THE OOLOGIST. 



51 



Will someone through the columns 

 of the OOLOGIST, inform me how to 

 make a good collecting box or case to 

 take on an egging trip. 



A. Drouet, Jr., 

 Galveston, Texas. 



Early Nesting of tlie Great Horned Owl. 



Feb. 17, of this year (1890) a nest of 

 this species was found here which con- 

 tained three young at least a week old. 



The eggs in this case must have been 

 laid by the middle of January. 



On the 5th of this month (Feb.) a nest 

 was found which contained one egg 

 wliich was broken, probal)ly by a squir- 

 rel. 



On the loth, two more nests were 

 found, one containing two badly incu- 

 bated eggs and the other a set of four 

 fresh eggs, a large set, for this locality 

 at least. 



J. H. Brown, * 

 Poweskiek Co., la. 



On February 10th, I got out my (jut- 

 fit to take a trip to French Island 

 Avhere I knew a pair of Great Horned 

 Owls had a nest. When I got to the 

 roost, I found that Mr. and Mrs. Owl 

 were not at home, so 1 commenced to 

 hunt them up. After rapping and 

 throwing clubs at a number of hollow 

 trees and old stubs in the A'icinity, I 

 started for an old elm tre(! where I 

 found a nest and took a set of eggs 

 last year. After rapping on the tree, 

 I looked up and was surprised to see a 

 pair of ears sticking up above the ejjge 

 of the hole. 1 threw a stick up and out 

 came Mrs. Owl and lit on a tree near 

 by. Th(i nest was only twenty feet up 

 and I was twenty feet up too in a Aery 

 few minutes to iind finir nice white 

 ■eggs. Incubation had just commenced. 

 I have taken sets of eggs in March 

 when the snow was two feet deep on 

 the ground. Isn't the tenth of Febru- 



ary earl}^ to commence collecting? 

 Whit Harrison, 

 Houston Co., Minnesota. 



On Friday, January 31, 1890, I 

 thought I would take a trip to the tim- 

 ber t^) see what prospect there was 

 for Owls' nests this season. I succeed- 

 ed in locating several and was very 

 well satisfied with my day's work, 

 when I looked over atjross the woods a 

 little ways, I saw a large bimch of sticks 

 in a large hickory tree. I at once went 

 over to examine the tree to see if I 

 could, climb it in case the Hawks ever 

 occupied it. When I got at the foot of 

 the tree and looked it thoroughly over, 

 I spied a half dozen or more yellowish 

 downy feathei's clinging to the side 

 of the nest, so I at once procured a clul) 

 and tossed it toAvards the nest. When, 

 to my surprise, a Bubo Vii-ginianus flew 

 oflf and alighted on a tree near by. I 

 thought her movements peculiar, so I 

 adorned my climbers and ascended.. 

 When I reached the nest after a hard 

 climb, I was rewarded by finding one- 

 egg with a young oavI ready to greet 

 me, for he had a hole picked large 

 enough to admit my linger. I let him 

 remain in the nest, thinking to call 

 when he Avas older and secure him a.s. 

 my reward instead of nothing or a 

 worthless shell. This I consider very 

 early for the Owl to lay; usually in this- 

 latitude about Feb. 15th. Let me hear 

 Avho has had like experience. 



C. B. Vandycook, 

 Marion Co., Ills. 



Large Numters of Sandhill Cranes. 



I am of the opinion that the readers 

 of the OOLOGIST, have never seen so 

 many and so large Sandhill Cranes as 

 we had the pleasure of seeing and 

 shooting on the 9th of Feb., 1889. They 

 were crossing White River Valley in a 

 Northerly direction, in a continuous- 

 stream all the afternoon, and toward 



