The NIDIOLOGISf 



8i 



containing evergreens. They take posses- 

 sion of the mock-orange tree, or any bnsh 

 bearing berries that they like; then they 

 try to drive robins and other birds away. 

 Often, late in the evening — at :oosting 

 time — they chase each other and sparrows 

 about. 



The largest Mockingbird 's egg that I ever 

 saw was in a set of three, collected by my- 

 self, June 13th, 1894; it measured 1.12X.79 

 inches; the other two of the set measure 

 I. cox. 75 and i.io inches. The smallest 

 one that I have in a set measures .92X.71 

 inches. It is in a set of four; the others 

 measure .93X.70, .93X.70, .94X.69 inches. 

 The longest one has the least width. The 

 eggs of the two sets are noticeably differ- 

 ent. The first one has the markings 

 massed at one end, almost forming a dark 

 chocolate colored blotch, only leaving a few 

 spots for the rest of the egg. The other 

 set has the markings over most of the egg, 

 though thicker towards the larger end. 

 Specks are very rare on Mockingbird eggs; 

 I have only one on which the}^ show 

 plainly. There are many different shades 

 and colors on the eggs. The number of 

 eggs in a set is nearly always four — some- 

 times three; I never saw five. 



The Mockingbird likes a bush all to it- 

 self, or vines on a fence, or a hedge-row, 

 to build in. I never saw a nest in the 

 middle of a briar-patch or under thick 

 trees. The nests are very easy to find; 

 they are placed from one to six feet high — 

 usually two and a half to three feet from 

 the ground. These birds invariably put in 

 their nests life-everlasting (what children 

 call "rabbit-tobacco," and smoke, to imi- 

 tate their elders with the genuine "weed"). 

 The nest is composed of twigs or weeds, 

 cotton, string, rags and always life ever-last- 

 ing; perhaps the latter may be chosen be- 

 cause it looks old and inconspicuous. The 

 nests are lined with rootlets and sometimes 

 hair. J. Rowland Nowell. 



Anderson, South Carolina. 



Notes on the Barn Owl. 



iStrix pratincola) 



WHII^E collecting in the vicinity of 

 San Bernardino City, Cal., during 

 the month of March, 1893, I de- 

 voted three or four days to the 

 special study of the above species. 



March 14, I went, in company with my 

 friend xMr. W. G. Wright, to the Santa Ana 

 River, where the perpendicular banks range 

 from six to forty feet in height, being per- 

 forated by burrows which have been dug 

 by the ground squirrels, (Sperinop/iihis.) 

 Those being occupied by the owls had been 

 enlarged by them to accommodate their 

 superior size, many being a foot in diame- 

 ter. Here we found the Owls quite com- 

 mon . 



During two days search at this immedi- 

 ate locality, we collected a fine series of 

 twenty skins and about ten sets of different 

 sizes. 



One nest was composed of the feathers of 

 ihe California, Screech Owl {Megascops asio 

 hendirei) which had either been picked up 

 or plucked from the dead bird, more prob- 

 ably the latter, judging by the quantity. 



Another nesting place where the burrow 

 was a foot in diameter, and about midway 

 between the top and bottom of the twenty 

 foot bank, we observed a beautiful sight 

 which, on account of the lack of a camera, 

 we were unable to preserve for the Nidioi.- 

 OGIST. The male bird was leaning against 

 the side of the burrow; the female was be- 

 side him, resting her head against him; 

 both were asleep. Directly in front of them 

 were five eggs, one being partially covered 

 by the wing of the female. 



The male was awakened readily, but 

 considerable urging was required to arouse 

 his mate. 



The entrance to the burrow and the 

 ground below were strewn with bones, hair, 

 feathers and other indigestible portions of 

 the.se birds. Much of these remnants were 

 rolled into balls, the bones being inside and 

 coated over with hair or feathers, these 

 softer substances, preventing the sharp 

 bones from injuring the throat of the bird 

 while ejecting this waste matter. 



From all probabilities this nesting place 

 was an old one, as the ground was com- 

 pletely covered with these remnants for the 

 space of four or five feet .square, which had 

 probably been several seasons in accumu- 

 lating. 



On closer examination, I discovered that 

 many of the bones showed no signs of ever 

 having been rolled up in this spherical form 

 or even being ejected at all. Such bones, 

 being principally large ones, a.s the leg, or 

 back-bones of squirrels, had probably been 

 stripped of the fle.sh either for personal use 

 or for furnishing their young with food; 



