239 



[jose that our little Acadian Owl, when found by the 

 eager scalj) hunter, was generally slain and the bounty 

 of fifty cents given "lor the beuetit of agriculture and 

 for the protection of game." 



HIDES IN ROCKY PLACES. 



The name Saw-whet is applied to this bird because, 

 at times, its squeaky voice resembles the whetting or 

 tiling of a saw. Owing to the small size of this owl, 

 together with the fact that during the daytime it re- 

 mains secreted in hollow trees, thick foliage or in the 

 dark and secluded rocky retreats, it is seldom met with, 

 hence is regarded as one of our rarest residents. The 

 young of this bird, taken in the vicinity of Philadel- 

 phia, liave been seen by I'rof. Gentry, and in E. A. 

 ►Samuel's work, ''Our Northern and Eastern Birds," the 

 following interesting account is given by Richard 

 Christ of a nest that he found April 25, 1867, at Naza- 

 reth, Pennsylvania: "This, the smallest of all our 

 owls, is also the most rare, but a single specimen being 

 seen in a period of several years. It is very tame when 

 found, permitting one to approach very close to it be- 

 fore flying away. I am inclined to think that it sees 

 less in the daytime than any otlier species of our owls, 

 for one can toucli it without being noticed, the bird 

 taking fiight more from alarm to its sense of iieaiin^ 

 tlian any other cause. 



THE NEST AND EGGS. 



"It generally frequents stone quarries oi' j»iles of 

 rocks, beneath which it takes shelter; nnd it is from 

 this habit that the biid here is known by the name of 

 'Stone Owl.' On *he 25th of April, 18C>7, I was so for 

 tunate as to find the nest of one of these birds. Tt 

 was placed or loealed in tlie hollow of a tree, about 



