26 



THE OOLOGIST 



The Owls of Southern Wisconsin. 



Our Owls, interesting and higMy 

 useful birds of prey, are to me almost 

 the most interesting division of North. 

 American birds. Although mainly use- 

 ful, they do not escape being continu- 

 ally persecuted. Seven species have 

 come under my observation. Of the 

 seven I have found nests and eggs of 

 three.' What the hawk is in the day 

 time as a mouser, etc., the owl is at 

 night. 



Long-eared Owl (Asio wilsonianus). 

 The Long-eared, found usually in the 

 woods, is quite often seen and shot 

 by the thoughtless gunner. They nest 

 in deep woods, generally in an old 

 abandoned crow's nest. Some at least, 

 winter with us, probably those from 

 farther north. Their food consists 

 chiefly of mice and small rodents, and 

 a few wild birds. Common, though 

 not often seen by the inexperienced. 

 Eggs, four and five. 



Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus). 

 I once procured one of these of a boy, 

 but aside from this I have observed 

 few of them. Have never succeeded in 

 finding a nest. It prefers open places 

 to woods, feeding mainly on mice. 

 Nest on the ground. Not plentiful. 



Barred Owl (Strix varia). My ac- 

 quaintance with the Barred Owl is 

 limited to a few individuals at differ- 

 ent times that I heard hooting. In 

 the bluffs along the Mississippi River, 

 in the winter of 1896-7, I heard a num- 

 ber of these owls, and several times, 

 I have noted them calling in the tim- 

 ber around Columbus, but there is 

 slim chance of a nest, as about all 

 of the old big trees have been cut out, 

 and consequently few hollow trees are 

 to be found. The Builogical Survey 

 has proven that this owl is beneficial, 

 few stomachs containing poultry. 

 Their food consists principally of 

 mice and other small mammals, in- 

 sects, birds, crayfish, frogs and fish. 



Saw-whet Owl (Cryptoglaux acadi- 

 ca). This tiny representative of the 

 owls, I am quite sure I once observed 

 a bird, but could not get close enough 

 to make sure the identity. 



Screech Owl (Scoops asio). The 

 little mottled owl I have found here 

 in numbers, in both the red and the 

 gray plumage, the gray predominating. 

 They nest in hollow trees early in 

 March and April. The food of this owl 

 is principally mice and insects, and 

 some small birds, lizards, frogs and 

 crayfish, and I am glad to add, English 

 Sparrows and for this alone, should 

 receive every protection and encour- 

 agement to nest about cities and 

 towns,, also farms. Eggs four and 

 five. 



Great Horned Owl (Bubo virgin- 

 OOLOGIST— FIVE. 



ianus). This noble bird stays with us 

 all the year around and while we are 

 toasting our feet around a good hot 

 fire through a cold February snap, ac- 

 companied by a northwest blizzard, 

 mamma owl is sitting high in some 

 great nest in some tall tree not far 

 away perhaps, maybe deep in the 

 forest, patiently brooding a fine set 

 of eggs, that almost any oologist would 

 be glad to add to his collection. They 

 feed on poultry, game birds to a great 

 extent, also' on mice, rats, rabbits, and 

 other small mammals, and some birds 

 and insects. These birds are fairly 

 common, though not numerous. I 

 have collected sets of two, and sets of 

 three, of their eggs. 



Snowy Owl (Nyctea nyctea). The 

 Snowy is altogether a straggler from 

 the far north. I have noted them 

 once or twice.' The last time I saw 

 one sitting on the ground in a plowed 

 field; could have easily shot him. 



Geo. W. H. vos Burgh. 

 Zion City, 111. 



