, on account of their very 

 small size. Female, undeniably )S'. ncbidosa, 

 clung closely to the eggs when Mr. Kawson 

 removed them. On blowing they proved to be 

 addled and infertile. Two eggs: 1.09x1.50; 

 1.67 X 1.48. These eggs are veritable runts. 



Set XVI. April 24, 1881. Preston, Conn. 

 Collected by "J. M. W." Nest in old chestnut 

 stub. (This is a second clutch, as the first set 

 was t;iken April 1st). Two eggs, fresh: 1.91 x 

 1.05; 1.87 X 1.60. 



Set XVll. April 1, 1881. I'reston, Conn. 

 Collected by "J. JI. W." .Vest in old chestnut 

 stub. (Set XVI was the second laid bv same 

 bird). Male bird near and snapped his beak. 

 Female flew out of hole, then across the r.ivine, 

 where she alighted and commenced hooting. 

 Two eggs, fresh : 1.97x1.65; 1.90x1.05. 



.Set XVllI. April 23, 1882. Ledyard, Conn. 

 Collected by "J. M. VV." In an immense hol- 

 low of a chestnut tree, where the climber was 

 lost to sight. Eggs resting on bare punk as 

 usual. Tlie first set of two fresh eggs of this 

 bird were taken by J. A. Brand on March 19th, 

 and the male shot. The female must have 

 mated again at once. She was very shy. Three 

 eggs, fresh: 2.00x1.71; 1.95x1.65; 1.91x1.06. 



Set XI X. April 10, 1883. Preston, Conn. 

 Collected by '-J. M. W." From old chestnut 

 stub. The first egg was laid April 3rd. Mr. 

 Rawson says: -'Old male probably dead. This 

 female has got a new mate — a young handsome 

 fellow. Both birds bold, alighting within pis- 

 tol shot." Two eggs, fresh : 1.87x1.65; 1.92 x 

 1.65. 



Set XX. April 5, 1884. Preston, Conn. Col- 

 lected by '-.J. .M. W." From old, hollow chest- 

 nut stub, (..\. second set of two eggs was taken 

 .May Uth, 1884), Mr, Rawson writes: "This 

 owl is growing old; she used to lay trios, now- 

 only pairs. This is the eighth successive year 

 of eggs, same place, same' bird." Two eggs, 

 fresh: 1,92x1.64; 1,90x1,69, 



Set XXI. March 20, 1885. Preston, Conn, 



