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 nicker, 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 bob white 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 



