276 Reed, Notes oti ike America7i Barn O-vl. foct'. 



ciently large he is often found by her side. I liave often cau- 

 tiously approached their nests and peered into them before they 

 took flight, which enabled me to distinguish the sexes as they 

 left the nest and were shot by my companion or a gunner who 

 chanced to be patroling the meadows. If the eggs were heavily 

 incubated the female was very reluctant in leaving them, but the 

 male flushed very easily. 



In the wild state their food consists chiefly of meadow mice 

 [Microtns pennsylvaniciis) } From the examination of several 

 hundred pellets gathered, from about their roosts, etc., I have 

 never yet found any indications of their having eaten birds. I 

 find that two mice is the average number contained in a pellet ; 

 and would suppose the Owls on retiring to their roosts in the 

 morning would have a full stomach, and if two mice is the average 

 number eaten at a meal, which takes at least three hours to digest, 

 they would not consume very many mice with even four meals in 

 a night. The pellets are always regurgitated before additional 

 food is eaten, and those which I have examined from birds in the 

 wild state indicated a complete digestion. I have, however, found 

 as many as six mice in a pellet, but in such cases they were always 

 collected from the nests during the breeding season, and were no 

 doubt discarded by the female ; I have found as many as thirteen 

 fresh mice in a nest at one time, and I would suppose she would 

 take advantage of such a supply. 



In captivity they will eat anything in the fresh meat line. The 

 following interesting facts I observed of a pet Owl belonging to 

 Mr. Voelker, which was sent to him by a man from Haddonfield, 

 New Jersey. From its plumage and size I should judge it was a 

 two year old male. It was crippled in one of its legs, which had 

 been broken above the knee joint, the bones having knit together 

 with the foot sideways, pointing outward, which deprived it of the 

 proper use of the foot ; it therefore took kindly to Mr. Voelker's 

 hospitality, who fed it daily on small birds and mice taken from 

 about his premises. When these were not available, slices from 



' My friend, Mr. S. N. Rhoads, has identified the following mammals in their 

 pellets: Microtns pennsylvaniciis, Microtus pinetorwti, Peromyscus leticopics , 

 Zapiis /iiidsoiiins, Blarina brevicauda and Coudyliira cristata. 



