BIRDS OP MADISON COUNTY 17 



75. (372) Nyctala acadica (Gmel.). 



Saw-whet owl. 



Rarely seen in Madison county. One female seen 

 on college hill, Hamilton, N. Y., May 6, 1896. 



76. (373) Megascops asio (Linn.). 



Screech owl. 



Common resident. Breeds. Of several stomachs 

 examined by the writer, the greater number contained the remains 

 of insects and small mammals, while in one stomach were found 

 feathers of the Junco hyemalis. 



77. (375) Bubo virginianus (Gmel.). 



Great horned owl. 



Not uncommon resident. Breeds. More often seen 

 during the winter months. 



78. (376) Nycteanyctea (Linn.). 



Snowy owl. 



Occasionally seen during the winter months. 



Order COCCYGES. (Cuckoos, etc.) 

 Family CUCULIDAE. (Cuckoos, etc.) 



79. (387) Coccyzus americanus (Linn.). 



Yellow-billed cuckoo. 



Uncommon summer resident. Breeds. 



80. (388) Coccyzus erythrophthalmus (Wils.). 



Black-billed cuckoo. 



Common summer resident. Begins nesting the 

 latter part of May. Two is the usual number of eggs in completed 

 sets of this locality. Often three eggs are found. On May 26, 

 1897, the writer found a nest containing the very large complement 

 of six fresh eggs, and on June 8, 1900, another nest containing 

 four fresh eggs was also found. 



This species destroyed great numbers of the Forest 

 tent caterpillar (clisiocampa disstria) which were so destructive to 

 the foliage of the shade trees of Hamilton during the spring of 1899. 



