ECOLOGY OF ISLE ROYALE. 353 



were therefore probably seldom molested. Often the remains of hares 

 were found along the road, showing where one of these birds had feasted. 

 Of course many hares were killed by the lynx, but as a rule these animals 

 carried their victims into the brush to devour them Avhile the owls 

 usually ate theirs in the open. Then too the lynx rarely ate the intes- 

 tines while the owls nearly always did. These birds appeared at the 

 clearings just at dusk, and sometimes in rainy weather tliey were seen 

 along the road even at midday. Their actions when observed just 

 after dusk reminded one of the loA^e antics of the Flicker, twitting on the 

 end of the ridgepoll of a deserted house, they would bow and turn one 

 way and then the other, bowing at every movement until their breast 

 nearly touched the roof. They showed little fear at this time of night, 

 and in fact appeared curious at our approach. 



The Great Horned Owl was not seen at any other station by our party 

 but was reported at Siskowit Bay by the Malone boys. They are re- 

 ported to be much more common in winter than in summer and several 

 pairs of wings were seen which had been taken at this season. 



30. Ni/ctea nijctea (370). Snowy Owl. 



Range : Northern portions of the northern hemisphere. In North 

 America, breeding wholly north of the United States; in winter migrat- 

 ing south to the Middle States, straggling to South Carolina, Texas, 

 California and Bermuda. 



The Snowy Owl is a regular winter resident on the island and several 

 were shot there during the winter of 1904. None were seen by our party, 

 but the descriptions given by the club-house keepers leave no doubt of 

 their identity. 



31. Surnia iilula caparoch (377a). American Hawk Owl. 



Range : Arctic America, breeding from Newfoundland noi-thward 

 and migrating in winter to the northern border of the United States. 

 Occasional in England. 



Stations : Old burning at Siskowit Bay, V, 9. 



Breeding: Young August 4. 



We have only one record of the Hawk Owl for the island, but this 

 breeding record is one of the first authentic records for the United 

 States. About 9 o'clock in the morning of August 4 an adult Hawk Owl 

 was seen sitting on the top of a tall dead tree in a small burning (V, 9) 

 near the outlet to Siskowit Lake. The sun was shining brightly, but 

 appeared not to effect the Hawk Owl as it would the common species. 

 A short distance away a young bird still in the downy plumage was 

 found. When first seen it was sitting on a dead stub like a Sparrow 

 Hawk, but soon went to another stub, uttering a shrill cry as it flew. 

 The young bird was taken, and is now in the museum collection. 



32. Goccyzus erythrophthalmiis (388). Black-billed Cuckoo. 



Range : Eastern North America, west to the Rocky Mountains, breed- 

 ing north to Labrador, Manitoba, and eastern Assiniboia; south in 

 winter to the West Indies and' the valley of the Amazon. Accidental in 

 the British Islands and Italy. 



Stations: Partial clearing, II, 1. 



It will be seen that Isle Royale lies very near the northern limit of 

 the cuckoo's range. It was accordingly quite rare here, the only 

 records being those of July 6, 7 and 9 at Benson Brook (II, 1). 



33. Ceryle alcyon (390). Belted Kingfisher. 



46 



