1S9".] Bolles. Barred Owls in Captivity. Ill 



Goldfinches did about the same, showing no anger. Grass 

 Finches sat about on boulders and said little, and their friends, 

 the Field Sparrows, behaved similarly. In large swamps one or 

 two Rose-breasted Grosbeaks generally came to see what caused 

 so much outcry but they never approached close to the Owl. 

 During the flight of Juncos, White-throats, and White-crowned 

 Sparrows in October, these species seemed to care almost 

 nothing about Puffy after a first bustling visit of inquiry. 



A bird of great individuality and irregular distribution is found 

 in the Chocorua country in considerable abundance. I refer 

 to the Great-crested Flycatcher, which, by the way, always 

 places snake skins in those of its nests that I find. No amount of 

 bird clamor will bring this self-contained and suspicious citizen 

 near my Owl. He has his own affairs to care for, and he has a 

 contempt for brawls and gossip. Similar indifference was shown 

 the Owl in a less marked way by the smaller Flycatchers, but the 

 Kingbirds maintained their reputation for bullying, by attacking 

 Puffy and striking him lightly again and again by well-directed 

 darts from above. 



The Swallows and Swifts delighted to tease the Owl by dashing 

 past him and fanning him with their wings. They showed 

 no fear or hatred. Kingfishers took no notice of him. The 

 Black-billed Cuckoo came near, and had a good deal to say in 

 a reproachful voice, but its controlling emotion seemed to be 

 curiosity rather than fear. Late one afternoon in August (the 

 2d) I placed Puffy in the midst of a white birch grove near a 

 brook. A Cuckoo opened the opera and brought some Vireos 

 including two Solitaries. Their explosions were audible a long 

 way, and for a moment or two the air seemed full of birds, 

 nearly all Warblers, and all coming towards the Owl. I could 

 not count them ; they came by scores and swarmed about 

 incessantly like bees. Most of them were Black-and-white 

 Creepers, Black-throated Greens, Chestnut-sideds, Black-and- 

 yellows, Canadians, and Redstarts, young birds predominating. 

 I never expect to see more Warblers in one noisy bunch. As a 

 rule, however, a glance or two seemed to satisfv them, and they 

 went ofF after their suppers. Of all the Warblers, the Oven-birds 

 were the only ones at all persistent in abusing Puffy. They 

 would come quickly and stay long, with ruffled feathers and 

 anxious notes. One day (July 14) while exploring some dense 



