June, 1893.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



93 



next spring I visited the nest frequently, 

 but no owls appeared in that locality. 



My second was an open nest in a beech 

 tree and contained two young Owls, about 

 half grown when found. They were allowed 

 to mature in the nest unmolested, and in the 

 following spring the nest was unoccupied. 



The third and fourth were both open nests 

 and found by Albert and Elmer Durfee. 



From one of these nests they took a set of 

 three eggs and the other contained young 

 birds, which were left in the nest undisturbed. 



I visited both of these nests the following 

 spring and found them unoccupied, and no 

 Owls could be seen in the woods. 



The fifth nest was found by myself, situ- 

 ated in a hole in the side of a basswood tree, 

 from which I took a set of two fresh eggs on 

 March 20, 1892 ; and up to the present date, 

 March 24, 1S93, there is no appearance of 

 the Great Horned Owl occupying the same 

 cavity this spring. 



I should like to hear from other collectors 

 with more extended experience on this sub- 

 ject, so that we might be able to ascertain 

 what proportion of Great Horned Owls' nests 

 found, have been occupied the following 

 season. James B. Pitrdy. 



Plymouth, Michigan. 



Notes on Arkansas Flycatchers in 

 Towner County, North Dakota. 



Last season I took notes of two nests of 

 the Arkansas Flycatcher. It was the first in 

 my three years' collecting here that this 

 species was noted, and the fact of their nest- 

 ing here the same year added a double in- 

 terest to me. The first time I saw them 

 was June 12, and my attention was attracted 

 by their cries, and it is a peculiar cry they 

 have, too ; once heard, not easily forgotten. 

 This pair was seen and heard nearly every 

 day, and we noted them looking in all sorts 

 of places for a spot to build, which they finally 

 did the last of the month. The site they 

 finally selected was on an old binder that 

 stood within ten rods of the school-house 



where from twenty to thirty children were 

 playing every day. 



The nest and eggs vv-ere taken July 5, by 

 E. S. Bryant, of Phcenix, N.Y., who was 

 collecting here at the time. The nest con- 

 tained three eggs, which were fresh. The 

 set was not complete, or at least I did not 

 think so, but Mr. B. w-as to leave for home 

 the next day and he wanted them. This 

 pair of birds left and did not return to the 

 vicinity again. 



I took the other set July 16. The nest 

 was placed on a part of the wind-mill pump 

 at the railroad station and was within reach 

 of my hand from the ground. The nest was 

 bulky and composed of various materials, 

 this set was complete, four eggs ; incubation 

 one half or more. This nest was seen by 

 Mr. B. just before he left and we thought 

 that it was the same pair of birds building a 

 second nest. I did not go near them, with 

 one exception, until I went to get the eggs, 

 as I did not wish to call any attention to 

 them. From the closeness of the dates of 

 the two sets of eggs, there must ha\e been 

 twopairof birds when we had noticed but one. 



It seems strange that these birds should 

 have chosen such exposed places when they 

 are usually credited with being very shy. 



Several pair were seen on the shores of 

 Devil's Lake, but none were seen at Turtle 

 Mountain during the season. 



In January issue of " O. & O." Mr. James 

 B. Purdy writes of the breeding of the 

 Canada (ieese in captivity as something 

 rather unusual. I know of several flocks 

 here. I have seen one goose raise two 

 broods. The first year, 1891, she laid and 

 hatched four eggs and raised them to ma- 

 turity. She was then three years old. Last 

 season the same goose laid twelve eggs ; 

 eleven hatched, one egg was unfertile. Ten 

 goslings were raised and are now ali\e. 

 They run out in all kinds of weather, but 

 are protected nights and have plenty of 

 care. Can give fuller particulars if required. 

 Elmer F. Jitdd. 



