ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. iS-Xo. 



tailed \arietv found in meadows. Dr. Strode 

 informed me that he had in April, 1890, care- 

 fully examined a nest of this Owl containing 

 five voung, and no signs of any food but 

 field mice, and the pellets around the root 

 of the tree were composed of the fur of this 

 mouse ((/ rcpar/iis) . From this I am i)osi- 

 ti\e it does not make birds a part of its food, 

 and from the fact that I ha\ e often seen it 

 about viHing chickens and none were miss- 

 ing, 1 can sav it does not molest them. 



The \oice of this Owl is somewhat like to 

 die first "coo" of a do\ e, but has a distant 

 soimd. It is rarely heard. 



When its nest is disturbed, howe\ er, it has 

 a peculiar call, hard to describe, as it can 

 hardly be called cat-like. It is very noisy 

 when its nest is disturbed, and some- 

 times will, when it has young, return to the 

 nest after being thrown from it. 



The nest seems to be usually an old Crow's 

 not alwavs in very good condition nor in any 

 particular locality, though generally in a pine 

 tree or dense scrub, but I haAe found them 

 in a hedge with no trees near. In this jiart 

 of the country a Crow is not at all particular 

 as to where it nests, as I have on se\eral 

 occasions taken the eggs from the nest when 

 it was so low I could reach it from the ground 

 and have found them as near a dwelling- 

 house as 50 yards. 



The mmiber of eggs \aries from 5 to 7, 

 with 5 the usual nimiber. 



1. !■'.. Dickinson reports 5 to 7. 

 I'hilo Smith says 5 is the average, but 6 

 is not uncommon. 



Dr. Strode reports set of seven, as does 

 Frisbev, of Sparland. 



In r.SSc;, 1 found only t set of 5, the rest 

 were of 7 except the first set found, which was 

 of 8, the largest set I ha\e heard of so far. 



In 1892, however. I found 5 eggs in all 

 the nests I examined. 



The eggs are laid everv other day and 

 incubation begins with the first egg laid, and 

 in a set of 5 eggs covers a period of about 40 

 (lavs from the laying of the first egg until all 



are hatched, the first egg hatching in about 

 30 days. 



'J'he female sometimes remains on the 

 nest for se\eral weeks liefore the first egg is 

 laid. 



Dickinson says the yoiuig remain in < om- 

 pany with their parents until the following 

 spring. 



Lewis Lindsey Dyche. 



AX AMKKIL'.AN TAXIDERMIST AXU Ills WilKK. A 



HdRNAll.'W OF THK Wl'.sl . 



As a well known taxidermist seated him- 

 self in our office a short time since, on his 

 return from a trip west, he said : "I ha\e called 

 on Dyche, and his work in simply wonder- 

 ful. He's a good one." This was a confirma- 

 tion of many reports of the same nature that 

 ha\e reached us from time to time. Mr. 

 Dvche has for some time been connected 

 with the Kansas University as curator, and 

 through his ]iersonal efforts the university 

 has a collei tion that ranks high, and of which 

 thev mav well look upon with pride and sat- 

 isfaction. 



A iiortion of the collection is now on ex- 

 hibtion at the Columbian Exposition, and any 

 of our readers who \isit Chicago during the 

 season should call on Mr Dyche at the Kan- 

 sas building. Of the many flattering notices 

 given l>v the press, the following, which ap- 

 peare<l in the '• Inter-Ocean," cannot fail to 

 interest all : 



KAX.SAS' CKANtJSHOW. PRDFKSW )R 1,. I.. UMIIF,, 



OF THE .S-I'.A-IE UXIVKKSI'IA', AXU I HI'. 

 WORK III' HIS CKXirs. 



Unloaded in front of the Kansas buikling 

 on the ColumI)ian Exposition grounds is one 

 of the most remarkable exhibits that will be 

 seen at the great fair. This is the natural 

 history display made by the Kansas I'nixer- 

 sitv. It will be no unusual occurrence dur- 

 ing the next six months to have some writer 

 for the newspa]iers sa\- that the greatest ex- 

 hibit to be seen has just been shipped from 

 some |)oint, but the aboxe expression that 



