1892 
Mass . 
Syrnium nebulosum. 
Deo. 29 
Concord.- As we were returning past Bensen's house my attention 
was attracted "by a large, ragged-looking grayish object in the 
top of an isolated elm which stands in the meadow on the edge of 
the Davis swamp -about 60 yards from the road. At first glance 
I took it for a paper Wasp's nest but before I could extract my 
field glasses from my pocket and bring them to bear it moved 
slightly and I saw that it was a Barred Owl. Its head was bent 
forward and its gaze fixed on the ground beneath. Evidently it 
was on the watch for mice although the sun was more than an hour 
high (it was about 3 P.M. ) and the light reflected from the snow 
(which covered most of the meadow) bright if not actually dazzl- 
ing to human eyes. Peter, who came from the house to speak with 
us, told me that the Owl had been flying about over the meadow, 
alighting on humps of frozen earth, and had settled in the elm 
only a few minutes before we emerged from the woods. I now climb* 
over the wall and advanced slowly down the slope towards the elm. 
At first the Owl did not seem to notice me but when I came to 
some snow and my foot-steps produced a slight crunching sound the 
Barred 
Owl . 
bird instantly turned its head towards me and half opened its 
wings. I stopped and we stared at each other for a minute or more 
the Qwl without blinking, his eyes appearing perfectly round and 
black, his beak of a bright greenish yellow, his plumage every- 
where of a faded or grayish brown with profuse and very conspicu- 
ous whitish bars and spots. When he turned to face me a twig 
penetrated the plumage of his back and springing upward raised a 
bunch of scapulars considerably above the surrounding feathers, 
93 
