THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY 



ITly Screech Owls. 



(Mega scops asio.) 



BY F. S. NYE. 



One day last spring as I was returning 

 home from an afternoon's collecting trip, my 

 path lay through a piece of woods bordering 

 on the shore of a Wisconsin lake, it was 

 growing late, and the fast thickening shad- 

 ows of evening made it quite impossible for 

 me to find my way, Just as I was in the 

 center of the woods I was suddenly startled 

 by the screech of an owl. I stopped and 

 stood looking about me, trving to discern 

 from whence the sound came ; and I soon 

 saw a small owl disappear in a hole in an 

 oak tree near by. The hole was about five 

 feet from the ground ; and on going to the 

 tree, I could, with no difficulty whatever, 

 reach my arm into the hole. My hand, on 

 reaching the bottom of the nest, was receiev- 

 ed by a few digs from the owl's claws; but 

 I soon pulled her out of the nest, thus hav- 

 ing it free to my investigation. 



It was lined with leaves (they probably 

 being the remains of an old Squirrel's nest) 

 and a few feathers; and contained four half 

 fledged young, Screeeh Owls that would 

 probably leave the nest in about a week or 

 two. I removed them from it, and took 

 them home ; soon after, leaving them to the 

 tender mercies of a noted taxidemist in our 

 city. 



The Screech Owl is rather common in my 

 locality; but I have noted it only a few times. 

 They, as a rule, nest in hollow trees ; and 

 the first eggs are laid about the last of 

 March or the first of April. The number of 

 eggs in a set (according to Davie) range 

 usually from four to six, and rarely nine ; 

 they are. nearly round in shape ; and are 

 pure white, averaging i. 40 by 1.20. 



The Fretich are endeavoring to train swallows, 

 the Germans pigeons and the Russians falcons. 

 Whether the falcons are themselves to convey 

 messages, or are to be used to cut down theswal. 

 Iowa and pigeons while so engaged is not stated 



Notes on the Birds of Lone: 

 Island. 



WITH BRIEF DISCRETIONS OF BACH SPECIES. 



by \v. w. \vorthix<;t< >\. 



(g) jr. Uria lomvia. 

 Brunnicli's IVIm-re. (764 a.) 



Bill rather short, curved at tip, compress- 

 ed. Above brovvnrsh black. Tips of second- 

 aries, and beneath white, as is the throat in 

 winter. Sides under wings with transverse 

 strips of ashy brown. Legs and feet greenish 

 brown. Length 17 inches Breeding habits 

 an'd eggs same as preceding. 



Rare or irregular winter visitor along the 

 coast. "Between Jan. 8th and May 24th" 

 '84 I obtained 12 specimens and noted about 

 30 additional individuals of this species from 

 the south side of L. I. * * * The notes ac- 

 companying the specimens indicate that this 

 is a very uncommon winter visitor to the 

 west end of L. [., and an irregular winter 

 visitor to the extreme eastern portion of the 

 Island "* Uutcher. 



(10) 32. Aha tarda: 



Razor Billed Auk, (742.) 



Bill and upper parts black. Beaneath, 

 and tips of secondaries forming a bar across 

 the closed wing, white. Bill compressed, 

 much higher than wide, with a curved line 

 of white crossing both mandibles. Tail 

 pointed. Length 17 inches. 



A rare winter visitor. A tine specimen of 

 this bird, No 2776 of my record was picked 

 up dead on the shore of Long Island Sound 

 on Jan. 26, 1SS7 and sent to me to be mount- 

 ed. "Two or three instance of its occurance 

 in this vicinity" (Helme). "Jan. nth, [SS4 

 I recieved one from * * Southampton, * * 

 * Feb. 2nd, 1SS4 I recieved one from Smiths 

 Point,* * * Feb. 6th, 1S84 I recieved still 

 another from Southampton, * ** (IHucher.l 

 All these were found dead upon the beach, 

 and noted as being in very poor condition, 

 as was also the case with my specimen, 

 which goes to show that these individuals 

 straggled beyond their food supply, and came 

 of grief in consequence. Breeds from the 

 coast of Labrador northward, laying one or 



