J. H. BOWLES. 143 
I trust that my conclusions will not be entirely out of place. 
It is a reply to a question that has been asked me by so 
many people, viz: “Hunting Owls’ nests on the first of 
March! Why do they want to nest at such a time of year?” 
In the first place it is noticeable that the largest birds, as 
the Great Horned Owl (Sudo virginianus), are the first to 
breed. A few weeks later the Barred Owl (Syrnium 
nebulosum) commences nesting preparations, followed a fort- 
night later by the Long-eared Owl (4sio wilsonianus), and so 
down to the smallest, which breeds last. The same is 
noticeable in each branch of the order Raptores ; the larger 
birds in each group breed before the smaller ones. It 
seems to me that this is a provision of nature, for if the 
Great Horned and Barred Owls were to breed in late April 
and early May, as do the smaller ones, they would be so 
plagued by the host of small birds then migrating, as to 
render the season of incubation a perfect misery. The little 
Owls, although considerably abused, are of a suitable size to 
pay back their tormentors with good interest when they 
wish, while the larger birds would not be quick enough to 
do so. As examples in the Hawk family, take the Sharp- 
shinned Hawk (Accipiter velox), which breeds late in May, 
when many little birds have eggs, and the Red-shouldered 
Hawk (Buteo lneatus ), which breeds in early April, when 
the small birds have not even commenced to build. The 
Sharp-shinned is plagued with impunity by no bird besides 
the Kingbird (Zyrannus tyrannus), which latter fears nothing 
of the bird creation ; while the Red-shouldered is so big and 
clumsy that he may be tormented and knocked about by any 
bird from the Crow down. 
