224 
VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 
FAMILY STRIGID^.— Owls. 
Barn Owl. Aluco Jiammeus pratincola, Cowq^. 
Found in northern Vermont and thought to breed there, yet 
that part is uncertain. Eggs were brought me larger than doves' 
and speckled, said to be the eggs of the owl, and the owls were 
brought also. The owls are right, and the eggs not yet identified. 
Great-iiorned Owl. Bubo Virginianus^ Bp. 
Common. Nest I have never found. 
Screech Owl ; Red or Mottled Owl. Scops asio, Bp. 
Very common. Nests in hollow trees, and builds of sticks, 
leaves and feathers. Is a great mouser, one owl being as good 
as six cats. 
LoNG-EARED OwL. Asio WUsonlcmus ^ Coues. 
Often met with. Nests in thick evergreen trees, often appro- 
priating a crow's nest. 
Short-eared Owl. Asio acclpltrinus, Newt. 
Common. Frequents marshy places. Is a persistent hunter 
of shrews and field mice. Nests on the ground, and builds but 
little, of sticks and coarse material. 
Great Gray Owl. Strix cinerea, Gm. 
Frequently met with in northern Vermont. Usually in winter. 
Does not nest here. 
Barred Owl. Strix nebulosa^ Forst. 
A resident often seen, but seems to decrease with cutting off 
the forest. Nests in hollow trees. Lives on small quadrupeds. 
Snowy Owl. Nyctea scandiaca, Newt. 
A winter visitor ; sometimes in great numbers. 
Hawk Owl ; Day Owl. Surnla funerea^ Rich and Sw. 
Is a permanent resident in northern part of state. Nests in 
trees ; builds of sticks lined with hay or grass, yet sometimes 
with moss also. 
Richardson's Owl. Nyctala Wi(j)milmi^ Riehardsonl^ Ridg. 
Occasional, but not common ; winter visitor. Do not think it 
nests with us. 
Saw-whet or Acadian Owl. Nyctala Acadica, Bp. 
Quite common, seeming to like the vicinity of buildings. Have 
trees about my house of different varieties, and it often comes 
among them in winter or spring, and sometimes in early summer. 
Nests in hollow trees. Owls are all beneficial to man, as they 
destroy thousands of pests. 
