Annotated List 59 



on the South valley hills, although it is usually at- 

 tracted by heavy timber. It has been found breed- 

 ing most often in the townships of Willistown, East 

 and West Goshen, East Bradford, Thornbury, 

 Pocopson, Birmingham and Highland; the vicinity 

 of Kennett Square and Oxford. T. H. Jackson 

 took his first set of eggs of this species on Feb. 22, 

 1868. Since then he has taken some twenty sets, 

 and with the single exception of one set of three, the 

 complement consisted of two eggs ; the dates ranging 

 from Feb. i to Mar. 3 ; all open nests, 20 to 90 

 feet up (Orn. and OoL, 1886, 85; Kan. City Sci., 

 V, 2). C. J. Pennock found nine open nests and five 

 in hollow trees, and the earliest date for a full set 

 was Feb. 15 (Cass., vi, 54). 



96. Nyctea nytea Snowy Owl, "snow owl," 

 "white owl." Rare winter visitant. Warren took 

 two in the winter of 1 879, and Fisher gives another 

 record, Dec. 14, 1886. Jackson relates an instance 

 of this bird perching upon the gilded ball of the 

 court house at West Chester, in broad daylight 

 (Kas. City Sci., v, 3). Montgomery states that a 

 few are shot every severe winter and that he has 

 seen such specimens in the flesh. During the winter 

 of 1902, one was observed flying over the Sharpies 

 Separater Works in West Chester, and perched on 

 a nearby chimney, where it was shot (Sharpies 

 MS.). 



97. Coccyzus americanus americanus Yellow-bill- 

 ed Cuckoo, "couk," "Indian hen," "kow bird," 

 "rain bird," "rain crow." Tolerable common sum- 

 mer resident. June 15 is the average date for a 



