Illl\- 



I SS2.] 



AND ( )( »L( XIIST. 



14.". 



nests examined, fom- had three eggs eueh. 

 This year they began nesting two weeks 

 earher than last, the first nest being 

 found Feb. 11th, with one egg. The local 

 ity generally chosen is a low mesquite, 

 on high ground, from which the Owl 

 when on the nest can see in every direc- 

 tion for some distance. They are very 

 alert while setting, and will fly from the 

 nest before one gets within fifty yards, 

 though in some cases they sat closer. 

 The mate was always to be found close by. 

 in nearly every case, in the nearest tree. 

 Most of the sets of fresh eggs are foiuid 

 in the last week of February. Deserted 

 nests of the Great-horned Owl are often 

 occupied by Hawks, instead of the Owls 

 using the old Hawks' nests, as in the North. 

 — Eihjiir A. Small, Ilaf/erstinni. Jfif. 



p. S. — My collector reports a set of four freph eggs, found 

 March 9th. This nest was built of sticks, as usual, and 

 lined with litter. It was in a mesquite, twelve feet high. 

 The bird sat very close, did not leave the nes*t until my 

 friend was nearly under it. 



Black-backed Woodpecker. 



I notice in the O. and O. for March, 

 page 101. a note to the efiect that there 

 are but two instances known of the Black- 

 backed Woodjiecker (P. orctifux) being 

 taken in ^Michigan. It maybe of interest. 

 therefore, for me to state that I jjrocured a 

 male specimen of this species on the south 

 branch of the Pine River, Mich., in 187!) : 

 the exact date of capture I do not remem- 

 ber, as the specimen has been disposed of 

 in my exchanges to Mr. George AVoolsey 

 of New Haven, Conn., but it was some- 

 where between the 17th and 22d of No- 

 vember. I have every reason to believe 

 that this bii'd is not a rare Winter resident 

 of the "pineries" of that State. With us 

 this Woodpecker is r ire. I have, however, 

 taken several specimens in different parts 

 of the State and know of its being taken 

 in the immediate ricinity of Bangor. On 

 June 16, 1881, 1 met with a pair- on Alliga- 

 tor Stream. Hancock County, which, judg- 

 insf from their actions, had a nest near bv : 



but, as we were lost in the woods at the 

 time, our camp was the only nesting place 

 I had any desire of finding. — .Y ./. Eihly. 

 litiii<i(ir. Jfi . 



Climbers and Climbing. 



The Staddle. Before the advent oi de 

 cent climbing-irons the " staddle" was in 

 common use in our woods in ascending 

 big-botlied trees. This simple method was 

 overlooked in Ingersoll's recent treatise, so 

 we make mention of it here. The only 

 outfit required by the hawk-lnuiter or 

 sqiiirrel-party using this i^rLmitive fashion 

 is a small, short-handled axe. A leather 

 sheath protects the head of the axe, and it 

 can be carried handily in a game bag slung 

 over the shoulders. Near the scene of ac- 

 tion a tall, slender, young walnut or chest- 

 nut of the proper length is selected and 

 felled : the top and limbs are cut away, 

 the stubs of many of the limbs leaving 

 good foot-rests here and there. This nat- 

 ur.il ladder is then carried and raised at a 

 slight angle, so that the tip rests securely 

 ag liiist the base of the lowest limbs of the 

 big tiee to be chmbed. Many of these 

 staddles I have helped to cut and raise in 

 ptirsuit of the eggs of birds of prey, and 

 ha\ e found many more snugly hidden away 

 in underbrush and used by squirrel-hunt- 

 ers one or two seasons. Now and then 

 the trunk of an old hard tree can be over- 

 come by ■' shinning" uji some young and 

 tall sapling near by and swaying the top 

 stoutly till a big limb of the tree can be 

 grasped. Don't forget however in this case 

 to tie your arboreal trapeze to the limb so 

 your retreat will not be cut oft". To the 

 use of the " staddle" will always lie the ob- 

 jection that no farmer likes to have any 

 vigorous standing sprout cut in his wood 

 lot. But the rope, the staddle and kin- 

 dred (h'vices are now superceded here by 

 climl)ing-irons. and an article in the next 

 number of this jonnial will try to show 

 the economy in time and labor ett'ected by 

 these handy impleinetits. — ./. -V. W. 



