Asio acciPitrinus , 
Concord, 
| 1894. 
| Oct. 11 
to 
Nov. 21. 
i 
f 
Mass * 
interesting 
One of the most experiences of my stay at Concord this 
autumn happened Oct. 29th with what I took to be a Short-eared 
Owl. Will Stone and I had been passing the day at Ball's Hill 
and were on our way up river when, as we were approaching the 
head of Beaver Dam Rapid, a large bird suddenly came out of 
the gloom which shrouded the meadows on our left (the sun had 
set half an hour or more before ) and after circling over the 
river alighted on the top of a tall pole which some one had 
driven into the mud at the water's edge. Here it sat bolt up- 
right for a minute or more bobbing its head up and down by 
lengthening and shortening the neck in the manner of most 
Owls. Against the strong afterglow in the west it stood out 
most distinctly but in silhouette showing no colors. Present- 
ly it took flight again and skimmed about over the meadows 
flying very gracefully but in an erratic manner very like a 
big moth or perhaps still more like a Nighthawk, alternately 
appearing and disappearing as it rose against the light in the 
west or dipped down close to the surface of the ground. After 
a few minutes it returned to the stake. Its manner of alight- 
ing and taking flight was very abrupt and decided. It flew a 
second time soon after this and did not again return. 
On the evening of Nov. 1st I saw what appeared to be the 
same bird beating the the meadow at the Holt very much in the 
