83
Concord, Mass.
1898
May 7
(No 3) 
gathered and clamored in the woods by the river
into which the male Owl usually flies when
disturbed. Two Red-shouldered Hawks also appeared over
these woods screaming incessantly for ten or fifteen
minutes their shrill voices adding materially to the
din kept up by the excited Crows. All the while
three of the Owls remained near me in the tops
of the pines hooting at short, regular intervals, using
always the ordinary night hoot - hoo, hoo,-hoo-hoo,
hoo, hoo but giving it in subdued tones.
  But where were the young? I first examined the
ground about the foot of the pine with great care.
It was strewn with huge pellets of fur and bones and
reeking with excrement among which dung beetles were
groping about after their usual stupid fashion.
There was an unmistakeable [sic] but not very strong
smell of Skunk mingled with the more offensive
odors but I failed to find any Skunk hair or other
remains. The ground was strewn in every direction with
scraps of Rabbit skin and all the pellets that
I dissected were composed wholly of Rabbits fur
and bones. There were no feathers of Partridges or 
other birds. Besides the Rabbit remains (representing
a dozen or more of the poor bunnies I should say)
I found nothing identifiable excepting a Green Frog
which had one side of its head torn open but
which was otherwise unmutilated.
  My heart sank when I discovered a sort of trail
of down, evidently that of the young Bubos, clinging
to the tops of the low blueberry bushes & leading
straight away from the pine for a distance.