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in refraining from the citation of my own article, I may say here that I see no reason to materially modify my 

 paragraph (Proc. Essex Inst. v. 1868, p. 261) : — ' Winter resident. Of regular and rather common occurrence 

 in Maine, but in more southern localities rare, and perhaps only accidental. It extends, however, throughout 

 New England/ Mr. J. A. Allen, deservedly held as our best authority on Massachusetts birds, never saw it 

 at Springfield, and as to its occurrence in the State is only able to remark (Proc. Essex Inst. iv. 1864, 

 p. 81): — ' The Hawk Owl is said by Professor Emmons [Geol. Rep. Mass. 1833] to have been seen in autumn. 

 Though I have found no notice of its capture, it is not improbable that it may occasionally occur along the 

 Green Mountains in the western part of the State.' But a little later, however, in his interesting ' Notes on 

 some of the Rare Birds of Massachusetts ' (Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. iii. 1869, p. 569), he is more explicit. ' Mr. A. 

 L. Babcock,' he says, ' has a specimen which he took a few years since at Natick. Dr. Brewer informs me that 

 he once obtained it near Roxbury. Mr. Scott writes that five specimens were taken at Westfield in the 

 autumn of 1867 ; ' and adds that from his later information he believes it to be a ' somewhat regular winter 

 visitor' in the Green-Mountain region above mentioned. Mr. E. A. Samuels (Rep. Agric. Mass. 1863, App.) 

 catalogues it as ' very rare in winter ' in Massachusetts. For its occurrence in Vermont we have the authority 

 of Professor Z. Thompson (Hist, of Vermont, &c. 1842, p. — ); but Audubon's statement (Orn. Biog. 1835, 

 iv. 350) that it is f very common' about Memphremagog Lake, in that State, made on the authority of 

 Dr. Brewer, is expressly contradicted by the latter (N. Am. Oology, i. p. 80), who says that the information 

 he gave Audubon proved incorrect, and that the ' Hawk Owl is probably a rare species throughout Vermont.' 

 New Hampshire is silent on the Owl question, as, indeed, it is on almost every other ornithological topic, 

 being (as I am ashamed to say of my native State) one of the few States whose birds have never been 

 separately catalogued. I shall only add one more to my list of references before coming to notice the 

 breeding of the bird in the United States ; and this is the statement of Mr. T. Mcllwraith (Proc. Essex Inst. 

 1866, p. 82) that the bird is a ' rare winter visitant ' at Hamilton, Canada West — a locality south of the only 

 region in the United States left for us to consider in the present connexion. 



" For all the foregoing citations, please observe, refer to the bird in autumn or winter only, and as astray 

 from its native pineries. But a part of New England lies a little north of the general boundary of the rest of 

 the United States j and it would almost seem as if this political line were really the limit of the Hawk Owl's 

 summer residence. In the forests of Maine, then, we have authentic advices of its breeding. Mr. G. A. 

 Boardman, a close and accurate observer, says (Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. ix. 1862, p. 123) of the bird in 

 the vicinity of Calais, Maine : — ' Resident. Not very plenty. Breeds' This is the sole reference to the 

 breeding of the bird in the United States that I know of, except Mr. Samuels's (Orn. & Obi. of N. Eng. 1867, 

 p. 80), which, however, simply rests upon the same discovery of its nest and eggs by Mr. Boardman. And, 

 moreover, the bird does not appear to breed throughout Maine, even if it regularly does so in some sections j 

 for Professor A. E. Verrill, writing of the Hawk Owl as observed at Norway, Oxford Co., Maine, says (Proc. 

 Essex, Inst. iii. p. 143), ' Autumn and winter common. I have never seen it in summer.' And even to the 

 northward, as at Quebec, for instance, Mr. Wm. Couper (apud Samuels, op. cit. p. 81), remarking upon 

 its abundance in winter, merely refers to its breeding in the northern portions of Hudson's Bay and 

 Labrador. 



" Until very recently, American eggs of the Hawk Owl and the bird's mode of nesting were unknown to 

 us ', even in 1853 Dr. Brewer was unable to describe or figure the eggs in his admirable work ; and the stock 

 in trade of American writers in this matter was for many years simply ' eggs two, white,' an evident draft on 

 Richardson (F. B.-A. ii. 1832, p. 92). Samuels (I. c.) describes two eggs from Labrador, and says that the 

 bird ' usually builds in a hollow tree, but sometimes constructs a habitation in the crotch of a tall tree of 

 sticks, grass, and feathers.' 



" Do I grow tiresome ? or will you have one more extract, which I add because I think it one of the 

 best we have, and because it will stop that ' eggs two ' for the future ! It is from the remarkably interesting 

 and important ' List of the Birds of Alaska, with Biographical Notes,' recently published in the Transactions 



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