78 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



must depend on tlio Ptiinnit^'an, and, indeed, is found a constant attendant 

 upon the Hocks ol' tiiese birds in tlieir spring' niigralions. Wiien the hunters 

 are shooting (! rouse, it is said to he occasionally attracted by the report 

 of the i>un, and is often hold enough, wlien a bird has been killed, to 

 pounce down upon it, although it is unable, from its inferior size, to curry it 

 off. It is also said to occasionally hover round the fires made l»y the Intlians 

 at niglit. 



To this account of its liabits Ificharilson adds that it builds its nest on a 

 tree, of sticks, grass, and feathers, antl lays two white eggs. In regard t(j 

 tlie number of eggs, he is now known to be inaccurate. Mr. MacFarlane 

 met with this bird in considerable numbers in the region of Anderson IJiver, 

 Avliere he found several nests, and all of which he made any record were 

 built in pine-trees at consideral)le height from the ground. One nest is 

 said to have been on the top of a i)ine aliout twenty feet in height, and 

 was composed of small sticks and twigs, lined with mo.ss. Doth ]iarents 

 were obtained. This nest contained two young liirds — one of mIucIi was 

 about ten days old, the other aliout three weeks — and an addled egg. This 

 nest was found on the 20th of June, .showing that tlic bird began to incubate 

 early in ^lay. 



Anotiier ne.st, taken on the 2Sth of April, was found to contain si.\ eggs. 

 It was l)uilt in the top crotch of a tall pine, was composed of dry sticks, and 

 lined witli hay and a few feathers. A third nest also contained six eggs, 

 ami was lined with green mosses and deer's hair. One nest contained as 

 many as seven eggs, and all l)ut one had as many as si.\. Mr. MaeFarlane 

 speaks of it as a winter resident. 



Mr. I), li. lio.ss states that he found tliis liird throughout the (heat Slave 

 Lake district, but n<it jilentiful. It winters in even the northernmost parts 

 of the wooded country. It is said to build its nest not oidy on trees, but 

 also on clilfs, and to lay as early as the last of March or the first of April. 

 He states that the eggs are usually four in nundier, and describes them as 

 of a dead white, of an ol)long-oval sliajie, and as measuring 1.."!'.l inches by 

 1.21. He rectMved three eggs with the jjurent bird, taken at Lapierre's 

 Ilou.'ie, and another ])arent, with nest and four eggs, from Salt Kiver. 



Mr. Dall found tliis the most common s])ecies of Owl al>out Xulato. 

 ]\Iany of both sexes were obtained, and on the IGtli of Ajiril he took from 

 tile ovary of a female an egg ready fur laying. On the oth of ^hiy Mr. Dall 

 obtained six eggs which were laid ou the top of an old birch stump, and 

 fifteen feet from the groiiud. There was no nest other than that the rotten 

 wood was somewhat hollowed out, and the eggs laid directly uiion it. As 

 he was climbing to the nest, the male bird which had lieen sitting on tiie" 

 nest attacked Mr. Dall, and knocked oil' his cap. The female did not ajipear. 



Mr. Donald (!nnn states that these Owls hunt in the daytime, and feed 

 chiefly u])on mice; and Mr. Dall seldom found anything but mice in their 

 crojis, and adds that it is very fond of flying, towards dusk, from tlie top 



