14 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN 



There is still the opportunity to get hold of a lot of this bottom land, 

 much of it practically useless for farming purposes, and I am heartily in 

 favor of its being taken over either by purchase or condemnation proceed- 

 ings. 



If I were a. millionaire I would immediately purchase a few thousand 

 acres of the timber land northeast of Carlyle, cut out tracts here and there 

 on which no hunting would be permitted, thus allowing the game to breed 

 and drift out, and deed the same to the City of Carlyle to be maintained 

 forever as a natural park for the use of the people.. I would stipulate that 

 certain things should be done, else the deed would be null and void. That's 

 how strong I am on this proposition. It's all right to promote agriculture 

 by cleaning off and cultivating waste land, but people should remember 

 there is something else in life besides the dollar. We must have recreation, 

 and what is there to beat hunting, fishing, camping and kindred 

 sports? So I say Illinois must take radical action. We're expecting to 

 spend millions on hard roads, but are neglecting the outdoor attractions for 

 those who will use them. 



It pleases me very much to receive assurance from the Illinois Audubon 

 Society that they will co-operate with the Illinois Sportsmen's League, of 

 which I am the president and one of the originators. It's a shame that the 

 sportsmen do not take more interest in proposed legislation. Lots of 

 them make a great howl about what's happened after the legislature 

 adjourns, but are too busy to be on the job when needed. Our organization 

 has been on the firing line at the two last sessions, and we will be there 

 again this year. 



H. C. NORCROSS; 

 Editor, The Illinois Sportsman, Carlyle, 111. 



The Barn Owl 



A note on the unusual abundance of the Barn Owl (Aluco pratincola) 

 in Illinois and Adjoining States: 



This owl is by no means a rare occurrence with us, individuals being 

 seen by observers every year, yet we have not heard of any previous unusual 

 flight as occurs in certain years with some of the larger and more northern 

 species. This year I have records of over twenty-five specimens that were 

 received by Chicago taxidermists between September 18th and November 

 29th, the larger number being males. The Illinois specimens received were 

 from Fox Lake, Henry, Genoa, St. Charles, Cardiff, Palatine, Momence, 

 and other localities, while others were sent from Southern Wisconsin and 

 Northern Indiana. Other species, as the long- eared and barred owls, have 

 also been received in larger numbers than for several years, while there 

 seems to have been no unusual flight of the snowy owls this winter and I 

 have heard of only a dozen or fifteen species having been received by the 

 taxidermists. As the food of the barn and long-eared owls consists largely 

 of injurious rodents, and as both species are under protection of our laws, 

 these birds should not be killed for objects of ornamentation. I am in- 

 debted to Richard A. Turtle, Henry Nussbaumer and Karl W. Kahmann 

 for information and examination of specimens. 



Ruthven Deane, Chicago. 



