302 
WILD WINGS 
excitement struck her wings against the obstruction, almost 
falling back. With owls, as with men, “ haste makes waste.” 
She had but two eggs, and the body of a mouse lay in the 
larder, as provision, doubtless, for the mid-day repast. This 
time, as I approached, the husband and father was on guard 
near the nest. He was not as brave as his mate, — the usual 
story among raptorial birds, — and flitted on ahead, a few 
rods at a time, alighting high up in the pines, back toward 
me, then facing around to stare and “ whoo ” his usual 
interrogatory. 
Another pair of similar habits resorted to a grove of spe¬ 
cially large pines just out of Scotland village, in the town of 
Bridgewater. Mv first acquaintance with them was made one 
ninth of March, when I saw a tail projecting from a nest, 
sixty-si.x feet from the ground, and at one blow on the trunk 
drove off the owl, evidently preparing to lay. Though 
robbed of their eggs everv year bv a friend of mine, the pair 
remained faithful in their attachment to this fine grove, and 
probably raised a Iwood from their second laying each year. 
Once the second set of eggs was discovered in an open 
hollow on the top of a dead stump. That time they had 
three eggs, though two is usually all they can produce at 
the second attempt. 
It is not true that the large owls nest only in the deep 
forests. They prefer, indeed, a very retired location, but in 
many sections such cannot be found. So, as a matter of fact, 
they are likelv to select some grove of old, large timber on 
the outskirts of anv rather lonely farm. Of the two species 
alreadv mentioned, the Barred Owl seems to be the less re¬ 
tiring in haunts and habits. 
It is easv to remember what owls one is likely to find nest¬ 
ing in New England. There are two large ones, two medium, 
and two small. The two big ones have just been dealt with. 
