222 GoLSAN AND HoLT, Birds of Alabama. [April 



which we instantly recognized by its tail and great alar expanse, as a 

 Bald Eagle. Perhaps it had intended making a meal of one of the vul- 

 tm'es or forcing them to disgorge — there's no accounting for tastes! 

 A former resident of these parts used to tell of once having seen an eagle 

 take a "buzzard" on the wing, at this same place (about 1880). Ours is 

 the first record of a Bald Eagle in this vicinity in perhaps fifteen years. 



58. Falco sparverius subsp. Sparrow Hawk. — ■ Very common per- 

 manent resident. Breeding record: April 11, 1910, near Autaugaville' 

 four fresh eggs, deposited on debris at bottom of nest cavity, 6 in. deep, 

 used previous season by Flicker; hole 20 ft. up in dead pine in cultivated 

 field. (L. S. G.) This is one of the characteristic birds of the broad, open 

 hay lands of Montgomery Co., where it undoubtedly does much good by 

 preying upon the hordes of grasshoppers that overrun the fields. Both 

 subspecies sparverius and paulus undoubtedly occur here though we cannot 

 substantiate this statement with our own records. F. s. paulus is probably 

 the breeding bird. 



59. Pandionhalia'^tuscarolinensis. Osprey. — Rare. Individuals 

 occasionally seen throughout the year at Rawlinson's Pond, near Autauga- 

 ville. 



60. Aluco pratincola. Barn Owl. — Owing to its strictly nocturnal 

 habits, this bird is not well known, and so far has not been recorded in 

 Autauga Co. It has occasionally been taken at Barachias. On Jan. 

 8, 1912, an old, hollow oak, standing in a grove not over 200 yds. from a 

 residence at Barachias was cut, and three young, about 5 or 6 weeks old, 

 discovered in the cavity which was littered with quantities of pellets — 

 bones, hair, etc., of rats and mice. 



61. Asio wilsonianus. Long-eared Owl. — Seen in 1909 and heard 

 in 1911, near Bear Swamp. 



62. Asio flammeus. Short-eared Owl. — Occasionally common in 

 open hay fields at Barachias, usually during fall. 



63. Strix varia alleni. Florida Barred Owl. — ' Swamp Owl.' 

 "Hooting Owl." — Very common permanent resident. Nesting data: 

 March 27, 1910, east end of Bear Swamp; one heavily incubated egg de- 

 posited on debris at bottom of large cavi+y, 4 in. deep, 25 ft. up in large 

 post oak. (L. S. G.) 



64. Otus asio floridanus. Florida Screech Owl. ' Squinch 

 Owl.' ' Death Owl.' — Tolerably common permanent resident, lo- 

 cally abundant. Breeding records: April 10, 1908, Barachias; fourmoder- 

 ately incubated eggs, deposited on debris at bottom of cavity, 12 in. deep, 

 20 ft. up in old willow tree. Tree on ditch bank in open oat-field about 

 200 yards from residence. (E. G. H.) April 10, 1910, near Prattville; 

 three moderately-incubated eggs deposited in old woodpecker's nest- 

 cavity 12| ft. from ground in old pine snag on wooded hillside. Cavity 

 contained a few woodpecker's feathers. (L. S. G.) 



65. Bubo virginianus virginianus. Great Horned Owl. ' Horn 

 Owl.' ' PiNEY-wooDS Owl.' — Common permanent resident but not 



