iSq7 1 Reed, Notes on the American Barn Ozul. 37 S 



During the summer months I have often found the young, after 

 leaving the nest, roosting during the daytime among the dead or 

 dense foliage of trees, probably for want of other shelter. In 

 such cases the ground, bushes, and trunks of the trees in which 

 they roost, are often very noticeably marked with the excrement 

 and dried-out pellets, which lead to their discovery. 



This Owl is resident the year around in this locality. During 

 the fall and winter months I have found them roosting both singly 

 and in colonies, depending on the size of their roosting places, 

 and often occupying separate cavities of the same tree. An 

 example of this may be found located in the woods at Glenolden, 

 Delaware County, Pa., which has been a favorite roosting and 

 nesting place for several years. This dormitory is beyond the 

 reach of the ordinary climber, owing to its height of about sixty 

 feet above the ground, the size and bareness of the trunk pre- 

 venting many persons from investigating them and accomplishing 

 their extermination. 



On January 31, 1891, accompanied by my friend Mr. C. A. 

 Voelker, I visited this tree and from the numerous holes in its 

 branches counted fourteen Owls fly out during the evening. Five 

 of these were secured, two males and three females, three being 

 old birds and two young. Again on September 25, 1892, I paid 

 the place a visit, but, arriving a little late in the evening, I saw 

 only four Owls, Mr. Voelker on the following evening seeing five 

 birds, one of which he shot. The Owls leave the roost very 

 early in the evening, often a long time before sunset, departing 

 singly, several minutes elapsing after the exit of one before the 

 appearance of another, each circling around the tree several times 

 before leaving, emitting a note similar to the clucking of a 

 squirrel, probably a call note to their companions. This habit 

 of leaving the roost before sunset, is more noticeable during the 

 breeding season when the days are long and the nestlings require 

 food, and this no doubt accounts for their being seen occasionally 

 during cloudy days searching for food. 



I think the female remains on the eggs and is often fed by the 

 male during the season of incubation, as a certain amount of 

 food is generally found in the nest at this time. I have never 

 found the male covering the eggs, although if the cavity is suffi- 



