HISTORY OF CERTAIN GREAT HORNED OWLS—KEYES. 403 
gave no sign. ‘The first fine weather of spring was calling forth the 
backward buds of the young hard maples when, on April 22, the 
owlets posed for the last time on an old oak stump, just east of the 
nest tree. The weather encountered on dates not mentioned was 
composed of variations of the above, but the rule was freezing tem- 
peratures, with high winds. Under all the conditions the young owls 
thrived and did not seem to mind seriously our intrusion into their 
home life. 
During the season of 1907 the food contents found in the nest 
cavity were as follows: Five bobwhites, 2 meadow mice, 1 domestic 
pigeon, 1 flicker, 2 American coots, 1 king rail, 19 adult cottontails. 
This list is not, of course, an accurate account of the various captures 
brought to the nest. It merely records what was seen there on the 
16 trips made. The same bird or mammal was doubtless sometimes 
counted twice, and captures were in all probability brought in of 
which no remnants were seen. I think not more than 3 different 
bobwhites were seen, quite likely only 2, and the number of cotton- 
tails is also probably too high. The fact seems to be that both birds 
and quadrupeds of the larger size, after being eaten from the head to 
the tougher hind parts, were then left two or three days untouched 
and finally removed from the nest altogether. These were not 
dropped about the base of the tree, however, and in fact no trace of 
food remnants was found at any time except in the nest itself. 
That some refuse was removed from the nest seems probable from 
such facts as the following: The above-mentioned 2 bobwhites, 1 
meadow mouse, and 4 rabbits found in the nest cavity on March 16 
were all in fairly whole condition, aside from the heads. On March 
23 parts of 5 rabbits were found, represented by the hind quarters 
only, and 1 bobwhite with the breast eaten away. These were 
mostly rather desiccated remnants and I took them to be, for the 
most part, leftovers from the week before. On March 30 the nest 
was entirely clean except for a freshly killed white pigeon. Generally 
speaking, the nest cavity was well kept, a fact which seemed to indi- 
cate removal of the excrement of the young by the old birds. 
Our second season’s active work with the owls was not without its 
exciting features. Twice when alone I had had, in spite of close 
watchfulness, pretty close brushes with one of the old birds. But it 
-was not until the young were removed from the nest for the last two 
attempts to get clearer pictures that there was any real element of 
danger. With the three pugnacious owlets grouped on the ground 
at the base of the nest tree, both old birds now closed in, teetering 
and dancing and hooting on branches about 30 feet from our heads 
or brushing close past us as they took up new positions or sought for 
an opening. Mr. Benedict, who was my helper this time, literally 
stood guard over me as, with camera close to the ground, I stooped 
