""isoo!"'] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 543 



doubt that they subsisted chiefly on fish, which were abundant in a 

 small creek running from a lake through these woods to the Assiui- 

 boine Riv^er. On examining the gizzards of two of the young of this 

 pair which Mr. Nash shot, he found them full of fish. At one place 

 there were, unquestionably, evidences of an owl having seized a large 

 fish with one foot and held on to the bank with the other. The creek 

 being very small, and surrounded with large bare trees, is a favorite 

 run between the river and the lake for large fish at night, so that all 

 the circumstances are very favorable for the prosecution of the pisca- 

 torial pursuits of the owls. 



On the 8th of May, 1884, I found a pair of these birds in possession 

 of an old nest in the Big Swamp on the Assiniboine liiver, south of the 

 Big Plain. This nest was about 30 feet from the ground, in the crotch 

 of a poplar tree, which was as yet without leaves. The nest was 

 formed ol sticks and twigs and was indistinguishable from that ot a 

 Red tailed Buzzard. Once or twice I tried to shoot the old bird on the 

 nest, but she was too wary, and evidently had all her wits about her 

 even in the day time. On the 15th of the month I returned to the liest, 

 determined to bring home whatever might be in it. Arriving at the 

 l)lace we found tbe old birds were absent, so I stood with the gun to 

 watch, while Dr. Gilbert, who accompanied me, climbed the tree. lie 

 had not got half way up when the old ones made their appearance, 

 skimming about among the tamaracs and hooting " who ichoare youJ^ 

 As the danger to their brood increased they came nearer and nearer, 

 shoutiiigand stammeringwith rage "w/io who who-are you F" " Whatdo- 

 you-dof'' " Up a tree.'''' Then, having learned it seemed, from their close 

 inspection, the mugisterial function of the climber they wheeled off, 

 snapping their bills and groaning aloud '■'■Ohhli-h J P up-atree!'''' 

 And stricken by the hopelessness of their case in this new aspect, 

 they dashed about Shouting hoarsely " Wt/i /i," " Go doivn,^^ ^^ Do go 



down,^^ " Ohhli ," and as one of them recklessly flew close to me, 



I fired and it fell. This proved to hd the female ; she measured 53 

 inches across the wings and in length 25 inches. Her stomach con- 

 tained part of a partridge. In color she was as light as young females 

 of the Snowy Owl. In the nest were three young owls, two dead 

 partridges {Bonasa), and a hare; one of the partridges had in her an 

 eg^ ready for exclusion, excepting that the shell was as yet pure white 

 without any spots.- 



The young ones appeared to be about three weeks old. The largest 

 weighed 1 pound 5 ounces, and was about the size of an ordinary pullet. 

 One of them was but half as large as the others. All were clad in white 

 down, with the rudiments of black and white feathers showing in the 

 wings and on the back. Their horns were plainly visible in the form 

 of down tufts. 



They resented in the orthodox manner the liberty taken in removing 

 them from the nest, snapping their bills tind hissing in a way that 



