198 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 69. 



even small dogs, but they are normally not injurious in tlieir feed- 

 ing habits, but rather decidedly beneficial. 



105. Bnho virginianus. — Great Horned Owl. 



It has decreased from tolerably common fifteen years ago to de- 

 cidedly scarce over the whole region. I know certainly of but three 

 pairs in the whole of the Oberlin and Vermillion quadrangles, and 

 none elsewhere. That specimens are occasionally brought in by 

 farmers is an indication that there are more of these birds than 

 one might suspect. They are so certain to visit the chicken yard 

 that is handiest to their retreat that their total extinction is only 

 a question of time. While they nest in the deepest woods they 

 wander about and may be found almost anywhere during the part 

 of the year when not breeding. 



106. Nyctea nyctea. — Snowy Owl. 



Occasionally reaches the region at times of southward flights in 

 the winter. Sandusky taxidermists receive specimens much more 

 frequently than do taxidermists elsewhere in the region. 



107. Surina idula caparoch. — Hawli Owl. 



The only occurrence known to me is a specimen in the collection 

 of Mr. R. I']. Jump, which he captured near Oberlin some time in 

 the seventies. This occurrence can hardly be called accidental be- 

 cause southward flights of this species range well across the state. 



108. CoccyzHs americanus. — Yellow-billed Cuckoo. 



This is much the commoner of the two cuckoos, even during the 

 height of the spring migration, when the Black-bill is more numer- 

 ous than at other times. The median date of spring arrival is May 

 10, the earliest record being May 6, 1899 and 1907. I am strongly 

 inclined to the belief that some individuals, at least, arrive a week 

 or ten days earlier than even May 6, since nests with a full com- 

 plement of eggs have been found by the middle of May. The latest 

 recorded date for fresh eggs is August 15, 1899. Autumn dates are 

 scattering. There are three October dates: 1st, 1906; 17, 1908; 21, 

 1907. Other dates fall within August and September. The late 

 autumn dates would also seem to indicate an earlier arrival than 

 the records show. The birds are very secretive during the first days 

 of their arrival, and are not readily discovered. Nests are placed 

 in the shrubbery bordering woods, or in back lot tangles. They 

 seem to be placed almost anywhere in suitable tangles along the 

 whole course of the sand spit, where I have found more individ- 

 uals than elsewhere in the region, both during the migrations and 

 during the nesting season. The call of this cuckoo is one of the 

 characteristic .'foxinds in the vicinity of the Lake Laboratory. 



