62 



OENITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 10-No. 4 



fresh meat I had provided for him, and returned 

 to the house. The next morning what was mj' 

 surprise, on going to tlie orcliard, to find my \wt 

 lying on tlie ground under tlie tree, dead, and 

 with the scalp completely torn off his head. He 

 must have heen killed very soon after I left him 

 tlie previous evening, as he still retained in his 

 beak a small piece of the meat he was eating 

 when I made my evening call. The cause of his 

 death is still as great a mystery to me as ever, 

 although I have always believed it was caused by 

 his own relatives. 



When I reported the death of the Owl to my 

 friends they immediately suggested "the cat" as 

 the culprit, but, in my experience, I have never 

 yet seen a cat that showed any disposition to in- 

 terfere in the slightest with any member of the 

 Owl family. And besides, as the bird was eight 

 or ten feet from the ground, it was practically out 

 of the way of those prowling marauders. It is a 

 well known fact that several species of birds will 

 torment and sometimes kill their maimed or feeble 

 fellows, and who shall say that this also may not 

 be one of the characteristics of the great family of 

 the Uaptores. 



Notes on Birds of the Sea Islands. 



IIY W.\I.TER IIOXIE, FliOfiMORE, SO. C.\H. — P.\liT IV. 



Tlie Kingbird, (304,) is a very common Sum- 

 mer resident. 



Tlie Grey Kingbird, (303,) has been taken once 

 on Ladies' Island in May, 1868. 



The Great-crested Flycatclier, (312,) common 

 Summer resident. 



Tlie Pewee, (315,) common in Winter. 



The Wood Pewee, (330,) rare in the migrations. 



My record of the Flycatchers is very imper- 

 fect, but a friend informs me of the occurrence 

 here of Trail's Flycatcher, {325a.) 



The Least Flycatcher, (32G,) Small Greencrest- 

 ed (334,) and Yellow-bellied, (322.) I have never 

 identified the la.st four. Others might perhaps be 

 added to the list but I have an innate prejudice 

 against shooting Flycatchers. 



The Chuck Will's-widow, (353,) very common. 



The Whip-poor-will, (354,) I have only taken 

 once in March. 



The Night Hawk, (357,) common. 



The King Fisher, (382,) rather common and oc- 

 casionally breeds. 



The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, (387,) is common in 

 the Spring but rare in the Fall. 



The Black-billed Cuckoo, (388,) common both 

 Spring and Fall. A few breed. This seems to be 

 the stronger bird of the two, with a more south- 

 ern breeding range. 



The Hairy Woodjiecker, (300,) rare. 



The Downy Woodi^ecker, (361,) common. 



The Ked Cockadcd Woodpecker, (302,) (piite 

 rare. 



The Pileated Woodpecker, (371,) very common. 



The Yellpw-bellied Woodjiccker, (36!),) not un- 

 common. 



The Ked-bellied Woodpecker, (373,) very com- 

 mon. 



The Ked-lieaded Woodpecker, (375,) rather com- 

 mon. 



The Golden- Winged Woodpecker, (378,) com- 

 mon in Winter but only occasional in Summer. 



In former years the Ivory-billed Woodpecker 

 was not rare in this locality, and I have taken it 

 on .lohnson's, Pritchard's and Edding Islands. 

 Of late, however, I have failed to detect if. 



The Kuby-tliroafcd Humming-bird, (335,) com- 

 mon Summer resident. 



The Chimney Swift, (351,) common Summer 

 visitor. 



The Screech Owl, (402,) is common and breeds. 

 Called "Death Owl," and its note is supposed to 

 betoken the decease of some near relative. 



The Barred Owl, (397,) quite common and 

 breeds. Called Coo Coo and Tugadoo, both 

 names no doubt descriptive of its notes. 



The Barn Owl, (3!i4,) not uncommon and breeds. 



I am quite certain that I have heard the note 

 of the Saw-whet Owl, (401,) on Edding Island. 



I am also credibly informed of the occurrence 

 on St. Helena of the Great Horned Owl, (405,) the 

 Long-eared Owl, (305,) and the Short-eared Owl, 

 (390). The Snowy Owl has also been known to 

 wander as far .south in very severe Winters. 



The Pigeon Hawk, (417,) rare. Have not seen 

 more than half a dozen since 1807. Usually in 

 Spring. 



The Sparrow Hawk, (420,) breeds but is never 

 common until Winter when they are numerous, 

 pursuing the flocks of Sparrows and other small 

 Winter visitants. 



I have been informed by good observers of the 

 occurrence here of the Swallow-tailed Hawk, 

 (426,) the White-tailed Hawk, (427,) and the Mis- 

 sissippi Kite, (428,) but I have never taken or 

 fully identified any of them. 



The Marsh Hawk, (430,) is rather common in 

 Winter. 



The Cooper's Hawk, (431,) and Sharp Shinned 

 Hawk, (432,) neither is rare, but I have never de- 

 tected them during the breeding season. 



The Bed tailed Hawk, (436,) and Red-shouldered 

 Hawk, (439,) rather common residents. 



The Bald Eagle, (451,) and the Fi.sli Hawk, 

 (425.) arc both common residents. Their nests are 

 a tValuiv iu the landscape nf all the wilder island 



