IN THE DUNES 31 



touching insectivorous birds." This dune fam- 

 ily belongs in another category, and Mr. E. \N'. 

 Nelson of the Biological Survey, commenting on 

 these findings, wrote me that "It is very unusual 

 to find the long-eared owl feeding upon birds to 

 such an extent. In a large number of pellets ex- 

 amined from winter roosts of these birds, we 

 have found the bird remains making up consid- 

 erably less than ten per cent, of the total animal 

 contents. The owls in question must have had 

 exceptional opportunities to secure birds, and the 

 breeding season may also have had some effect 

 in producing this habit." The Ipswich dunes 

 are, as I have always maintained, particularly 

 good regions for birds, and these owls seem to 

 have had the instincts of collectors. 



There are several heronries near Ipswich, one 

 at Plum Island, one at Hamilton, one at North 

 Beverly, but an interesting and, I believe, the 

 largest is one I have watched from its beginning 

 in a grove in the Ipswich dunes. This grove is 

 composed almost entirely of pitch pines, but 

 there are a few white birches and white maples 

 among them. The fishing is good in the neigh- 



