1890.] Bolles, Barred Owls in Captivity. I I 3 



I began hooting, and to my surprise and delight an Owl responded 

 from a tree close by. I hooted again ; it came nearer. Then T 

 'squeaked,' and the next second I hastened to hide my head in the 

 bushes, for the wings of an Owl had brushed my face in the dark- 

 ness, making cold shivers run down my back. We fired three 

 times at this Owl and another which joined him, but failed to kill 

 either. After amusing myself and others several evenings by calling 

 the Owls in this way, I took Puffy with me and placed him on a 

 swinging bough where he was plainly visible to crepuscular eye- 

 sight. Several Swainson's Thrushes found him out before twi- 

 light faded, and complained softly at his presence. When all was 

 still, T hooted, and soon an Owl replied from the farther shore of 

 the lake. Continuing to call, I had the satisfaction of seeing my 

 bird flv close over Puffy's head and alight within easy range, 

 another Owl at the same time beginning to hoot close by. 1 shot 

 one and was satisfied. Puffy and Fluffy always show great ex- 

 citement when wild Owls hoot at night, and occasionally Fluffy 

 replies. 



The only other Owl which I have seen thus far in the Cho- 

 corua region is the Acadian. On July 18, about six p.m., 

 listening to four Great-crested Flycatchers signalling each other 

 in a wooded pasture, I noted an unusual commotion among 

 Robins, Hermits, and Vireos in a bunch of alders not far away. 

 Creeping in, with Puffy held before me, I saw the scolds sur- 

 rounding a buff-waistcoated young Acadian perched about five 

 feet from the ground on an alder. He saw Puffy, and Puffy 

 looked at him with interest and attention. The agony in the 

 little bird's yellow eyes was pitiful. He gazed long, and then, 

 turning his head slowly away, sailed noiselessly out of sight, fol- 

 lowed by the gossips. 



There are several of the Chocorua birds which I have not named 

 in connection with the Owl. The Bluebirds seemed grieved to 

 think anything so wicked could exist. They perched near him 

 and seemed to be trying with their sweet tones to induce him to 

 give up being an Owl. The Kinglets cared nothing for him, 

 even wtten their curiosity was aroused by the abuse ot Chicka- 

 dees, who were among the noisiest of Puffy's visitors. Both 

 Nuthatches are common near Chocorua, and both showed by brief, 

 business-like remarks what they thought of Puffy- Winter Wrens 

 told Puffy plainly that he was a thief. The Indigo-bird was one 



