6 THE O. & O. SEMI-ANNUAL. 
climbing this distance and we passed on. The next nest was in 
a giant buttonwood, and up so high that it’ almost made one’s 
head swim to look up to it. The tree itself, from the ground, 
would have been unclimbable, but growing under it was a water 
elm about two feet in diameter. The top of this tree just well 
reached the lower branches of the ‘‘syc,” and by ascending it I 
was enabled to get over into the buttonwood, and then on up to 
the Flicker hole, -containing the nest. Enlarging the cavity with 
the hatchet which I carried up in a strap around my waist, I se- 
cured the eggs, which were again five in number. 
These are representative climbs, and the collector with a cool 
head, plenty of determination and hard muscles could secure 
many sets at the proper season along the Spoon river valley. 
Suffice it to say that we secured two more sets on this trip, one 
of five and one of four. In each case the eggs we put into a mit- 
ten to which the fish-cord was attached, and then lowered to the 
ground. Upon blowing they appeared fresh or nearly so. I pre- 
sented much the appearance of having been rolled in a flour-bar- 
rel. We arrived at home at sundown tired and very hungry, but 
happy and well satisfied with our afternoon’s work. 
Long live the pretty Falco S'parverius ! 
“GEOKGE.”’ 
BY H. H. BRIMLEY, RALEIGH, N. C. 
The death of his mother from ‘‘lead poisoning” caused George 
to be left an orphan at an early age. I found the youngster in a 
hollow tree, and, knowing his unfortunate circumstances, I car- 
ried him home and adopted him and he remained with me until 
he was well grown. I may as well state here that George was a 
bird—a Barred Owl 
fore I knew of his existence. 
and that his mother was shot by myself be- 
When first taken he was a mere mass of long, soft down, dirty 
white in color, with a pair of large, staring, black eyes. After 
getting him safely to the ground, the problem arose of getting 
him home, the distance being several miles. After one. or two 
