68 THE LOON. 



I came up out of my boots right away. I didn't say much, 

 yet as I found an owl's nest before and did not have an egg of 

 this species in my cabinet felt much better than a short time 

 before. Did not dare to trust my weight on the stub, but be- 

 ing a Yankee I was soon within reach of the hole, and using 

 my knife vigorously soon have the pleasure of seeing feathers 

 and an egg. Mrs. Owl is still there. Making the hole larger I 

 put my hand in and receive a very intimate grasp. I take her 

 out, find she is about seven inches long, and can spread her 

 wings eighteen inches. After looking her over closely I re- 

 lease her, when she flies to a pine near by and watches opera- 

 tions. 



Taking out four eggs I pack them snugly in my box. The 

 nest is made of feathers on top of chips, and contains part of 

 a field mouse. The cavity is about six inches deep — may have 

 been an old flicker nest, but I hardly think it was. I suc- 

 ceeded in blowing the eggs, though incubation was well ad- 

 vanced. The eggs measure as follows : 1.32x1.05, 1.33x1.04, 

 1.30x1.03 and 1.25x1.09. C. W. Swallow. 



Dustable, Mass. 



Editor of the "Loon:" 



Dear Sir : It may interest some of your readers to hear 

 what I saw a short time since. I was sitting on the porch af- 

 ter breakfast, reading, when all of a sudden I heard a noise 

 among the chickens. Thinking it was a hawk I got my gun 

 and ran to the place as fast as possible. When I got there I 

 was much surprised to find that a hen with chickens was being 

 attacked by robins. The chickens were all lying hid in the 



