118 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 12-lN'o. 8 



house of a friend in Attleboro. One of their 

 nests was simply a decayed cavity in an old 

 walnut tree, in a grove not far from a house. 



Two sets of two eggs each were taken April 

 7th and 25th, when the Owl resorted to an old 

 nest of the Red-shouldered Hawk, and laid a 

 third "set"? of one egg, which was taken, to- 

 gether with the old bird. May 7th. This nest 

 has been occupied by the owls for a number of 

 years, and it will be interesting to observe 

 whether the male will return with a mate, to 

 again establish a home. The set of eggs is 

 usually complete with two, but three has been 

 taken several times by both Mr. Carpenter and 

 myself. The eggs are globular — as all Owl's 

 eggs are — and when first taken from the nest 

 are generally very dirty, owing to no lining 

 being used to protect the eggs from the rotten 

 punk on the bottom of the nest, but water soon 

 brings out their true color, a creamy white. 



Saw-whet Owl {Nyctale acadica). This, the 

 smallest of our owls, occurs with us only as a 

 rare winter visitor. While not so uncommon 

 as to merit particular comments, yet I refer to 

 the following dates of capture within our lim- 

 its; Seekonk, Dec. 1880, (Miller), Seekonk, 

 Jan. 1882, (Carpenter), Dartmouth. Jan. 18S2, 

 Mansfield, Feb. 1883, (Carpenter). 



Screech Owl (Scops asio). A common resi- 

 dent of our county and regularly breeds, 

 cboosing some convenient hollow tree, without 

 regard to its proximity to the habitation of 

 man. One instance has came under my per- 

 sonal observation, of a pair of Scops, who annu- 

 ally bred in a hollow elm tree, in the front 

 yard of a farmer's house, and to which mem- 

 bers of the family would often ascend, liy 

 means of a ladder, and gaze ui»on the enter- 

 prising brood of owlets. The nest complement 

 is usually four eggs, whicli differ from the 

 foregoing only in being smaller in size. Nearly 

 all are familiar with the two phases of plu- 

 mage — red and grey — of this bird which can- 

 not be attributed to either age or sex. 



Great-horned Owl ,{Buho virginianus), A 

 rare resident, and not known to breed at pres- 

 ent though it may do so. A series of their 

 eggs, personally examined in the collection of 

 Mr. F. H. Carpenter, comprises eleven sets of 

 two eggs each, the result of a single pair of 

 birds. The nest in this instance was made by 

 the owls and placed in the forks of a tree which 

 was half blown down but had caught in the 

 branches of another. The usual period of ob- 

 taining the first set was between Feb. 27 and 

 March 8, the two dates being the earliest and 

 latest on which fresh eggs were found. 



Snowy Owl, {Nyctea scandiaca). A rare win- 

 ter visitor of more or less regularity. Have 

 seen a specimen in the flesh but once, that be- 

 ing in the possession of a hunter who secured 

 it in Dightou, Jan. 30, 1882. 



Pigeon Hawk, {JEsalon colunibarius) . A rare 

 visitor, most frequently observed in autumn. 

 No record of its breeding, though it may bave 

 done so in former years, as has been proved in 

 other localities. 



Osprey, (Pundion hnlinetus carolinensis) . An 

 abundant summer visitor. Breeds in the south- 

 ern portions of this county, there being in the 

 vicinity of Palmer's river quite a colony of 

 them, occupying the adjoining swamps, though 

 many of them build near the houses. 



They arrive here about the last of March and 

 resort to their old nests. By the tenth of May 

 they have laid their full set of eggs, which 

 usuallj' consists of tliree, thought sometimes 

 two, and in a few rare instances four are found. 



Their eggs are handsome and, (as is the case 

 with all colored eggs), vary in appearance, 

 from deep chocolate and umber, to a light 

 brown and dirty grey. 



As they use the same nest for successive 

 seasons, adding to it every year, it forms a 

 conspicuous feature in the landscape after the 

 foliage has disappeared. 



Marsh Hawk {Circus hudsonius) . This species 

 is common in summer and has been observed 

 in winter. 



Its nest has been found commonly and diff"er- 

 ing from all other hawks it builds on the 

 ground, usually in some clump of low bushes, 

 on a hummock, near low meadows and marshes. 

 The eggs are laid about the second week in 

 May, and a complete set numbers five, and 

 in some instances six. but principally the 

 former. 



The tood of the hawk consists of frogs, mice 

 and other "humble game" in search of which he 

 may be seen quartering over the meadows or 

 following some winding course of a brook, in- 

 tent upon securing some unluckj"^ batrachinn. 



This hawk is represented in all sections of 

 the county antl reports of the nesting have 

 been received from nearly every town, conclu- 

 sivelj' proving it to be one of our most common 

 7'a2)tores. 



Cooper's Hawk {Accipiter Cooperi). Our 

 commonest hawk. Breeds in all sections of 

 the county. Arriving in number by tlie mid- 

 dle of March, though a few individuals remain 

 during the winter. 



By the first week in May they have laid their 

 full complement of eggs and sometimes earlier, 



