THE NIDIOLOGIST 



145 



season continues into the early part of July, 

 though most of the eggs are laid before June 

 10. The nest is composed of small sticks, lined 

 with fibers and rootlets, and horsehair when 

 obtainable. It presents a frail appearance, and 

 is usually placed far out on a horizontal 

 branch of an alder or sycamore. The comple- 

 ment of eggs is usually four, though Mr. 

 Arnold took a set of five in 1892. Mr. Judson 

 took a set of four from a nest m a pine tree, 

 ninety feet up. 



A paper entitled "The Owls of Pasadena 

 and Vicinity," by H. A. Gaylord, was read. It 

 dealt with eight species. The American Barn 

 Owl was noted as a common resident. Both 

 birds occupy the nesting cavity before the eggs 

 are laid, but thereafter the male roosts in some 

 dense tree. Three nests observed showed an 

 egg to be laid every three days until the clutches 

 were complete. The American Long-eared 

 Owl is a tolerably common resident near Pasa- 

 dena, nesting occasionally in old Hawks' nests. 

 A nest, containing three young and two eggs, 

 was found April 2, 1893, in San Fernando Val- 

 ley. April I, 1895, the same nest contained 

 four fresh eggs. The food, so far as appears 

 from the remains about the nest, consists of 

 large numbers of kangaroo rats. A peculiar 

 note uttered by the birds occupying this nest 

 was almost like the " meouw " of a cat. 



The Short-eared Owl is a rare resident 

 about Pasadena, but was noted as rather com- 

 mon in San Fernando Valley by Mr. Judson 

 in May, being flushed from among the low 

 bushes and grass in the arroyos and river bot- 

 toms. The Spotted Owl is a rare winter visit- 

 ant, there being no record of its being taken at 

 Pasadena in spring or summer. In the fall and 

 winter of 1894 and 1895 five specimens were 

 taken in the caiions north of Pasadena. They 

 inhabit the thickly wooded canons and appear 

 drowsy in the daytime. Mr. Judson crept 

 near enough to one to drop a noose over its 

 neck with the aid of a long pole, but the bird 

 escaped, as the string was not strong enough to 

 hold it. 



The California Screech Owl is a common 

 resident. A second and even a third set of 

 eggs will be laid when the bird is robbed of 

 its first clutch. In 1894 a set of six eggs was 

 taken, after which the bird laid five eggs, and 

 being again robbed, laid a final set of three. A 

 set of four eggs taken x\pril 14, 1895, contained 

 one runt, perfectly round, and about the size 

 of a Mourning Dove's egg. 



The Western Horned Owl was noted as tol- 

 erably common, a few pairs breeding. The Bur- 

 rowing Owl is abundant, nesting in colonies to 

 some extent. The California Pygmy Owl is a 

 rare winter visitor, a very few specimens being 



observed every year in the canons. In the day- 

 time they generally sit in some bare tree in an 

 open part of the canon. Their food consists of 

 small rodents, grasshoppers, and small birds. 



Oological Chat. 



This is a new variety of Chat. 



Dr. Wm. L. Ralph is on a collecting trip in Florida, 



W. H. Osgood has returned from Arizona to his 

 home in San Jose, Cal. 



R. H. Beck, of Berryessa, Cal., took two sets of 

 the Dotted Cailon Wren this season. 



R. S. Wheeler, of Alameda, Cal., feels proud over 

 taking a set of fifteen of the Wood Duck. 



Mr. C. W. Crandall secured the beautiful set of 

 Richardson's Merlin taken at Calgary, Canada, by E. 

 Hauseman. 



Golden Eagle 1-3 and 2-2, White-tailed Kite 1-4, 

 Western Horned Owl 1-2, and Prairie Falcon 1-5. sold 

 recently in one lot for $50. 



Frank M. Chapman's new " Hand Book " is full of 

 good reading, and the handiest thing out for identifying 

 birds of eastern North America. 



"The Flycatchers of Michigan " form the subject 

 of an interesting article by Dr. Morris Gibbs in the 

 April and May numbers of Sports Afield. Dr. Gibbs' 

 long acquaintance with the avifauna of Michigan 

 makes his paper especially valuable. 



Dr. A. C. Murchison, of Kewanee,' 111., had some 

 correspondence with " Dr." J. C. Smith relative to an 

 exchange of eggs (which never occurred, however), 

 and the ubiquitous Smith announced that he was about 

 to start on a collecting trip to Ceylon, India, and other 

 British possessions ! 



C. Barlow and H. Ward are slated as the lucky 

 ones to visit the Farallon Islands this year. The 

 islands really belong to the United States, but the 

 Lighthouse Inspector seems to have a contrary 

 opinion ; hence it is almost impossible now to get a 

 permit from him to visit them. 



Edwin C. Davis, of Gainesville, Tex., has issued 

 his neat and handy Standard Collectors' Directory, con- 

 taining names and addresses of nearly one thousand 

 Ornithologists and Oologists. Space is also devoted 

 to Archaeologists, Philatelists, Conchologists. A "half- 

 tone" of Mr. Davis is an appropriate addition to his 

 Directory. 



" Lewis P. Rowe, of Madrid, says the State should 

 pay a bounty of $5 on Loons and about as much 

 on Kingfishers. He says they destroy more trout than 

 the residents. He has skinned and set up about fifty 

 Loons, and always finds that they have made their 

 meal from trout, never any other fish." — Maine Sports- 

 man. Mr. Rowe has shot fifty Loons — these, at 

 .$5, make ? 



Here is a personal about one of our Oologists from 

 the Jlfaine Sportsman: " Ora W. Knight, of Bangor, a 

 Maine State college senior, has completed the cata- 

 loguing of the college collection of birds, which em- 

 braces 255 specimens and includes a collection pur- 

 chased from J. C. Maynard many years ago. . . . Mr. 

 Knight is an enthusiastic lover of natural history, and 

 his cataloguing of the collection has been finely done." 



