Aug. 1888.] 
AND OOLOGI& 
119 
ful plunges in pursuit of his finny pr^y. At 
last he was successful and brought to .the sur- 
face of the water a Mullet that as Wear as I 
could judge would weigh about tWo pounds. 
With a shake he divested his feathers of all un- 
necessary weight in the shape of* water, and 
started t'o fly slowly toward a lartge dead tree 
where he eould enjoy the fruit o/his labor. He 
had nearly reached the tree when all at once he 
uttered a cryXand with quick hurried flappings 
started to fly coward the heavens. For a min- 
ute I could uo't understand this change of 
tactics and was wondering/ what had happened 
to the Hawk, wnten actor No. 2 appeared in 
the shape of a Bald Eagle, with wings set, com- 
ing straight toward hisAdctim with the velocity 
of the wind. They met and then began a series 
of aerial evolutions, that made me hold my 
breath as I watchedAiursued and pursuer each 
struggling to outdo the other. The Hawk had 
quite a start, but jhch by inbh the Eagle gained 
on him until . with a last despairing cry the 
Hawk dropped mis fish. Fob a second I saw 
the silvery sides of the Mullet flash in the 
bright sunlight as it fell toward the earth, and 
in another se/ond I saw the Eagle falling rapid- 
ly head firs/ toward the fish whibh it caught 
before it l/id fallen one hundred i-eet. With 
an upward/swoop the Eagle gained his equilib- 
rium aud/sailed rapidly toward a neighboring 
dark pii/) forest that undoubtedly contained 
his nest 
ThisAvas the final act of a drama enacted in 
nature's own theatre and it left me with a feel 
ing of uncertainty as to whether I had been 
/e air chasing the Hawk with the Eagle oi 
whither I was standing on terra firma during 
the performance. 
Nesting of the Barred Owl in Mass. 
BY C. L. PHILLIPS. TAUNTOIf, MASS. 
April 28, 1888, while exploring a large, dense 
swamp in South Dighton, Mails., I was so fortu- 
nate as to find the Barred Owl ( Strix nebulosa ) 
breeding. The nest was /laced about thirty 
feet high, in the fork of a swamp maple. The 
owl had evidently utilized an old Red-should- 
ered Hawk’s nest, siniiply adding a few pine 
twigs and lining it Wiiji downy feathers and 
moss. The nest contained two white, translu- 
cent eggs, measuring 36x44 mm. and 57 x 
46 mm. respectively. \ 
I sat down and watched for the owl’s return; 
she soon made her appearance, approaching 
slowly and caut 
had got within 
sly from tree to tree. She 
twXs. rods of her nest when a 
crow came diving down on her back; taken by 
surprise she took to flight and soon disappeared 
in the .dark recesses of the\wamp with corvus 
in hot pursuit. 
/ 
A Trip to San Benito County After 
Golden Eagle’s Eggs. 
BY J. R. CIIALKER, HEALDSBURGH, CAL. 
This year I left San Francisco on March 5th, 
1888, and after riding to the San Benito County 
line, I got off at a small station, packed up my 
outfit of blankets and other materials and struck 
off into the hills. 
Having been shut up in the city for three 
months I felt as though I could storm any eagle 
in his strong hold and carry away the best 
works of art in his castle. I had not proceeded 
more than a mile before I saw an eagle sailing 
with its mate in circles, and very high up. 
It being then about one o’clock I knew the 
female bird was taking some exercise before 
going on her nest. (I have observed that eagles 
usually leave the nest near noon and seek it 
again before three o’clock. If the weather is 
pleasant and hot the bird is apt to spend almost 
all day in company with her mate flying and 
sitting around on the fences and trees. On a 
windy and cloudy day a little exercise of per- 
haps thirty minutes is all she will take during 
that day). 
Having sat down in an easy position I looked 
the country over with my glass, and while do- 
ing so I noticed the female bird fly away over 
the hills followed by her mate. I knew then 
that her nest was at least a mile away and 
might be two. Over the hills I went and after 
hunting a while I found the nest in a big live 
oak tree. This made me happy and I forgot 
my city legs were beginning to give out with 
only a three hours’ walk. I, however, was 
soon up to the nest. It was empty, although a 
new nest. The nest was ready to lay in but the 
cold weather had made the birds backward and 
they had not laid yet. 
I had two weeks to walk some sixty miles, to 
get around to my old nests and I plainly saw I 
could not get back to get the eggs that would 
be in this nest in a couple of weeks, so I con- 
soled myself with the thought that I might 
strike it again next year. 
Picking up my traps I decided to go and see 
the Tar Springs, so called. I had heard about 
10 
