Taverner and Swales, on Birds of Point Pelee. 99 



uess of the woods across the road. Occasionally two would lie heard 

 answering each other across the dark gulf overhead and the effect 

 was very far from unpleasant. One night one was heard closer than 

 usual and one of us stole out and stealthily followed up the voice. 

 There was an open glade not far away with a lonely, stunted and 

 twisted oak in its center. In this tree the little owl sat and reiteated 

 his love song over and over. Shortly it was joined by another and 

 they sang duets in the well known quaver, but to the hearer below 

 came fragments of cooings and gurgles in between such as he never 

 thought an owl could utter. To attempt to set them down in cold 

 print would, if possible, rob them of their delicate beauty and destroy 

 the sentiment. Besides, we could not do it and retain a shadow of 

 our self-respect. The long, loud quaver was, of course, for the whole 

 world to hear, and to it you would be welcome ; but the low parts be- 

 tween were as certainly for no other ears than the little grey-tipped 

 ones by his side, and to blazen them forth and caricature them be- 

 fore the world's unsympathetic e.ve would be the act of a veritable 

 cad. The night may have had something to do witli it. the velvety 

 blackness, the starlit sky and the murmuring of the waves on the 

 shore, but taking into consideration all tliese influencing surround- 

 ings we think that few sounds in nature are as sweet as the love song 

 of "this little square gentleman in gre.v with the big yellow eyes whom 

 hardened naturalists call "Screech" Owl. 



83. *Biiho rirf/iiiidiniN. — Great Horned Owl. 



Not common, though doubtless a regidar migrant and winter resi- 

 dent. Seitt. 1.3, IDOO, Gardner shot one near his barn. Specimens 

 were sent us from the Point Nov. 13, 1906, and Feb. 23, 1907, and an- 

 other was noted March 7 and May 31 of the same year. In spite of 

 this late record we have been unable to get any evidence frdm the 

 residents that it bx'eeds. 



84. *X!jctca ni/ctcd. — Snowy Owl. 



Oct. 29, 1905, Taverner chased an early bird down the entire length 

 of the east beach. It was <iuite tame and several times he got close 

 enough to make out that it was very white with hardly any dark on 

 the breast and but few spots on the wings and back. It did not fly 

 very far on being disturbed, and always chose some small elevation 

 to alight upon, such as a log of drift wood, or other jetsam cast up 

 l)y tlie waves. Trees were never so used, though there were several 

 cottonwoods scattered along the way, but any tall stake or fence post 

 was taken whenever available. Its snowy plumage could be seen for 

 miles against the tawny grasses and yellow sand of the beach. No 

 more birds were reported that winter, but Oct. 30, 1906, an almost 

 pure white one was sent to us and another in more ordinary plumage 

 •Nov. 7. No more were reported for the remainder of the winter. See 

 Auk XXIV 1907. p. 143. 



