A Saw-whet Owl’s Nest. 
As the nest of this bird ( Nyctale acadica') is 
quite rare, I will describe one which I found 
this season, thinking it may interest some of 
the readers of the O. and O. The 16 th of May 
found me in a large tract of woods hunting for 
a nest of a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers which 
I knew were breeding in the vicinity. Al- 
though I was unsuccessful in finding what I 
was particularly in search of, I stumbled upon 
a nest which pleased me far more. 
Out of curiosity I visited a stub from which 
a set of Pileated W oodpecker’s eggs were taken 
two years ago. The large round hole from 
which the eggs had been taken was visible at 
some distance, and after passing behind some 
trees I was much surprised to see this hole filled 
with some grey substance. Upon a nearer ap- 
proach I discovered this grey substance to be 
the head of a Saw-whet Owl. I rapped on the 
stub and shouted to drive her from the nest but 
she only sat there and stared, evidently at a 
loss to determine what sort of an animal I was. 
Finding that I could not frighten the bird 
from the nest, I stripped off my coat and pre- 
pared to “shin” the tree. This proved to be no 
easy task as the tree was two feet in diameter 
and the nest was fifteen feet from the ground 
and there was not a branch on it. As soon as 
I began to ascend the tree the owl flew off and 
lit in another tree about fifteen feet distant, 
from where she silently watched me. After 
considerable hard work I reached the hole and 
was delighted to find five eggs at the bottom of 
it. The hole was about a foot and a half deep, 
and was lined with a few feathers. I could not 
tell whether these were owl’s feathers or the 
feathers of some of its victims. I could not 
reach into the hole with my coat on and could 
not carry my collecting box without it, so I 
had to bring the eggs down one at a time in my 
mouth. The eggs were chalky white in color, 
though pretty dirty, and were quite fresh. 
They measure about 1837 p> / ^ 
Taking out my box I packed the four eggs 
snugly away, and found that the nest was made 
of feathers, the top of chips, and that it con- 
tained part of a mouse for future use. 
The nest was about six inches from the hole, 
and it may possibly have been a Flicker’s old 
nest, but I hardly think so. 
I succeeded in blowing the eggs fairly, but 
incubation was pretty well advanced. They 
resemble the eggs of other owls very much, 
but are not as spherical as those of most 
species. The measurements are as follows: 
1.25 x. 99 . 
V. Swallow. 
wn-headed 
life near 
156 
ORlSTITt 
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General Notes, 
Another Record of the Breeding of the Saw-whet Owl (. Nyctale acadica ) 
in Eastern Massachusetts— As there are still but few records of the 
breeding of the Saw-whet Owl in eastern Massachusetts, I take pleasure 
in adding one more. 
On July 3, 1803, Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., and I were setting a line of 
traps in a heavy white pine swamp that lies along Red Brook in the town 
of Wareham, Mass. We noticed a large old pine stump which was broken 
off at about 25 feet above the ground and full of Woodpeckers’ holes, and 
pounded on it. We had pounded but once or twice when a Saw-whet 
Owl popped her head out of the uppermost hole and kept it there 
motionless, although I fired at her three times with my pistol. The third 
shot killed her and she fell back into the hole. 
On taking the bird out, I found there was a nest containing seven eggs. 
The nest was quite bulky and composed of gray moss (Usuea) interwoven 
with small pieces of fibrous bark, a few pine needles, small twigs, and 
feathers of the bird herself. The hole in which the nest was found was 
18 feet from the ground and about 8 inches deep. 
In the nest besides the eggs was a half eaten red-backed mouse (Evo- 
tomys gap fieri) . 
Three of the eggs were in various stages of incubation, one being on the 
point of hatching,— in fact the young bird had already cracked the shell. 
Three were addled, and one was perfectly fresh. 
On dissecting the old bird we found that she had laid her full set of 
eggs. Her stomach contained the other half of the Evo tomys, which she 
was apparently eating when we disturbed her. 
I believe the only other records for Massachusetts are : — 
‘Probable breeding of the Acadian Owl ( Nyctale acadica) in Massa- 
chusetts.’ R. Deane, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. If, July, 1877, p. 84. 
Ihree specimens in first plumage are recorded,— one, taken June 28, 1876, 
at Newton, Mass., one at Hingham, Mass., July 5, 1876, and one July 8, 
1876. J 
‘Breeding of the Acadian Owl in Eastern Massachusetts.’ N. A. Francis 
Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. VI, July, 1881, p. 185. Nest with five young 
found June 4, 1880, atBraintree, Mass. 
4 Breeding of the Acadian Owl {Nyctale acadica) in Massachusetts.’ Bull. 
Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. VI, July, 1881, pp. 143-145. Account by William 
Brewster of nest with four eggs taken at Tyngsboro’, Mass., April 5, 1881, 
by W. B. Perham. Ibid., Jan., 1882, pp. 23-25. Additional noteson nest- 
ing at Tyngsboro’, byW. B. Perham, who found seven nests in all 
‘Ornithologist and Oologist,’ Vol. XIV, Oct, 1889, pp. 155-156. Record 
of nest with four eggs, well advanced in incubation, taken at Dunstable, 
Mass, May 1, 1889, by C. W. Swallow. 
^ In connection with this see also account of four nests found at Holland 
Patent, N. Y, by Egbert Bagg, in ‘Ornithologist and Oologist,’ Vol. XII, 
4, Apiil, 1 SS 7 , p. 57- Outram Bangs, Wareham, Mass. 
Auk XI. Jan. 1804 p. 77-78 
/g.s of North 
Taking out my box I packed the four eggs ^ (rf a negt 
snugly away, and found that the nest was made a p(md) by 
of feathers, the top of chips, and that it con- , es not 0 th e r- 
tained part of a mouse for future use. the Brown- 
The nest was about six inches from the hole, hi „ h Qr 
and it may possibly have been a Flickei s o < to ^j ye my 
nest, hut I hardly think so. j the nes ting 
I succeeded in blowing the eggs fairly, but 
incubation was pretty well advanced. They 
resemble the eggs of other owls very much, 
but are not as spherical as those of most 
species. The measurements are as follows: 
1 . 32 x 1 . 05 , 1 . 33 x 1 . 04 , 1 . 30 x 1 . 03 , 1.25 x. 99 . 
C. W. Swallow. 
Dunstable, Mass. 
0 ,& O. X.I V* round nr ref orm was on the 
uplands, and four in stumps standing in or 
close to water. 
Of six nests with eggs found in 1889 , three 
were in stumps standing in water, and three 
more in stumps close to water. 
The birds also commenced to line their 
holes in four other stubs, and to dig holes in two 
more in 1889 , of which two stood in water and 
four close by ; a nest with young was also found 
in a stump in the creek, bottom standing in 
water. 
Thus of twenty-two nesting sites which 
have come under my observation, eighteen 
stood in or near water, and four were on the 
uplands, thus showing a great preference for 
damp localities. Now let other Southern 
collectors come forward and say what is the 
Nuthatches’ preference in their localities. 
C. S. Brimley. 
Raleigh, N. C. 
No 
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