friend, who found it roosting in a thick clump of 
Alders by the side of a river, where he had evi- 
dently been overtaken by the daylight and con- 
cluded to camp for the day. At the report of the 
gun lie tumbled headlong into the underbrush, 
and my friend was considerably surprised on go- 
ing for his prize, to find him “sitting up” and 
looking as calm as if nothing had occurred to 
disturb his morning nap. But with all his calm 
exterior, it was Only after quite a lively encounter 
that he was finally captured and stowed safely 
away in a capacious coat pocket. On arriving at 
the house we made a most careful examination of 
our little prisoner, but were unable to find the 
slightest trace of shot marks on either plumage or 
body, and finally concluded that he had been 
only stunned by the report of the heavily loaded 
gun, the contents of which had passed safely 
above him. 
My Experience with a Screech Owl. 
BY W. H. PItESBY, EAST CAMBItIDGE, MASS. 
Several years ago it was my good fortune to 
have as pets, several of the feathered tribe that 
are usually considered anything but desirable for 
cage birds. Thinking that an account of some of 
them might be of interest to the readers of the 
“O. and O.” I have concluded to give you first, 
my experience with a little Screech Owl that was 
captured one morning in the early Autumn by a 
We placed him in a large granary, that was 
lignted only by one small window, and allowed 
him to come and go at w r ill among the bins that 
were plentifully stocked with mice. Here lie 
lived for several weeks, apparently well pleased 
with his new mode of life. He chose a certain 
place in one corner of the granary, to which he 
always retired, and remained throughout the day, 
but on the approach of twilight he would sally 
out on his search for game. During the time lie 
was confined in the room, I never knew him to 
eat anything aside from what he captured himself, 
although bits of fresh meat were furnished him 
every morning. He seemed to delight in sitting 
on the floor of the bins, and watching the holes 
through which the mice would pass from one bin 
to another. When disturbed he would resort to 
his favorite place in the corner of the granary, 
and there remain stamping his feet, snapping his 
beak, and presenting the most perfect picture of 
uncontrollable anger. 
He would after a few days allow me to rub the 
top of his head with my finger, but would never 
permit any further attempt at familiarity. 
One morning in October, I fastened a strong 
cord to one leg and tied him to the limb of a tree 
in the orchard, giving him plenty of cord to reach 
the ground at pleasure. About nine o’clock the 
following evening, having occasion to pass 
through the orchard, I discovered a second Owl 
sitting on a dead limb that projected above the top 
of an adjacent tree, and immediately returned for 
a gun, but on returning a few minutes later the 
visitor had flown. I waited quite a long time for 
him to return, but finally concluded he had left 
the vicinity for good. I visited my captive, wdio 
was busily engaged in making a supper of some 
( &4-AY/ IttrU- ) 
A pair of young S creec h Owls, tlie first installment 
to our private menagerie, were in ourpossession Barely 
twenty -four hours before the male “ate up his female 
mate.” 
a&O, 16. July, 1890, p, 
Something about Owls. 
0. 0. Ormsbee, Montpelier, Vi. 
j Of the Screech Owl, common throughout 
the entire temperate zone, and the best 
I known of all the Owls, two hundred and fif- 
ty-five stomachs were examined. One con- 
tained a Pigeon, thirty-eight contained other 
birds, ninety-one contained Mice, and one 
hundred contained insects. 
O. & O. Vol. 18, Oct, 1893 p. 138 
.856. Screech Owls in a Chimney. By J. L. Dfavidson]. Ibid., p -V K 
& SStreasBc XXII 
f 241. Dichromatism in the Screech Owl ( Scops asio, Bp.). By the 
Editor. Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., pp. 52, S3-— <?f 5^ specimens 
32 were red, and 24 gray. ;tSCln. SoC. N. H. -882 
Young Oologist. 1558- From Georgia. By T. 
scops asio and Ampelis cedrorum. 
768 Screech Owls Breeding in Confinement. By F. H. Carpenter. 
Ibid., pp. 93, 94- Q, & O- Voi.VHI A 
■ iojn. A Screech Owl Attacks a Plymouth Rock Rooster. By S. L. 
Davison. Ibid., Mch. 19, p. 145. For. & Stream, XaJV 
147. Owls. By S. B. Buckley. Ibid., XV, p. 104. — 11 Screech Owls’’ 
inhabiting a Wren-box, and capture of a Snowy Owl ( Nyctea nivea) near 
Austin, Texas. For. & Streeua 
200. Screech Owl [Scops asio] in Confinement. Ibid., XVIII, No. 6, 
pp. 106, 107, March 9, 1882. 
