Brewster on the Acadian Owl. 
2 3 
the swamp, in immense numbers. A thorough exploration of the swamp 
would no doubt have added largely to the list of Water Birds, but I could not 
afford the time and labor necessary to accomplish even a partial explora- 
tion after the birds had begun breeding. 
NOTES ON THE HABITS AND CHANGES OF PLUM- 
AGE OF THE ACADIAN OWL (. NTCTALE A CA- 
DICA), WITH SOME ADDITIONAL RECORDS OF 
ITS BREEDING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 
BY WILLIAM BREWSTER. 
In the Bulletin for July, 1881, I gave an account of the breed- 
ing of the Acadian Owl at Tyngsboro’, Massachusetts, with a de- 
scription of a set of eggs taken there by Mr. Perham on April 5. 
Early in June of the same season Mr. Perham sent me a brood of 
four young Saw-whets which he had taken from the nest about 
the 15th of the preceding month. They were all in the plumage 
of N. “ albifrons and showed little individual variation, save 
in respect to size, the two females being slightly larger than their 
brothers. In their fresh, silky feathering they were beautiful 
little creatures, the warm sepia-brown of the upper parts harmon- 
izing well with the rich fulvous beneath, and their white foreheads 
showing in strong contrast with both. Nor were their manners 
less engaging than their plumage, for, unlike most Owls, they 
were perfectly gentle from the first, never attempting to bite o r 
scratch those who handled them. With each other they were really 
affectionate, often going through a caressing performance with 
their bills, and showing a mutual forbearance at meal-times which 
was very pleasing. They eat all kinds of meat with avidity, but 
seemed especially fond of mice. The latter were invariably 
skinned and the flesh torn in shreds and devoured, the skins being 
swallowed afterwards as dessert. I often saw them eject those 
peculiar pellets of bones, fur, and other indigestable fragments 
which all Owls and many Hawks are in the habit of depositing 
