44^ DuTCHER, Bird Notes from Loig Island, N. T. [October 



hissing sound. The floor on which they were w\as in a filthy 

 condition, covered with pellets, and dead rats and mice in all 

 stages of decomposition. There was also one young muskrat 

 and some moles. The young Owls appeared to be of difterent 

 ao'es, no two being of the same size. They were afterwards 

 confined in a cage near my house, which was about a mile from 

 the cliurch. They kept up sucli a screaming that the old bird 

 found and afterwards visited them every night at dusk. They 

 were kept caged luitil early winter when they died, apparently 

 without cause." 



17. Nyctala acadica. Saw-wiiet Owl. — Giraud says of 

 this Owl, "With us it is quite rare."* My notes as given below 

 would indicate, on the contrary, that it is common, at least in the 

 winter months. December 6, 1SS4, Capt. Hubbard, of the Fire 

 Island Life Saving Station, shot one on the beach, which he sent 

 to me. One was sent to me from Merrick, December 31, 18S4. 

 Mr. W. F. Hendrickson, of Long Island City, one of my most 

 earnest and reliable observers, writes me regarding this species 

 as follows: "November 15, 1884, saw one with a gunner who 

 had killed it near Train's Meadows, Qiieens Co. December 

 27, my brother found one, a female, at Ravenswood, Qiieens Co., 

 which had been frozen. November 4, a friend shot one at 

 Creedmore, Qiieens Co., and I saw one in his shop which he 

 was mounting for a customer. It was also killed on the island. 

 March 30, 1S85, I found the feathers of one scattered about as 

 though it had been killed and eaten by a cat or Hawk." Mr. 

 Franklin, of Port Washington, Qiieens Co., informed me that on 

 February 28, iSS^, a small Owl had flown or fallen down the 

 chimney flue into his library. He caught it alive and afterward 

 liberated it. From his description of the bird it was undoubtedly 

 this species. 



iS. Calcarius lapponicus. Lapland Longspur. — This 

 boreal species, usually so rare, seems to have been in a roving 

 mood during the winter of 1S84-85. At Far Rockaway Beach, 

 Qiieens Co., February 7, 1885, while on a collecting trip with 

 Dr. A. K. Fisher, one was secured by him as it was flushed from 

 the short beach grass where we were looking for Ipswich Spar- 

 rows. February 26, 1885, several flocks of from six to ten indi- 

 viduals were found by Mr. W. F. Hendrickson on some filled-in 



* Birds of Long Island, p. 23. 



