CONCORD. 
1892 
December 
' V"” 
1 
vi 
Barred 
Owl 
ig 
29 With George Carroll took the 10.16 train to West 
Bedford and crossed the river on the ice to my cabin where 
I cooked and ate dinner. [Two Chickadees and a Blue Jay came 
about the house and I heard the Pine Grosbeaks piping in the 
distance and saw three CroY/s fly overT] The river was alive 
with men and boys skating during the forenoon. 
After dinner I put up some "no shooting" signs along 
the borders of the meadow to the westv/ard and others in the 
old woods on the Davis land near Bensen*s. In these woods I 
saw a large Grey Squirrel and a Blue Jay, 
As we were returning past Bensen’s house my attention 
was attracted by a large, ragged-looking grayish object in 
the top of an isolated elm which stands in the meadow on the 
edge of the Davis swamp — about 60 yards from the road. At 
first glance I took it for a paper Wasp's nest but before I 
could extract my field glasses from my pocket and bring them 
to bear, it moved slightly and I saw that it was a Barred Owl. 
Its head v/as bent forward and its gaze fixed on the ground 
beneath. Evidently it was on the watch for mice, although 
the sun was more than an hour high (it was about 3 P. M.) 
and the light reflected from the sno?/ (which covered most of 
the meadow) bright, if not actually dazzling to human eyes. 
Peter, who came from the house to speak with us, told me that 
the Owl had been flying about over the meadow, alighting on 
