16 



GOLDEN CROWNED THRUSH. 



{Siurus Auricapillus.) 

 This bird is rare, and also shj^, liiding in the thick 

 woods and shrubbery. It is not very large, being from 

 four to six inches long, the color is a rich brown with 

 some variation, the crown of the head a yellow color, 

 from whence it derives its name. When surprised it 

 escapes into the leaves and underbrush with the celerity 

 of a mouse and is not easily detected. It is mostly a 

 ground bird and delights in walking over and among 

 the leaves in search for its food. The song is simple 

 and subject to much variation, being on an undulating 

 scale ; so that little idea is obtained xby listening, as to 

 the songster's position. The nest is a hollow in the 

 ground made oven-shaped, well lined in the interior, 

 and excellently concealed on the outside with leaves, so 

 that it is very hard to discover. The eggs are five in 

 number, of a light blue color, sparingly spotted, they 

 measure about .88 by .0(3 of an inch. It is occasionally 

 called oven bird. 



SNOWY OWL. 



(Nyctea Scandiaca.) 

 We now have another specimen before us that we 

 do not see during summer, but it appears in the United 

 States during the First and Second months; during the 

 other periods he lives in the far north among the ice 

 and snow. He is large and beautiful, being of a snowy 

 white color and very powerful. His prey consists of 

 small animals which he gets with ease. A nest was 

 found near West Chester, Pa. during the Second month, 

 1885, which contained two large white eggs. The old 

 bird was then sitting. 



