96 Cinciiuiati Society of Natural History. 



ORNITHOLOOICAL NOTES. 

 By Chas. Durv. 



Least Bittern. 

 Botaiirus ex His (Gniel.) 

 Several specimens of this species were taken at Ross Lake 

 during April and May, 1887. 



Orange Crowned Warbler. 

 Hclminthopila cclata (Say.) 

 On April 29th, I shot a fine male of this species near Avondale. 

 The bird was feeding on small beetles and other insects (with which 

 its stomach was filled). This is 1 believe the fir.^t recorded instance 

 of the identification of the species in the immediate vicinity of 

 Cincinnati. 



Short-eared Owl. 

 Asio accipitrimis. (Pall.) 



In many years I have never known this owl to be so numer- 

 ous in Southern Ohio. The first specimens were observed in Nov., 

 1886, and they remained in suitable localities until April, 1887. 

 They lived in low flat meadows that were covered with long dry 

 grasses and weeds. Near Glendale during February a young man 

 saw a large white owl which from his description seemed to be Nyctea 

 nyctea (Linn.) flying across a swampy field. He went home for a 

 gun and returned to secure the bird, but he failed to get it. While 

 crossing the field which was inundated with water, numbers of 

 Short-eared owls flew up until over thirty were counted in the air ^t 

 one time, there was only one tree in the place and on it all of the 

 owls perched presenting a very curious and unusual sight. All of 

 the low parts of the field where the owls were congregated was 

 flooded by rains driving the mice to patches of higher ground and 

 giving the owls a chance to capture and devour them. 



One owl shot in this field contained three full grown meadow 

 mice. Of over twenty of these owls examined since Nov., 1886, 

 up to May 1st (and excepting in one instance, Nov. 26, when I 

 took an imported sparrow from one), their food seemed to be 

 exclusively mice. 



