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THE BAY STATE OOLOGIST. 



The Owl line is represented in winter by the Long-eared Owl, the Great Horned 

 Owl and the Little Screech Owl - Concerning the latter bird, a peculiar instance 

 of its unwillingness to leave a spot which it has chosen for its home, returns to 

 my mind. A pair of these birds have for at least four years had the same nest in 

 the hollow of an old apple tree, and just as regularly as the female would lay a set 

 of eggs, they were taken by a person in the neighborhood. Does it not seem 

 strange that a bird should continue to lay eggs in the same nest so many years, 

 after having been continually robbed of its eggs? And it certainly must have 

 been the same bird, for surely three or four different pairs would not select the 

 same place in successive years for breeding purposes. 



The Black Snow-bird (Junco hyemalis) is generally quite abundant during the 

 winter. This little bird is a favorite with everyone, and deservedly so. We all 

 enjoy its pleasant chatter and pleasing ways as it hops about in search of food. 



The noisy English Sparrows, of whom we all know a great deal, are always 

 with us. Several pairs annually build about our stable, and I destroy, on an av- 

 erage, seventy-five eggs a year from these nests. If all our Oologist do their 

 part, we certainly can do something to prevent the rapid increase of this little 

 pest. 



Hawks are abundant, although perhaps not so much so as before our state legis- 

 lators passed our famous "bounty law." During the two or three years of its ex- 

 istence, Pennsylvania paid as bounties for the slaughter of Hawks and Owls al- 

 most one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00), besides suffering untold injury 

 from their destruction. 



The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta Carolinensis) is another very interesting 

 resident; but, as in the case of the Chickadee, its nest is seldom found here. Last 

 year one was discovered, but upon being opened it was found to contain but two 

 eggs. It was in a tree along the border of the woods, and was about twenty feet 

 from the ground. 



OUR PRIZE OFFER.— Owing to the delay in getting out the April number 

 of our magazine, we have decided to fix June 15th as the date of closing our offer, 

 in place of June 1st. This change of date will give those who desire to try for a 

 prize a longer time to work in, and we hope our friends will send us in a goodly 

 number of new subscribers before the date of closing. The names of the winners 

 will be published in the July number instead of the June, as before stated, and 

 prizes will be forwarded June 20th. Do not fail to read the whole of our "Prize 

 Offer," which you will find listed on inside back page of cover. 



