April, 1885.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



61 



aljoimils along the brooks and swampy lands, in- 

 habiting bushes on tbe edges of creeics and ponds. 

 The male cannot be mistaken after once being 

 M-fu. Tlie black mask completely covering the 

 liiail, and handsome yellow lliroat are his most 

 prominent features. The female is of a much 

 diillci' hue, and hsr modest plumage is in great 

 contrast with that of her mate. They arrive in 

 early May and may be easily apjiroached, not 

 having that fear of man so oft'jn displayed by 

 others of the family. The female, I believe, is 

 rarely seen unless flushed from her nest. After 

 her treasures are removed, she takes a silent fare- 

 well and is not seen about the locality again. 

 Walking along beside some swampy land, a male 

 will take alarm at the sound of your footsteps 

 and fly from some bunch of ferns near at hand, 

 (piickly followed by another and another, until 

 half a dozen have flown from the spot, and it is a 

 mystery where they go. But if you proceed, 

 another flock vf\\\ leave the next large clump of 

 ferns. Whether they believe in concealment or 

 what their motive is, is to be solved. I have 

 watched the ferns where they disappear, for 

 |)erhaps twenty minutes, and not a sign, but move 

 towards their place of concealment they immedi- 

 ately leave. Their nest is built in the latter part 

 of .May. Earliest date for fresh set, June 4. Latest 

 dale, June 17. The latter nest taken during the 

 seiwon of '82, contained five eggs of pure white 

 ground and marked with scrawls and spots about 

 the crown, with one or two black spots resembling 

 a dot of "India ink." The nest is placed on or 

 near the ground in some swampy land, composed 

 of leaves and grass and lined with fibres and grass, 

 arched over and with a small entrance. I have 

 remained in close proximity with one some time 

 before discovery. A nest found last season in a 

 very low bush contained four fresh eggs. The 

 bottom of the nest was thickly tenanted by black 

 ants, evidently not in a very peaceable frame of 

 mind,as my hand and arm testified on reaching 

 liome. How the female could share her home 

 with such unwelcome guests, I cannot imagine. 



My Experience with a Screech Owl. 



r.Y W. II. PRESBY, E.*.ST Ci^MBHIDGE, M.VSS. 



Several years ago it was my good fortune to 

 have as pets, several of the feathered tribe that 

 are usually considered anything but desirable for 

 cage birds. Thinking that an account of some of 

 them might lie of interest to the readers of the 

 '■(). and O." I have concluded to give you first, 

 my experience with a little Screech Owl that was 

 cipiured one morning in tlie earl}' Autumn b}- a 



friend, who found it roosting in a thick' clump of 

 Alders by the side of a river, where he had evi 

 denlly been overtaken by the daylight and con- 

 cluded to camp for the day. At the report of the 

 gun he tumbled headlong into the \mderbrush, 

 and my friend was considerably surprised on go- 

 ing for his prize, to find him "sitting up" anil 

 looking as calm as if nothing had occurred to 

 disturb his morning nap. But with all his caliu 

 exterior, it was only after quite a lively encounter 

 that he was finally captured and stowed safely 

 away in a capacious coat pocket. On arriving at 

 the house we made a most careful examination of 

 our little prisoner, but were unable to find the 

 .slightest trace of shot marks on either plumage or 

 body, and finally concluded that he liad been 

 only stunned by the report of the heavily loaded 

 gun, the contents of wliich had passed safely 

 above him. 



We placed him in a large granary, 'hat was 

 lignted only by one small window, and allowed 

 him to come and go at will among the bins that 

 were plentifully stocked with mice. Here he 

 lived for several weeks, apparently well pleased 

 with his new mode of life. He chose a certain 

 place in one corner of the granary, to which he 

 always retired, and remained throughout the day, 

 but on the approach of twilight he would sally 

 out on his search for game. During the time he 

 was confined in the room, I never knew him to 

 eat anything aside from what he captured himself, 

 although bits of fresh meat were furnished him 

 every morning. He seemed to delight in sitting 

 on the floor ot the bins, and watching the holes 

 through which the mice would pass from one bin 

 to another. When disturbed he would resort to 

 his favorite place in the corner of the granary, 

 and there remain stamping his feet, snapping his 

 beak, and presenting the most perfect picture ot 

 uncontrollable anger. 



He would after a few days allow me to rub the 

 top of his head with my finger, but would never 

 permit any further attempt at familiarity. 



One morning in October, I fastened a strong- 

 cord to one leg and tied him to the limb of a tree 

 in the orchard, giving him plenty of cord to reach 

 the ground at pleasure. About nine o'clock the 

 following evening, having occasion to pass 

 through the orchard, I discovered a second Owl 

 sitting on a dead limb that projected above the top 

 of an adjacent tree, and immediately returned for 

 a gun, but on returning a few minutes later the 

 visitor had flown. I waited quite a long time for 

 him to return, but finally concluded he had left 

 the vicinity for good. I visited my captive, who 

 was busily engaged in making a supjier ol some 



