HAWKS AND OWLS. 41 



the more northern States. The species has been reported as a com- 

 mon resident at Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Chnton, Newport, Osceola, 

 and Helena. I saw it ia summer at Armorel, Wilmot, and Camden, 

 and Savage reports a few seen at Delight. In winter it is reported 

 very common on the Grand Prairie around Stuttgart (HoUister) and 

 near Van Buren (Hanna). It is a decidedly useful species, its food 

 consisting during the summer almost exclusively of insects. It is 

 especially fond of grasshoppers and, when these pests are abundant, 

 selects them in preference to any other food. In winter its diet is 

 varied with mice and other small mammals, lizards, snakes, and 

 small birds. 



Osprey. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis. 



The osprey, or fish hawk, was formerly a common summer resident 

 along the larger rivers of the State, but of late years it has become 

 very scarce. It was reported as breeding at Newport in 1884 and at 

 Osceola ia 1886. Mr. B. T. Gault saw it in May, 1888, on the upper 

 White River, near the Missouri boundary,' and found it nesting in 

 holes in the sandstone bluff along Little Red River, central Arkan- 

 sas.^ Preble saw one at Fort Smith September 19, 1892. I did not 

 observe any during my 1910 trip. The food of this species, as indi- 

 cated by its common name, consists wholly of fish. Even where it 

 is abundant, however, as on the Atlantic coast, the toll it levies on 

 fish is considered, to be offset by its graceful appearance and interest- 

 ing habits. 



Bam O^wl. Aliico pratincola. 



The barn owl is a common resident of the lower Mississippi Valley 

 and occurs rarely as far north as Missouri. It probably occurs gener- 

 ally in the lowlands of Arkansas, but not in the mountainous sections. 

 Mr. H. S. Reynolds records the species at Judsonia, in the winter of 

 1876-77,^ Mrs. Stephenson reports it as resident at Helena, and Mr. 

 Savage took a specimen at Dehght, June 1, 1911. This large owl is 

 one of the strictly beneficial species, its food consisting almost 

 exclusively of mice, rats, and other small mammals. 



Long-eared OtwI. Asio wiUonianus. 



This owl breeds in Canada and the United States as far south as 

 Arkansas and winters mainly in the United States and Mexico. It 

 was reported as breeding at Newport in 1884 and "resident" at Chn- 

 ton in 1890. HoUister records it common in winter near Stuttgart, 

 and Savage took a specimen at Dehght on November 17. It is ap- 

 parently rare in most parts of the State. It is a bird of the deep 

 woods and is rarely observed. This is another of the useful birds of 



1 Widmann, 0., Birds of Missouri, p. 104, 1907. 

 a Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Birds [I], p. 323, 1892. 

 8 Am. Nat.,XI, p. 308, 1877. 



