278 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 



the bank of a stream at my approach, which leads me to think 

 that they are very fond of bathing and washing themselves, 

 although I never saw one in the act. They feed chiefly upon the 

 hares that live in the thickets. {Spreadborough.) This species 

 builds in holes in trees when such can be found, it also 

 builds in hemlock, beech or other large trees in the vicinity 

 of Ottawa. The nest is placed near the trunk of the tree 

 and is composed of dry sticks, probably lined with leaves 

 and feathers; the eggs are two or three in number. {G.R. White.) 

 A fairly common species along the St. Lawrence, but rapidly 

 becoming rarer. I have seen the nest several times ; one near 

 Perth, Ont., in a tamarac tree not more than twelve feet from the 

 ground, which on May 30th, 1886, contained two young ones just 

 able to fly. It is a very early breeder ; on the nth April, 1895, 

 I found a nest with two much incubated eggs. The nest 

 occupied was in a yellow birch, and the previous year had been 

 tenanted by a pair of red-shouldered hawks. This nest was 

 again occupied by the owls three years later. Again in 1899 I 

 found the nest in a hemlock about sixty feet from the ground on 

 March 28th, when the weather was very cold and snow covered 

 the ground. This nest contained two eggs, incubation far 

 advanced. This owl is easily kept in confinement and does not 

 appear to suffer from changes of weather. I have had one for 

 fifteen years. {Rev. C. J. Young?) A nest of this species found 

 in May, 1900, containing two large young, had beneath it numer- 

 ous fragments of birds and mammals, among the former were 

 remains of a broad-winged hawk, two red-shouldered hawks and 

 one red-tailed hawk. {W. E. Saunders.) 



MUSEUM SPECIMENS. 



Three ; one purchased with the Holman collection in 1885, 

 another procured by S. Herring at Toronto, Ont.; one taken at 

 Walker's Pond near London, Ont. by W. E. Saunders. 



One set of two eggs taken at Scarboro Heights, east of 

 Toronto, Ont., April 2nd, 1897 ; nest in an old red-shouldered 

 hawk's nest_in the top of a tall maple. 



' zl6a. Western Horned Owl. 



Bubo virginianus pallesccTis Stone. 1897. 



I have a specimen taken at Rosseau, Muskoka District ; among 

 t"he horned owls killed about Toronto in the autumn will often be 



