Florida , 
Canaverel, Banana Greek. 
A 
/V 
Said to be found in all the hamnocks of any considerable size 
throughout this region. Mr. C. F, . Bailey killed four specimens in 
December last on the edge of apatch of oak hammock on Merritt's 
Island, shooting them in the evening as they were flying from place 
to place. Mr. Quarterman tells me that they breed in hollow oaks 
in the Mammocks, as well as in. deserted buildings, where they can 
be had. I visited pepper Hammock twice in quest of these Owls, 
finding three on the first occasion and one on the second, the lat- 
ter doubtless one of those seen on the first visit. They inhabit- 
ed a small grove of palmettos which formed a broad belt separating 
a part of the hammock from the marshes which surrounded it, and 
they roosted near the tops of the trees, among the bases oi the. 
upright fronds. They were shy for Owls, starting when I came with- 
in 15 or 20 yards of them and taking such long flights that it was 
impossible to "mark them down" or find them again. Just before 
taking wing they invariably made a loud crashing sound, probably 
by their wings striking against the dry palmetto leaves at the. 
base of the fronds. Their flight was erratic or flickering, giving 
them very much the appearance of gigantic moths. One of those 
which I started but did not get looked very white. It was evident 
that they had roosted several days at least in the trees from which 
they started. Under one of these trees lay a pellet of bones and 
fur, and I found a skull which Mr. Chapman identified as that of 
Neofiber alleni and which without doubt had been swallowed and 
afterwards" ej'ected by the Owl. One bird which I wounded and fi- 
nally secured alighted on the ground after it had flown 100 yards 
or i more and sat very erect on its long legs. When on the wing 
this Owl looks much larger than I expected, in fact nearly as 
large as a Great Homed Owl. This is probably due to the size and 
breadth of its wings. 
