Vol.^xivn Reed, Notes on the Americati Barn Otvl. ^St 



During the summer of iSS8, a pair of these Owls frequented 

 the ice-house on the border of tlie lake at Ridley Park, Pa., and I 

 was informed by a resident of the place that a brood had been 

 reared there the previous year. 



I recollect a happy experience with this Owl during April, 1883, 

 when, accompanied by Mr. Voelker, I visited an old pin-oak 

 tree on the lower end of Providence Island, Philadelphia County, 

 where young are probably reared at the present day. The tree 

 in question was within fifty feet of a farm-house, where lived an 

 old Irishman and his family. On one side of the tree was a pig- 

 pen, the shed of which backed up to it. During the afternoon 

 Mr. Voelker had an interview with the mistress of the house, but 

 failed to impress her with the*importance of a scientific investi- 

 gation of the Owl nest, so we concluded to purloin our fuzzy 

 friends after dark. While Mr. Voelker was shinning the tree with 

 my assistance from the shed over the pig-pen, the roof suddenly 

 gave way, and the pair of us landed with a crash among the hogs, 

 who made their escape with a terrible snort; in fact, we made 

 our escape surprisingly quick, also. Afterwards we were always a 

 little gun-shy of the spot, and kept reasonably distant from the 

 locality. 



Another old nesting tree, which was blown down by a wind 

 storm August 6, 1893, stood in the southwest corner of Provi- 

 dence Island, between Darby Creek and the railroad. For many 

 years it was regularly occupied, not only as a breeding place, but 

 also for roosting purposes. I visited this tree on September 24, 

 1893, after hearing of its destruction, and found the decomposed 

 carcasses of three young Owls upon the ground among pellets, 

 etc., which -had evidently been the contents of the nest when 

 overtaken by the storm. 



The tree, from its fall, had broken in half through the section 

 containing the hole, thereby giving a much better opportunity for 

 investigating. 



The height of the hole from the ground was twenty-five feet ; 

 diameter of hole inside, two feet ; outside diameter of tree at nest, 

 three and one-half feet ; the hole, three feet deep, when cleaned 

 out. Upon digging out the solid accumulation of the nest to the 

 extent of two feet deep, several skulls and bones of young Owls 



