Nvotala aoadica . 
C ambr idge , Mass . 
fk 1898. 
| Feb. 7. 
; (No. 2). 
j 
! 
i 
i 
Feb. 13. 
After I bad exposed all my plates we put up a ladder di- 
rectly under the tree and Gilbert, ascending it, had his hand 
within a few inches of the Owl when the ladder gave way and 
fell with a crash striking against some of the branches in 
its descent. The loud noise and the agitation of the tree 
startled the bird considerably but instead of flying as we all 
expected he would do he merely bent forward and gazed intently 
down at the prostrate man and ladder. We remained motionless 
for a few moments after which Walter, going around to the op- 
posite side of the tree and waving the camera slowly, succeed- 
ed in attracting the Owl's attention while Gilbert again 
climbed the ladder and slowly extending his hand from beneath 
and a little behind the bird caught it by the feet. It 
snapped its bill sharply and rapidly when seized. I put it 
into a large cage where it remained quiet until nightfall af- 
ter which it fluttered a good deal against the wires. A dead 
House Sparrow which I left in the cage was untouched the next 
morning. 
On looking closely about the garden I found on the snow 
beneath a red cedar numerous feathers from the wings, tail 
and body, of a House Sparrow and beneath the hollow, vine-en- 
shrouded trunk of an old apple tree a very small pellet com- 
posed of 
The Saw -whet is still alive and apparently healthy. He 
/of 
