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NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part 1. 



THE SHORT-EARED OWL. 



THE BARRED OWL. 



THE SAW-WHET. 



according to Dr. Richardson common in 

 the woody districts between Hudson's Bay 

 and tlie Pacific ocean, as far north as the 

 Gri^ of latitude. Dr. R. found a nest of 

 one of these owls on the 22d of May, 

 containing three young. It was built of 

 sticks on the top of a balsam poplar, and 

 was lined with feathers. The eggs are 

 said to be spotted. This owl is rarely 

 seen in this slate, but occasionally makes 

 his appearance here in the depth of win- 

 ter. 



THE SHORT-EARED OWL. 



Sirix braclnjota. — L at ha m . 

 OtXLS brachyoUii—Auti. Am. Birds I — 140, pi. 33. 

 Description.— Ear-like tufts inconspic- 

 uous, consisting of 2 or 3 short feathers ; 

 general color ochreous spotted with black- 

 ish-brown ; face round, the eyes blackisli ; 

 tail ochreous with about 5 brown bands, 

 not extending beyond tlie wings, and 

 tipi)ed with white ; beneath 3'ellow witli 

 longitudinal spots of blackish-brown ; iris 

 bright yellow ; bill black ; feet and toes 

 feathered. Female with tlie general tints 

 paler. Length from 13 to 1.3 inches. — 



mat. 



History. — Tiiis species migrate to the 

 south in the fall, and during the winter 

 are so numerous in Florida that Audubon 

 says that he has shot no less than seven 

 of them in a single morning. They pro- 

 ceed to the north on the approach of 

 spring for tlie purpose of rearing their 

 young, but some of them are known to 

 spend the summer, and, occasionally, to 

 breed as far south as Pennsylvania. This 

 owl is found in Vermont, and I am as- 

 sured by Dr. Brewer that it breeds in 

 the northeastern part of the state. It 

 builds its nest upon the ground, and its 

 eggs, which are about four, are of a dull 

 bluish white color. The short-eared owl 

 is attracted by nocturnal fires, and will 

 sometimes approach so near as to be 

 knocked down with a stick. 



THE BARRED OWL. 



Strix nchulosa. — Linn yE us. 

 Description. — General color umber- 

 brown, spotted and barred with white and 

 vellowish white above ; beneath whitish, 

 barred transversely on the breast and 

 longitudinally on the belly with umber 

 brown, and having large sagittate spots 

 of the same on the feathers towards the 

 tail; tail long, reaching 4 inches beyond the 

 folded wings, rounded, tipped with wliite, 

 convex above, and crossed by six broad bars 

 of umber brown, separated by narrow 

 bars of yellowish white ; plumage in front 



of the eye ends in long black hairs; bill 

 yellow ; legs covered with feathers, ex- 

 tremities of the toes covered with scales j 

 nails long, sharp, and of a dark horn color. 

 Length 20 inches. 



History. — The Barred Owl inhabits 

 both the eastern and western continents. 

 It is found in all parts of the United 

 States, and is one of the most common 

 owls found in \'ermont. It docs not con- 

 fine itself to tlie woods, but comes around 

 our dwellings and is often seen among 

 our shade trees and orchards in the midst 

 of our villages. I have before me two 

 specimens, both of which were shot in the 

 village of Burlington. Their food con- 

 sists of young hares, squirrels, mice, 

 groiis and other birds, and also of frogs 

 and other reptiles. They sometimes destroy 

 chickens. This owl, according to Au- 

 dubon, does not build a nest, but lays its 

 eggs, in the latter part of Rlarch, upon 

 i\w soft rotten wood in a hollow tree, and 

 sometimes in the old nest of a crow or 

 red-tail hawk. The eggs are of a globu- 

 lar form, pure white, with a smooth sliell 

 and fronr 4 to G in number. 



THE SAW-WHET. 



Strix acadica. — Gmel. 



Uluta acadica.— Auti. Am. Birds. I — 123, pi. 33. 



Description. — General color above 

 olivaceous brown, scapulars and some of 

 the wing-coverts spotted with white ; the 

 first six primary quills obrnpiely barred 

 with white ; tail darker, with two narrow 

 white bars; upper part of the head streak- 

 ed with irrayish-white ; ruff white, spotted 

 witli dusky. Lower parts whitish ; the 

 sides and breast marked with broad elon- 

 gated patches of brownish-red. Length 

 of the male 7S inches, spread 17. Female 

 81, \8.—.^udi1bon. 



History. — This little owl is not un- 

 common in Vermont, and it is generally 

 known by the r\a.me of Saw- JVhct ; and 

 this name is derived from the sound of its 

 peculiar note, which resembles that of 

 the filinir of the teeth of a lar^e saw. 

 People, who are unacquainted with this 

 bird, travelling in the forest, are often 

 deceived by its note, supposing them- 

 selves to be approaching a saw-mill, while 

 far remote from any settlement. Audu- 

 bon relates that he himself was several 

 times deceived in this way. This bird 

 is sometimes called the Little Owl, or 

 ' Little Acadian Owl.' It is retired and 

 solitary in its habits, confining itself dur- 

 ing the day to evergreen and other thick- 

 ets of the forest. For rearing its young, 

 the Saw- Whet takes possession of the old 

 nest of a crow, or some other large bird, 



