174 THE OTTAWA NATURALIST. | December 
blowing—birds singing—frogs croaking, etc. Today is some- 
what different. In the forenoon cloudy with a strong west to 
northwest wind blowing. Tonight, 9 P.M. we are having a 
veritable blizzard, colder, with snow. What of the birds? The 
Phoebe that chirped this morniug on the barn, or the Robin that 
sang on the Lombardy poplar at the gate? 
April 8. Saw large numbers of Lranchippus stagnalis, in 
pools, also caddis-fly larve in their curious cases-in the same 
location. Some, perhaps seventy-five per cent, of the cases were ~ 
made of fine twigs and pieces of grass crossed, the balance was 
formed of the bark of dead twigs with the wood removed—the 
larvee occupying the interior. All appeared alike, head with 
strong jaws and three pair of legs. 
April 14. Saw a Great Horned Owl with three Red-tailed 
hawks assaulting it ; when a dozen or so of crows came to help 
along the fight the hawks retired. The owl kept low, not more 
than twenty feet from the ground each time it alighted ; twice | 
saw it in the crotch of a small tree crouching beside a limb, and 
with tail and wing slightly separated it looked so exactly like a 
dead branch of a tree hanging there that without knowing for a 
certainty that it had settled there I would not have suspected its 
identity. I approached twice within fifteen feet and had an ex- 
cellent view. | 
Last Sunday (1oth) J. E.saw a racoon that the dog caught 
as it was attempting to climb a tree. The animal was so poor 
after its winter fast that it could scarcely stand and was quite 
unable to climb. The dog did not hurt it and J. E. caught a frog 
which it ate in presence of the dog. 
May 19. Saw Wodchuck in a bare field. When hard 
pressed he lay flat on the soil and remained motionless ; when 
disturbed his teeth were ground in a very threatening manner. 
We let him go and he left for the nearest fence working his teeth 
all the time and displaying to their fullest the hairs on his tail. 
June 2. Found nest ot Junco in grassy place at edge of 
woods; placed beneath the half of a hollow log completely 
covered, with entrance a foot from nest at end of log, contents 
four young Juncos and one Cowbird. Nest composed of weeds 
bark strips lined entirely with dry grass leaves. 
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