THE OOLOGIST. 



33; 



The Barred Owl. 



This wonderful bird is found through- 

 out New England. Its plumage is ex- 

 tremely soft and cinereous, which com- 

 bined with its great breadth of wings, 

 makes it remarkable for its soft, rapid 

 and noiseless flight. 



The reports that it preys upon fish 

 are probably false, but if it does prey 

 upon them it is a very rare occurrence, 

 and then only when pressed by hunger. 

 It is A'ery easily tamed and at once 

 becomes a very interesting and amusing 

 pet. 



A Barred Owl that is in my possess- 

 ion, I keep in the hay-loft of a barn. 

 When I go to feed it, 'it flies down and 

 alights on a beam, close by me, and 

 there allows himself to be fed. If a 

 stranger comes into the loft however, 

 the owl at once spreads out his wings, 

 and ruffling his feathers, he snaps his 

 bill and winks at the intruder. 



One day a kitten got into the owl's 

 domains and there was at once great 

 confusion. I heard the noise and went 

 to the kitten's rescue but not before her 

 back was bleeding from the sharp 

 talons of the owl. Not knowing 

 whether my bird was able to supply 

 himself with food or not, I did not feed 

 him for eight days. On the morning of 

 the ninth day, on showing him. his 

 meat, he grasped it in his talons, and 

 then before eating it he disgorged a 

 ball about the size of silk-worm's 

 cocoon. On examining it, I found that 

 it was composed entirely of fine hairs 

 and the vertebra of a mouse. This 

 showed me he was clearing the loft of 

 its mice and could take care of himself 

 in case of my absence. 



When the owl is hungry or lonesome, 

 he utters a long sad wail, which sounds 

 like the cry of an infant. On offering 

 him a pigeon he will ruffle his feathers, 

 and if it is put close to him he will 

 strike at it with his wings. 



Most people believe that the Barred 



Owl, or any owl for that matter, is. 

 only able to see in the dark. Probably 

 this is merely supposition, as my owl. 

 can see as well in the day time as any 

 other bird I have ever seen in captivity.. 

 Edward Fuller, 

 Norwich, Conn. 



Yellow-breasted Chat. 



(Icteria virens.) 



This brightly plumaged warbler is: 

 quite plentiful in this locality (Hudson 

 Co., N. J.,) though not often seen on 

 account of its retiring habits. 



The color of an adult male is as fol- 

 lows: Above, olive-green or olive-gray- 

 ish; the throat, chest and breast, rich 

 gamboge yellow; belly, anal region, 

 and under tail coverts, white; eyelids, 

 suploral streak and malar stripe, white:, 

 lores deep black. It measures in length 

 from 7.00 to 8.00 inches, wing 3.05 to- 

 3 35, tail 3.30' to 3.60. The coloring ia 

 the female corresponds to that of the. 

 male, except being some what duller,, 

 and the black and white markings less 

 contrasted. 



The nest is generally placed in 

 clumps of bushes or briars from two to, 

 three and one-half feet from the ground. 

 A nest found May 30, 1890, containing 

 four fresh eggs, which were glossy- 

 white, with a pinkish cast spotted with 

 madder-brown and lilac-grey. The 

 nest (a typical one) was composed out- 

 side of withered leaves, grape-vine 

 bark and grass; lined with finer grass. 

 Three to five eggs represent a clutch of 

 this species. The eggs vary in size from 

 .84 to .95 inches length, and .65 to .70 

 inches breadth. 



Icteria virens is an inhabitant of th& 

 briars, brambles, bushes and such 

 shrubbery as grows most luxuriantly ia 

 low wet places. Its principal food, 

 larvae and insects, seldom leading it 

 higher than the tops of the underbrush. 

 John Luhrman, 

 Jersey City, NT. J. 



