May, 1892.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



75 



make much headway. Finally, my brother 

 succeeded in reaching the nest without climb- 

 ing irons, and reported two eggs. 



Cautioning Adolpli to keep quiet and rest 

 awhile we started to whoop and dance around 

 like the noble red man, happy tliat we had 

 at last succeeded in getting the eggs. Brother 

 carefully packed the eggs with cotton in the 

 collecting box and set them down with a 

 stout cord. They were of the usual size and 

 beauties. 



The nest was large and made of coarse 

 sticks, lined with finer sticks, roots, feathers, 

 etc., and placed fifty-oue feet from the ground. 

 The tree was sixty-five to seventy-five feet in 

 height. 



Since then I have secured many sets of eggs, 



but none that made me feel so hapi)y as that 



set of Jiubo eggs. 



Carl Fritz Ileiuun;/. 

 Boone, Iowa. 



Among the other Owls of this county are the 

 Great Horned, Barred, Short-eared, Screech, 

 and occasionally a Snowy, and Saw- whet. 



B. II. Swales. 



Detroit, Mieli. 



Rose-breasted Grosbeak 

 Co., Mich. 



in Wayne 



American Long-Eared Owl. 



The Long-cared Owl is quite common in 

 Wayne Co., Mich., but is seldom seen on 

 account of its nocturnal habits. They prefer 

 dark, damp woods, especially evergreen and 

 pine. I have never found a nest here myself. 

 but J. Claire Wood of this city lias found two. 

 The first was found April 17, 1886, situated in 

 a beech tree twelve feet from the ground; and 

 contained five eggs. This nest was situated in 

 Highland Park about three miles from Detroit. 

 The other nest was found May 7, 1887, and 

 contained five eggs also. This was an old 

 squirrel's nest remodeled over, and was 

 situated fifteen feet from the ground. The 

 eggs are pui-e white, rather oval, and average 

 l.G0xl..32 in size. These Owls seldom con- 

 struct their own nests, but usually occupy a 

 deserted squirrel's or Crow's. 



The American Long-eared Owl closely 

 resembles the Great Horned Owl except that 

 it is much smaller. It arrives here about the 

 middle of February. Their food consists of 

 mice, moles, small birds, etc. Their power of 

 vision in day-time is not very strong, and they 

 can easily be approached at such times. On 

 January 17, 1891, I saw one at the top of a 

 hollow elm, and climbed to within a few feet 

 of him, and shot him. The young arc grayish- 

 white and can sometimes be seen sitting 

 together on a limb in the forest. Tlie long 

 ears of this Owl can usually be seen protruding 

 from the nest. 



Before 1889 I never found the Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeak breeding in this vicinity. On May 

 14, 1889, however, while exploring a piece of 

 woody swamp lying north of Highland Park, 

 a suburb of Detroit, I found a nest new to me 

 situated in an ironwood tree about eight feet 

 from the ground. It was empty, but watching 

 a few minutes I had the satisfaction of seeing 

 a male and female Grosbeak approach the 

 nest. On June 1st, I returned, and found the 

 nest to contain four slightly incubated eggs. 

 The eggs were of a beautiful green color 

 spotted with reddish brown, and averaged 

 1.00 X .75 in size. I shot the male bird who was 

 sitting on the nest. On June 12th I found my 

 second nest, also situated in an ironwood, and 

 this contained three fresh eggs. The nest was 

 twenty-five feet from the ground. As I never 

 found them breeding in this vicinity before I 

 think it is only lately that they have done so. 

 The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is a very sweet 

 songster, and can be heard to better advantage 

 in a thick wood. The note is a clear, nielloAV 

 whistle and somewhat resembles that of the 

 Robin. They are said to sing best at night. 

 Their food consists of berries, caterpillars, 

 worms, etc., and they are a great help to the 

 agriculturist. The Grosbeak's favorite haunts 

 are low woodlands and densely wooded 

 swamps. They arrive the latter part of April, 

 and leave for the South in September. Some- 

 times you will find them in your garden in the 

 heart of the city, but usually they are quite 

 shy. 



The nest is very fragile, being constructed 

 of dried glasses and small twigs. The eggs 

 can often be counted from the ground. The 

 males do their part in incubating the eggs. 

 The Cowbird often palms his speckled egg on 

 this bird. 



The only other species of Grosbeak in this 

 vicinity is the Evening Grosbeak which 

 occasionally appears here in winter. 



B. H. Swales. 

 Detroit, Mich. 



