168 
THE WILSON BULLETIN— September, 1922 
ing irregular, strange hoots, (littering from the usual, character- 
istic call of this bird. Upon climbing to the nest, about fifteen 
feet from the ground, I found a shallow depression in the stub 
of a big limb, in which lay three owlets. As usual there were 
three sizes, the largest about twice the size of the smallest. The 
runt was downy, but the other two were beginning to get their 
feathers. Around the little owls lay five large Brown Rats, a 
a field mouse (Microtia s* pcnnsylvanicus ) and a Least Weasel 
( Rurosus ). The head and sometimes the shoulders were eaten 
off all these animals except the weasel, which was intact and 
made a good specimen in my mammal collection. 
April 24 I again went to the nest. The owls were much con- 
cerned and ventured quite near. As I was climbing to the nest, 
on a slender pole, I received a heavy blow on the side of the 
head and my hat flew off. This actual attack on the part of the 
owl was unexpected and I slid to the ground for my hat, before 
continuing the climb. I found one ear bleeding. I watched the 
owls carefullv as 1 climbed the second time. In the nest were 
two brown rats, beheaded, and the hind quarters of a cotton 
tail. The parent birds continued hooting, snapping their beaks 
and swooping near me. 
April 25 I found two brown rats in the nest, without heads, 
The young were brought to the ground and photographed. 
May 10 I found a leg and some flesh of a female Mallard, 
possibly a tame duck from a farm near by. The young owls 
were becoming yellowish brown. 
May 15 I found an owlet perched on a projection above the 
nest-cavity. The parents were quite warlike. I climbed to 
the nest and stooped to look into the cavity when I received a 
stunning blow in the back of the neck. For a brief instant I 
felt slightly dazed. I found six punctures in the skin bleeding. 
I had never thought there would be such weight behind a blow 
from an owl. The bird swooped at me again, but I was on 
watch after that and a wave of the hand was enough to turn 
the bird aside. Again I found two rats in the nest, one of them 
melanistic. The young owls were brought to the ground and 
photographed again. 
May 10 I found two of the owlets perching above the cavity 
and one of them fluttered to the ground. 
May 23 all the birds had left the nest, and after a little 
search, the three young owls were discovered in various trees 
near bv. After this date I saw no more of them. 
t/ 
