208 BIRDS OF THE NEW YORK CITY REGION 



Barred Owl is a baritone, the Horned Owl is a basso prof undo. 

 The hoots are more even in tone, less regular in interval, but 

 are often heard in triplets. It cannot be exactly imitated, as 

 the pitch is below the normal range of the human voice, and 

 any loudness of delivery would be out of the question. More 

 rarely a blood-curdling scream is given, sounding like a woman 

 being murdered, which makes the camper awake trembling 

 and sweating, and once heard is never forgotten. On rare 

 occasions there are well-marked flights of Horned Owls, 

 chiefly in December and early January, when the student 

 may discover a bird in country from which the species has 

 long since vanished as a resident. Otherwise, seeing one re- 

 quires a special trip to wild country in early March in the 

 hope of discovering a nest, when the trees are bare. Careful 

 long range inspection of old nests of Crows, Hawks, or 

 Squirrels may reveal a round head and ears projecting above 

 the rim. In the majority of cases, however, the Owl will see 

 you first and will melt into the woods on silent wing. 



Long Island. Locally common resident, chiefly in the wilder 

 parts of the South Shore. 



ORIENT. Recorded in December. 

 MASTIC. Fairly common resident. 



New York State. Perhaps still surviving in northern West- 

 chester County, otherwise extinct as a resident. A very rare visi- 

 tant in December. 



CENTRAL PARK. Casual visitor; one shot by a keeper in 

 1900 or 1901 (Hix); another shot late in 1904 (R. E. Stack- 

 pole); one flushed from a grape vine tangle in the Ramble, 

 December 10, 1908 (L. and A. Griscom). 



BRONX REGION. Several birds have been shot in the 

 Zoological Garden by the keepers. One seen there April 23, 

 1916 (L. N. Nichols). This bird was checked up by the Park 

 authorities, who reported no captive birds missing. 



New Jersey. Now extirpated, or nearly so, near New York 

 City. A pair still survives near Mt. Bethel. It has been seen 

 recently near Montclair in July (Rowland) and may breed there. 

 Seen also in June near Wyanokie (Rowland). There is plenty of 



