LAND BIRDS. 329 
hard bird to approach, especially if once shot at or otherwise alarmed. 
Ordinarily it spends the day time in some hollow tree, or hidden amid the 
densest foliage, and appears to depend upon its protective coloration to 
escape the notice of enemies. Among its inveterate foes is the Crow, which 
takes delight in mobbing it and making its life miserable whenever it finds 
it abroad by daylight. The owl retaliates by raiding the crow roost at night 
and devouring a few of his persecutors. Apparently the crow is not a 
favorite food and is eaten only when other food is scarce. 
The usual diet consists of partridges, quail, ducks, rabbits, squirrels, 
rats, and even fish, crayfish and insects. It is one of the very few enemies 
(aside from man) of the common skunk, and specimens are frequently 
taken whose plumage is rank with the odor of this animal. More rarely 
still it attacks the porcupine, and W. P. Melville has recorded the capture 
of a specimen at Windsor, Ont., in the winter of 1883-84, which had porcu- 
pine quills in its tongue, mouth and skin, as well as in the stomach, in- 
testines and liver. Although it unquestionably does much good by destroy- 
ing rats, mice and other harmful rodents, it is particularly fond of poultry 
and once it has visited a particular farm yard is almost certain to continue 
its attacks until captured or killed. An instance is recorded where one 
owner lost 59 young guinea-fowl in a single autumn by this owl. On the 
other hand, Mr. Chas. Dury states that in the neighborhood of a nest of 
these owls, in a sycamore stub near a farmer’s barn, there were found the 
remains of 113 Norway rats, most of them with the heads split open and 
the brains removed. 
Of 110 stomachs reported upon by Dr. A. K. Fisher, 31 contained poultry 
or game birds; 8, other birds; 13, mice; 65, other mammals; 1, a scorpion; 
1, fish; and 10, insects. Among the mammals were hares, rabbits, squirrels 
of several kinds, skunks, musk-rats, weasels, gophers, rats and mice of 
various kinds, and even a few shrews. It has also been known to attack 
and kill the ground-hog or woodchuck occasionally. This is the only 
species of Michigan owl not protected under the present (1912) laws of the 
state, and in view of its destructiveness to game and poultry it doubtless 
was wise to make this exception in framing the law. Itshould be distinctly 
understood, however, that all other owls, large or small, are protected 
by the law, and their killing is prohibited under penalty of fine or im- 
prisonment or both. 
The Great Horned Owl nests very early in the season and probably 
with very few exceptions the eggs are laid in Michigan before the first of 
March. In many cases they are laid early in February and it is by no means 
unlikely that during mild winters some of the birds nest even in January. 
Sometimes a hollow tree is selected as a nesting place, but more often an 
open nest is built, or an old nest of hawk, crow or heron is repaired and the 
eggs laid therein’ Such nests are almost always in large trees and at a con- 
siderable height from the ground. One of the parents is almost always 
found on the nest, a necessary precaution to prevent freezing of eggs or 
young, and it is no unusual thing to find the Great Horned Owl sitting 
patiently upon her nest although deeply covered by falling snow. 
The eggs are commonly two, occasionally three, more rarely but one. 
They are always white and unspotted and appear to be decidedly small 
for the size of the bird; they average 2.12 by 1.81 inches. According to 
Major Bendire the eggs are laid at intervals of about three days, and the 
period of incubation is 28 days. There is considerable evidence, however, 
to show that much longer periods frequently elapse between the deposition 
