378 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



The mating season of the Great Horned Owl begins in midwinter when 

 the greater portion of the range it inhabits is still covered with snow and 

 ice. Mr. Lynds Jones, of Grinnell, Iowa, informs me: "I once had the good 

 fortune to steal unnoticed upon a pair of these birds in their love making. 

 Tlie ceremony had evidently been in progress sometime. When discovered 

 the male was carefully approaching the female, which stood on a branch, and 

 she half turned away like a timid girl. He then fondly stroked his mate with 

 his bill, bowed solemnly, touched or rubbed lier bill with his, bowed again, 

 sidled into a new position from time to time, and continued his caresses. All 

 these attentions were apparently bashfully received by the female. Soon there- 

 after tlie pair flew slowly away side by side. It is at this time that their hoot- 

 iuo-s are frequently heard. The common call which is most often uttered, and 

 I believe that of the male, is a far reaching "to-hoot-to-hoot-to-hooh," while 

 the answering one of the female is shorter, and usually consists simply of an 

 "oo," or " to-oo." Aside from these, they have several others, one a cat-like 

 squeal or cry like "waah-hu," and again a series of yelps, similar to the barking 

 of a dog. 



None of these calls can be said to be pleasing to the ear at any time, 

 and when suddenly awakened by them from a restful slumber, perhaps while 

 camped in the silent and snow-covered woods on some hunting expedition, 

 they sound uncanny enough to startle even an old woodsman on first hearing 

 them. These Owls are often attracted by the camp-fires of hunting parties, and 

 their flight is so easy and silent that the first notice one has of their presence 

 is their pertinent querry, "who-who-cooks-for-you" from a tree top perhaps 

 directly overhead, undoubtedly uttered as a protest against the invasion of 

 their own favoi'ite hunting grounds. 



In the eastern parts of its range, where the ax of the lumbennan has 

 nearly succeeded in destroying all the primeval forests, and large hollow trees 

 are now comparatively scarce, the Great Horned Owl breeds at present mostly 

 in open nests, generally those of the larger HavA'ks, and occasionally that of 

 the common Crow, while in the hea^dly timbered bottom lands of the Ohio, 

 Missouri, and Mississippi Rivers, the majority of these birds still nest in natu- 

 ral cavities in tre es. 



Capt. B. F. Goss, of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, who is well qualified to speak 

 on this subject, writes me as follows: "I think the natural breeding place 

 of the Great Horned Owl is in hollow trees, and where suitable cavities can 

 be found they are always selected. In the early settlement of this part of 

 Wisconsin sucli breeding places were abundant, and I do not remember 

 finding a single pair of these Ijirds nesting in any other location, but with 

 the rapid improvement of the country the large trees were mostly cut down, 

 until now hardly one remains, and these birds are now compelled to resort to 

 other places, and we find them making use of old Hawks' nests." 



Prof D. E. Lantz, of Manhattan, Kansas, informs me that of twelve 

 nests found by him in that vicinity, tliree were in old Red-tailed Hawks' 

 nests, one in an old Crow's nest, and ei<>-ht in hollow trees. 



