TAVERN ER AND SWALES, ON BIRDS OF POINT PELEE. 99 



ness of the woods across the road. Occasionally two would be hoard 

 answering each other across the dark gulf overhead and the effect 

 was very far from unpleasant. One night ono was heard closer than 

 usual and one of us stole out and stealthily followed up the voice. 

 There was an open glade not far awav with a lonely, stunted ami 

 twisted oak in its center. In this tree the little owl sat and repeated 

 his love song over and over. Shortly it was joined by another and 

 they sang duets in the well known quaver, but to the hearer below 

 came fragments of cooings and gurgles in between such as he never 

 thought an owl could utter. To attempt to set them down in cold 

 print would, if possible, rob them of their delicate beauty and destroy 

 the sentiment. Besides, we could not do it and retain a shadow of 

 our self-respect. The long, loud quaver was, of course, for the whole 

 world to hear, and to it you would be welcome; but the low parts be 

 tween were as certainly for no other ears than the little grey-tipped 

 ones by his side, and to blazen them forth and caricature them be- 

 fore the world's unsympathetic eye would be the act of a veritable 

 cad. The night may have had something to do with it, the velvety 

 blackness, the starlit sky and the murmuring of the waves on the 

 shore, but taking into consideration all these influencing surround- 

 ings we think that few sounds in nature are as sweet as the love song 

 of this little square gentleman in grey with the big yellow eyes whom 

 hardened naturalists c.ill "Screech" Owl. 



s:-. *ttnho rir{/iiii<nn;x. (Jreat Horned Owl. 



Not common, though doubtless a regular migrant and winter resi- 

 dent. Sept. 13, 190(i, Gardner shot one near his barn. Specimens 

 were sent us from the Point Nov. 13. 1 !)()<. and Feb. 23. 1007, ami an- 

 other was noted March 7 and May 31 of the same year. In spite of 

 this late record we have been unable to get any evidence from the 

 residents that it breeds. 



S4. ::: \ i/r(di ni/ctc<i, Snowy Owl. 



Oct. 2'.), 1JMI5. Tavorner chased an early bird down the entire length 

 of the east beach. It was quite tame and several times he got dusc 

 enough to make out that it was very white with hardly any dark on 

 the breast, and but few spots on the wings and ha.-K. It did not fly 

 very far on being disturbed, and always chose some small elevation 

 to alight upon, such as a log of drift wood, or other jetsam cast up 

 by the waves. Trees were never so used, though there were several 

 cottonwoods scattered along the way. but any tall stake or fence post 

 was taken whenever available/ Its snowy plumage could be seen 

 for miles against the tawny grasses and yellow sand of the beach. No 

 more birds were reported that winter, but Oct. .">(>. 1'.<n;. an almost 

 l-nre white one was sent to us and another in more ordinary plumau'f 

 N-.v. 7. No more were reported Tor the remainder of the winter. 

 Auk XXIV, 11)07. p. 1 I-".. 



