~l 
Occurrence of the Barn Owl. | 23 
OCCURRENCE Of THE BARN OWL. 
By Cuarues Dory. 
The American Barn Owl (Sirizx flammec) has always been very rare 
in collections of birds made in this vicinity. During the last 15 years 
I know of only three specimens being found; one male from near Wyom- 
ing, and one male from Carthage. Mr. Langdon, in list of birds of this 
vicinity, 1877, regarded its occurrence here as inferential, bat in his later 
list, 1879, he mentions the two specimens above enumerated. Since then 
Mr. Markley shot an adult male at Foster’s Landing, Ky., which is 
about 25 miles above the city. This is the only record we have of the 
occurrence here of this bird. 
In October just past, Mr. Biggs observed several large birds fly out 
of the town hall in Glendale. Three of these were killed, and proved 
_ to be barn owls. Mr. Keys also killed one. On October 15th, I received © 
two specimens, male and female, that had been killed near Jones’ 
Station. In the stomach of one was a mouse, and in the other was an 
orthopterous insect, commonly called “ Katydid,” (Cyrtophyllus con- 
eavus). October 16th, Mr. Clifford Allen went to the town hall and ~ 
placed a ladder up into the tower, and climbed up there. There were - 
four owls on a beam looking down at him, one of these he shot. In 
this specimen, which was a female, was a nearly grown rat, from which 
the head had been bitten, and the body swallowed entire. Mr. Allen 
closed the trap door leading to the tower, and on the 18th I went to 
Glendale to examine the place. When Mr. Allen went up, four owls 
flew out, one of which was killed, a female. The stomach contained 
two mice. On going up into the tower, I was astonished at the sight 
presented. The floor and ledges were covered with the cast-up pellets 
of the birds. It is well known to ornithologists that all raptorial birds 
swallow much indigestible matter, which is formed into balls in the 
stomach, and afterwards cast up. These are called pellets. In this 
case they were by hundreds, and covered the floor several inches deep 
in places. I examined many of them, and found them made up entirely 
of the hair and bones of the smaller rodents, mostly mice. There must 
have been the debris of several thousand mice and rats. But the 
strangest part of the curious habitation was the flock of domestic 
pigeons that were living seemingly on intimate terms with the owls, 
and judging from the old pigeon nests, I presume the pigeons had 
actually nested and reared young there. 
