Bubo virginianus . 
Lake Umbagog, Maine. 
1396. Nothing of interest occurred (as I was sailing back from 
Oct. I. Upton) until I had reached the outlet of the upper meadow pond 
among 
when two Great Horned Owls began calling the stubs on the 
A 
shore, both uttering the husky scream which I have described 
in this journal under date of August 23th. Presently I saw 
one of them perched on a stub on the end of the rocky island 
(the Ospreys frequently sit on this stub by day). I changed 
my shells and was starting to paddlentowards the bird when a 
whuff-whuff-whuff of beating wings was heard behind me and the 
choking scream sounded in my very ears. The next instant a 
huge bird sailed directly over me on set wings passing literal 
ly within six feet of my head. Just as it reached the river 
bank on the marshy (south) side and dropped itd legs, evident¬ 
ly with the intention of alighting, I fired bringing it down 
with a broken wing and firing another shot to finish it. It 
was in full plumage but the bill had some patches of light 
color indicating immaturity. This experience definitely set- 
tlesthe authorship of this night cry, but ii it made only by 
the young Bubo? It was very wild and piercing in the still 
air to-night and reminded me of the night call of Swainson's 
Thrush, but it is louder and huskier. 
