26 



THE COLOGIST. 



liaiid I descended without niisliap. I 

 then went back to the Ijoat and rowing 

 out to the bushes in which tlic Grakle 

 nests Avere situated, collected three 

 sets of four antl two sets of three egg^ 

 Incubation Avas fresh in some, while in 

 others it was well ad\anced. The Boat- 

 tailed Grakle builds a large and bulky 

 nest of straw wliich they weave to the 

 l)uslies. In this is placed a quanity of 

 soft mud, and without waiting for it to 

 dry line the nest throughout with fine 

 grass. The nest when built, thus is 

 much deeper than when placed in trees 

 on shore. The reason being that when 

 built in the bushes if they were not 

 deep the wind blowing the bushes about 

 would cause the eggs to roll out. Laud- 

 ing the boat I started across lots home. 

 While walking along I noticed a Spar- 

 row Hawk fly down and grasping one 

 of those striped lizzards that form a 

 principal part of their food at this time 

 a year fly to a dead tree. Knowing 

 from the habits of this bird that if I 

 would wait a little while I miglit l)e 

 able to find its nest. I was riglit. In 

 a minute or two he commenced calling 

 and soon the female left her nest and 

 flew to him for her dinner. The nest 

 Avas about forty feet up and the dead 

 tree in which it Avas placed was A^ery 

 hard to climb; but reaching it at last I 

 Avas rcAvarded by finding fiA^e nice eggs. 

 Going through an oat j^atch near home 

 I found two Groimd DoA'e nests; one 

 containing tAvo eggs the other tAvo 

 young. The nests were simply slight 

 lioUoAvs scraped in the earth and lined 

 with a fcAV pieces of grass blades. I 

 enjoyed my supper that night and of 

 course A\'ent to bed like all other col- 

 lectcns to dream oAcr tlie eA^ents of the 

 day. 



T. G. Peak.son, 

 Alachua Co., Fla. 



The Snowy Owl. 



My request for information as to the 

 winter home of the SnoAvy OavI {Nyctea 



nyctea), appearing in your issue of Noa'. 

 28, 1889, has brought me such a consider- 

 able Aolume of information from many 

 Avilling correspondents that I am encour- 

 aged in atteaipting to further ascertain 

 all I possibly can concerning this bird. 

 I shall be exceedingly^ obliged to any 

 one Avho Avill send me facts about the 

 Snowy Owl. telling particularly of ear- 

 ly, late or extreme southern appear- 

 ances. 



I suggest the foUoAving heads as con- 

 A'enient for grouping the information to 

 be sent, and as outlining the ground I 

 Avish to coAer: 



1 Where and Avhen you haA'e seen 

 the Snowy Owl. 



2. What you knoAv of the obserA'a- 

 tions of others in your A'icinity. 



3. If these birds occur in about the 

 same numbers annually Avith you, and 

 if they arrive and depart on uniform 

 dates. 



4. Of any local or common names 

 for this bird, also of names in other 

 languages than English. 



T' . (/ 1 the cry of the SnoAvy OavI. 



ii. i. I'd of this Owl: state if infor- 

 mation i> irom examined stomachs. 

 Q 7. i\i( jisurements and Aveights. 



«. Plmnage of adults, albinos or 

 melanistic specimens. 



9. If its flesh is ever used as food by 

 man, or by other animals, i. e., its ene- 

 mies. 



10. If at anj- time they are gregar- 

 ious. 



11. Nests; eggs; plumage of young. 



12. NcAvspaper clippings. 



18. Thermometrical and barometri- 

 trical records bearing on the move- 

 ments of this species. 



14. Of the life of the SnoAvy Ovvl in 

 confinement. 



L. S. Foster, 

 35 Pine St., Ncav York City. 



December 12, 1889. 



From Forest and Streavi, December 

 26th, 1889. 



[We trust the readers of The Oolo- 



