221 



THE OOLOGIST 



surprised when he told me where 1 

 might find one. 



It was now evening, so I wandered 

 home with much hope of procuring a 

 set of eggs on the following day. 



I was astir at daybreak, and after 

 a light lunch, took my camera an 1 

 collecting box, and with a liglu 

 heart, set out. 



The morning was still and cloud- 

 less, and really very beautiful as the 

 ground was covered with snow whic'i 

 sparkled in the early sunlight. 



After considerable time I reached 

 the woods, which covered a low ridge 

 that ran down towards a valley 

 which contained a small creek. I 

 spent some time in examining some 

 old ("row's nests, and then went out 

 the ridge, and by looking through an 

 open space in the trees, could see a 

 large nest high up in a tall, straight, 

 white oak tree not far above the low- 

 er edge of the wood. By standing on 

 a large stum]) 1 could see the ear 

 tufts of an owl, and had found the 

 nest. 



A great amount of pounding on the 

 tree failed to scare the owl off, and 

 she sat closely until the climber was 

 within twelve feet of the nest. Then 

 she sailed off through the woods, and 

 was seen no more. 



On reaching the nest, it was found 

 tu contain three eggs which proved 

 to ]~e slightly incubated. 



The edge of the nest was covered 

 V ith snow, and on the inside there 

 was a rim of ice, caused by the 

 bird's body melting the snow. 



I was much i)leased with the fine 

 set, and alter taking several ex- 

 posures of the nest in situation, 

 tramped back to town. 



Although 1 hunted carefully in 

 other sections of the county, no more 

 nests were found that year. 



In the spring of 1911 four nests 

 were located and a set of two collect- 



ed from each. These nests were all 

 in white oak trees, and ranged from 

 80 to 95 feet above the ground. 



It is becoming difficult to secure 

 sets of the Great Horned Owl in this 

 section, since the Owls are becom- 

 ing scarce, owing to the farmers who 

 tra]) and shoot them. 



Again early one morning in Feb. 

 1911, while passing along the ridge 

 about two miles from town, I noticed 

 a large nest in the top of a small 

 tree in a triangular shaped wood 

 near the mouth of a small ravine, at 

 the base of the ridge. 



By using my field glass I could 

 plainly see the head of a Great 

 Horned Owl upon the nest, so 1 

 hurried toward the wood, and the 

 Owl flew from the nest as I entered, 

 also the male flew ft"om the lower ex- 

 tremity of the wood and they both 

 Sailed away to a large wood on the 

 opposite hill. 



The nest was about 80 feet from 

 the ground and as I had no climbers 

 with which to reach it, I hurried to 

 town and soon returned with climb- 

 ers, kodak and two common Hen's 

 eggs. 



ITpon reaching the nest I was 

 pleased to find two fresh eggs, which 

 I took, and in their place put the 

 two Hen's eggs and after making sev- 

 eral exposures of the nest and tree 

 I made my way to town. 



In five days I returned and found 

 the Owl peacefully sitting on the 

 Hen's eggs. She flew off when 1 

 started up the tree, and lit in a large 

 oak tree nearby. 



After another week I returned to 

 the wood and she was still staying 

 with the eggs. This time she seemed 

 to be very much attached to them and 

 left the nest only when I was part 

 way up the tree. 



About the 9th of March while pass- 

 ing the wood, I found her still sitting 



