24 



THR OOLOGIST 



eus hyperboreus), and Blue Goose 

 (Chen caerulescens). And without 

 question the only living example in 

 confinement in the world. It has the 

 size, shape, bearing and under color- 

 ing of the Snow Goose and the upper 

 parts are typical Blue Goose. Indeed 

 a rara avis. — Editor. 



Hunting for a Barred Owl's Nest. 



By C. C. Hart, East Berlin. Conn. 



It was on Easter morning, March 

 21st, 1913, I arose early, ate my break- 

 fast, placed some lunch in a paper and 

 was off to the woods to look f<)r an 

 Cwl's nest. The day was ideal. The 

 sun shone brightly, and Ihe air was as 

 warm and balmy as a day in June. 



I started out through the open lots 

 and followed along the Mattabassetr, 

 River in the direction of Mt. Higby, 

 which is located about three miles 

 south of my home. Many common 

 birds were seen and heard, Robins, 

 Bluebirds and Meadowlarks were sing- 

 ing everywhere, and now and then an 

 early Butterfly would flutter to and fro 

 in the warm sunshine. At length 1 

 reached a small piece of Hemlock 

 woods joining the main portion of 

 woodland that extends down on the 

 Mountain for two or three miles. Here 

 was a beautiful waterfall, from a 

 stream that empties into the Matra- 

 bassett River. As I stood watching 

 the torrents of water leaping over the 

 falls, a Hairy Woodpecker fluttered 

 across to a dead tree and drummed 

 for a while and as I started up a stee;) 

 wood road, a flock of about fifty Cedar 

 birds flew from tree to tree along a 

 row of large Cedars. On my right was 

 a number of large dead Chestnut trees, 

 some of which appeared to be good 

 nesting sites for the Barred Owl, bur 

 after banging on them with my cane 

 I decided that there was "nothing do 

 ing." I followed along examining all 

 the dead trees and old Hawks' and 



Crows' nests in sight, but with no re- 

 sults so when I came to a suitable spot 

 1 sat down and lunched, had a smoke 

 and thought over the situation. The 

 woods were mostly second growth in 

 that section so made up my mind to 

 cut across to the east for about a 

 mile and try a large piece of timner 

 where I had taken Red-shouldered 

 Hawks' eggs the previous year. I fol- 

 lowed down the side of the mountain 

 through a small grove of Hemlocks, 

 where I discovered a couple of old 

 nests which appeared to have been 

 those of the Sharp-shinned Hawk, one 

 of which may be fruitful in May when 

 I will make another trip. It was only 

 a few steps across a small stream and 

 up over a knoll when I w^as to reach 

 the big woods, but you can imagine 

 how I felt when I beheld the timber 

 all cut off, and a portable engine with 

 lumber piled on each side looming up 

 in the center of the cut-off. My hopes 

 of finding an Owl's nest were certainly 

 discouraging. I had tramped the 

 woods year after year, mile after mile, 

 looking for Barred Owls' nests, all 

 with no results, but I was determined 

 that I should find one this year if such 

 a thing were possible. I was rather 

 dazed to come on to such a situation 

 so unexpectedly and, therefore, hard- 

 ly knew what turn to make next. I 

 strolled through the cut-off and sor- 

 rowfully gazed at the remains of a 

 Red-shouldered Hawk's nest in the top 

 of a large Chestnut tree that had been 

 cut down and from which, the previous 

 year, I had secured a beautifully mark- 

 ed set of eggs. At the eastern extrem- 

 ity of this cut-off was a small piece of 

 Hemlock woods situated on lower 

 ground, so I concluded to wind up my 

 day's hunt with this. As I entered the 

 edge of the woods I noted two large 

 trees near by — a Chestnut and an 

 Ash; two small Hemlock trees had 

 been cut down, which I was afraid in- 



