Habits of Scops Asio - Scol. ferrugineus [Scolecophagus ferrugineus]
 (Nov. 27 [November 27, 1875])
1875.
Dec. 6 [December 6, 1875] Clear and a lovely mild day. Ther. [Thermometer] 36 [degrees]
at noon. Spent the forenoon in the
house at work on birds. Late in P.M.
struck up into the swamps with Stone.
In the brickyard swamps saw at least
three Mel. melodia [Melospiza melodia] and shot two of
them at a shot. In the pine swamp
we beat for grouse and by standing
on the ice in the little pond and
hunting Shot around the edge I
got a fine shot at a [female] grouse which
he started and killed his with the 
first barrel. Leaving here we struck
across the frozen meadows to "Block is’ [Block Island]
[?] where I spied a Scops sitting in
the top of a leafless alder bush and over
a ditch which still remained opened in 
places; it was already dim twilight
and I had but just made up my mind
that the upright darkly outlined object
was really an owl when he started 
at least 60 yds.[yards] from me and with
a peculiar flip flapping, woodcock like flight
skimmed across the open meadow with
ghost like ease & swiftness and disappeared
in the gloom of the wooded hill, where
we followed and searched for him
in vain. These and other owls are
undoubtedly much more common
than is usually supposed. Their
habit, apart from their nocturnal
proclivities, much resemble those
of the Buteos especially in this habit
of sitting on the watch over ditches
etc. A Scol. ferrugineus [Scolecophagus ferrugineus] was shot by Frazar [Abbot M. Frazar]
in Watertown Nov. 27 [November 27, 1875] - W.B. [William Brewster] grouse 1