/. 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 {Bubo virginianus), are the first to 

 breed. A few weeks later the Barred Owl {Syrnium 

 nebulosiwi) commences nesting preparations, followed a fort- 

 night later by the Long-eared Owl {Asio 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 veiox), which breeds late in May, 

 when many little birds have eggs, and the Red-shouldered 

 Hawk {Btdeo lineatus ), 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 YSn^udiiTyrannus tyr annus) ., 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. 



