THE AMERICAN BARN OWL. 



373 



ters. When disturbed during its slumbers 

 it makes a hissing- noise, or dicks its mandi- 

 bles in a threatening way. It has besides 

 a "peevish scream," and some querulous 

 notes hard to characterize further. Its very 

 odd appearance arouses in the average far- 

 mer's boy v^fho discovers him a curiosity 

 which is too seldom satisfied until the old 

 musket has been discharged and the best 

 mouser in seven counties is reduced to a 

 mere heap of feathers. 



Of the breeding habits, Captain Charles 

 Bendire says :^ "The Barn Owl, strictly 

 speaking, makes no nest. If occupying a 

 natural cavity of a tree the eggs are placed 

 on the rubbish that may have accumulated 

 on the bottom ; if in a bank they are laid on 

 the bare ground and among the pellets of 

 fur and small bones ejected by the parents. 

 Frequently quite a lot of such material is 

 found in their burrows, the eggs lying on 

 and among this refuse. Incubation usually 

 commences with the first egg laid, and lasts 

 about three weeks. The eggs are almost in- 

 variably found in different stages of devel- 

 opment, and young may be found in the 

 same nest with fresh eggs. Both sexes as- 

 sist in incubation and the pair may some- 

 times be found sitting side by side, each 

 with a portion of the eggs under them." 



1 "I^ife Histories of North American Birds," Vol. I., p. 327 



Taken near Circleville. 



Photo by Dr. Howard Jones, 



A NEARER VIEW. 



NEST OF BARN OWI. IN NATUBAI, CAVITY 

 OF TRFE. 



