The Number of Eggs Laid by the 
Great-Horned Owl. 
Notes on the Nesting of the Great 
Horned Owl. 
by DR. w. S. STRODE, BERNADOTTE, ILL. 
After reading Charles F. Morrison’s article in 
the O. and O. for April, on the number of eggs 
laid by the Great-horned Owl, it occurred to me 
that my experience with this interesting bird 
during this season of 1887, might be of interest 
to the readers of this journal, and also throw 
some light on this subject at least for the “Spun 
River Region” of Illinois. 
January 26th. Took first set of 71. virginian- 
us-, number of eggs two, incubation fresh. 
Nest forty feet high on large limb of a white 
oak tree, close to body, and apparently built by 
the owls. 
February 27th. Took another set of two 
from same birds. Nest a half mile from first, 
and in a red oak, about thirty feet up in forks, 
and also built by the owls. Each nest being a 
low flat structure, composed almost entirely of 
sticks and a few leaves and feathers on the in- 
side. 
February 1st. Found a Bubo’s nest in a 
white oak, containing one fresh egg. The lay 
apparently not completed. Both birds were 
present and gave me a fine serenade as I was 
making the ascent. 
February 18th. Found a nest in an old red 
oak snag, about thirty feet high. Could see 
the bii-d’s ear tufts above the cavity. The 
climb a hard one, but with the aid of a good 
pair of climbers I succeeded in getting up, and 
found three very nice eggs, slightly incubated. 
March 8th. Found this same pair nesting in 
the hollow top of a large white oak, about fifty 
feet high, and about two hundred yards from 
the former nesting place. Going up I found 
one fresh egg. Coming that way again on 
March 12th and 15th the old bird flew out on 
rapping. 
jVIarch 20th. I again ascended the tree and 
found three more eggs, in which incubation 
had commenced, these appearently being a 
completion of the set. I have this prolific pair 
under observation for the third time, thinking 
possibly I might even get a third set. 
March 8th. A boy brought me a set of two 
that he had found in a nest which the birds had 
probably built. 
March 22nd. I located this pair nesting in 
the same woods ; the nest about forty feet high, 
in the forks of a small elm. Going up I found 
two fresh eggs. The nest was a pretty neat 
structure, and built by the owls. 
February 21st. Found a nest in an old red 
oak snag, about twenty-five feet high, contain- 
ing two eggs slightly incubated. 
March 13th. A boy brought me one fresh 
egg that he had found in a nest in a tree. Prob- 
ably an incomplete set. 
This comprises the eggs taken this season, 
but 1 found other nests. 
March 13th. Found an owl on a nest about 
seventy-five feet from the ground, and away 
out on a limb. The tree was a red oak, three 
and a half or four feet through, and forty feet 
to a limb. A tremendous climb. But tying up 
my horse, I strapped on my climbers and went 
up, up, up, until I neared the nest. The parent 
(Bubo virginianus.) 
BY THOMAS II. JACKSON, WEST CHESTER, PA. 
Within a few years this bird has become a rather 
scarce resident of this section of Eastern Pennsyl- 
vania. The destruction or thinning out of the 
larger tracts of timber, together with the increasing 
demand of this fine bird for the taxidermists’ art, 
have left but few pairs to breed in the vicinity. 
In a recent number of The Ornithologist and 
Oologist I notice that a writer takes exception 
to the large number of eggs usually accredited in 
sets of the Raptores. In his experience with those 
of the Great Horned Owl I fully coincide. In 
thirteen nests of the bird that have come under 
personal notice, twelve contained two eggs or 
young, and only one contained three eggs. 
Upon one occasion I replaced the Owl’s eggs 
taken from a nest with those of the common hen, 
and upon visiting them at the expiration of three 
weeks, found that both the latter had hatched and 
had fallen from the nest, about twenty feet from 
the ground, and that the owls had deserted the 
locality. 
All the nests referred to above were placed in 
branches of trees, and were generally those of 
Crows or Hawks renovated or enlarged. Occa- 
sionally a-hollow tree is used for this purpose. 
The Great Horned Owls are liberal providers 
for their young. I have frequently found full 
grown rabbits lying in the nest beside the young, 
and scarcely a nest visited did not have a strong- 
odor of the skunk, while bones and feathers were 
scattered around, attesting to the predaceous 
habits of the proprietors. 
The hooting of this owl in the lonesome re- 
cesses of the forest is not an attractive sound to 
the belated traveler who knows not the source 
whence it comes, but I have often listened with 
pleasure to their solemn signals as they answered 
each other from different points in the silent 
forest. The notes of the sexes are quite different. 
One of them (I cannot say which) utters deep de- 
liberate bootings, while the other answers in short 
quick tones very easily distinguished, and as I 
have always heard these notes in the vicinity of a 
: nesting place, I have taken it for granted that they 
are distinguishing traits in the sexes. 
O.&o. XI. Jan.iess.p, ftj- 
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