18 



THE OOLOGIST 



suit in a decrease in the numbers of 

 this pest in any given locality. By 

 shooting, large numbers can be de- 

 stroyed, but they soon become as wild 

 and as cute as a crow and hard to get. 

 Poisoning is a dangerous process and 

 we doubt if it could be successfully 

 used in the warmer parts of the coun- 

 try. Of course, in the cold northern 

 parts of the country during the winter 

 season when the birds are hungry and 

 flock together, this method is very effi- 

 cacious. — Ed. 



Fishing for Barn Owls in Lake Worth. 



While Mr. Earl Moffat and I were 

 on a trip in the northern part of the 

 lake, we saw a dead tree away out in 

 the water, so over we went. It had 

 a fine hollow in it. Mr. Moffat had to 

 investigate. The hollow was not far 

 up so he stood on the hood of the boat 

 and peeped in. Down went his hand 

 and out it came with a Barn Owl cling- 

 ing to it. With the other hand he put 

 his hat over the hole. We tied the 

 Owl's feet and Moffat made a stab for 

 the other one but could not reach it. 

 I said "what in thunder do you want 

 with them?" He said, '"I won't detain 

 them long; I need them for a few min- 

 utes study." 



I happened to look at his arm and 

 it was scratched and bleeding. I told 

 him that was what he got for fooling 

 with them. He said "Bug house, I 

 have the other one and I can't reach 

 him." I took a fishing pole and tied 

 a hook on one end and handed it to 

 Moffat. He was happy, saying Ha! 

 Ha! fishing for Barn Owls is some 

 sport. He took his hat out of the hol- 

 low and down went the fishing pole. 

 He finally hooked her in the wing and 

 out she came. Of all the noise I ever 

 heard, she made it. She sounded like 

 a hundred pigs squealing and kept it 

 up until we had her feet tied and the 

 hook released, They both swung their 



heads back and forth as if in deep 

 mounring. 



Moffat's arms were scratched all 

 over but he had his game and was 

 satisfied. We photographed them in 

 several poses and after Moffat took a 

 complete data, notes and measure- 

 ments he was through with them. 

 One of them seemd to be stunned and 

 set on a limb close by, so we got a 

 natural photo of him and left that 

 part of the lake. 



R. Graham, 



Owling in Champaign and Piatt 

 Counties, III., in 1916. 

 By Walter A. Goelitz. 



Early in the winter of 1915-16 I 

 made out a list of birds the nests of 

 which I was going to find during the 

 1916 season, if possible. In this list 

 the owls were the dominant group. I 

 had never found an owl nest, con- 

 sequently I was anxious to change this 

 blank in my notes. The results of the 

 season were so satisfactory that I am 

 now prompted to but my discoveries 

 in print. 



The first nest was that of the Barred 

 Owl, found Feb. 27, 1916, in heavy tim- 

 ber along the Sangaman River in 

 Piatt County. It contained five eggs. 

 This find has already been described 

 (Oologist) Vol. 33, No. 6, Page 104). 



The second nest held five fresh eggs 

 of the Screech Owl. It was found 

 April 2nd in a thin patch of wood near 

 the Salt Fork and fiushing the female, 

 which was of the gray plumage. The 

 entrance hole was ten feet up in a 

 stub two and one half feet in diameter. 

 From the entrance a small cavity ex- 

 tended toward the right and in this 

 was found one egg. Another passage 

 extended toward the other side of the 

 tree and in examining for owl pellets 

 I ran my hand thru this passage into 

 a larger chamber, in which I felt four 

 more warm eggs. The eggs lay on the 

 rotted wood of an unlined hollow, 



