142 
ORNITHOLOGIST 
[Vol. 7-No. IS 
of a pine, containing several yonng birds. 
Every morning one of the parents oceu- 
j)ied itself quite faithfully in capturing in¬ 
sects (in nearly every case large and easily 
discernable ones), in the intervals of its 
more dignified labor of searching the bark 
of the trees. These insects were always 
fed to the young. Perha 2 )s it is not gen¬ 
erally known that fly-catching is quite a 
common part of the Woodjiecker's every 
day life: but the instances are so many, 
and come from such varied sources (includ¬ 
ing nearly all the sjiecies that are more or 
less well known), that it can no longer be 
considered an individual peculiarity.— L. 
'Willards Chiccufo, Til. 
Eagles in Ohio. 
In Central Ohio Eagles ajipear to be 
more numerous in mild Winters. This is 
])robably due (as is usually the case in other 
localities), to the severity of the weather 
farther north, where the ponds and rivers 
are closed with ice and the woodlands are 
covered with snow, placing food beyond 
their reach. The following is taken from 
my memorandum and given in rotation 
just as the dead birds were received from 
various counties of the State : 1878 — ’79 
— Mild. Dec. 2. Bald Eagle from Dela¬ 
ware County: Dec. 4. Bald Eagle from 
Marion Co. ; Dec. 18. Bald Eagle from 
Union Co. ; .Tan. 4. Bald Eagle from Lick¬ 
ing Co. : .Tan. 12. Bald Eagle from T^nion 
Co. ; Feb. 9, Golden Eagle from Franklin 
Co. : Feb. 20, Bald Eagle from Union 
Co. 1879 — ’80 — Severe in .Tanuary and 
February. D(‘c. 10, Bald Eagle from 
Franklin County : Dec. 13. Bald Eagle 
from Union Co. ; .Tan. 2. Bald Eagle from 
Franklin Co. 1880 — '81 — Severe. Oct. 
4. Bald Eagle from Hocking C<mnty: Dec. 
12, Bald Eagle from Delaware Co. ; .Tan. 
23, Bald Eagle from Madis<>n Co. 1881 — 
’82—^rild. D<-c. 12. Bald Eagle from 
Fairfield County ; Dec. 13. Gohlen Eagle 
from Franklin Co. : Dec. 10. Bald Eagle 
from Montgomery Co. ; Dec. 20, Bald 
Eagle from IMorrow Co. : Jan. 9, Bald 
Eagle from Franklin Co.; Jan. 12, Bald 
Eagle from Union Co. ; Jan. 22, Bald ! 
Eagle from Morrow Co.; Jan. 24, Bald 
Eagle from Franklin Co.; Feb. 23. Bald 
Eagle from Franklin Co. The last speci¬ 
men of Golden Eagle {yiquild chrymetus) 
was killed a few miles west of Columbus. 
It was said to have killed several young I 
calves in the neighborhood, which the 
bird was seen fe.astiug ujjon. A number ! 
of the Bald Eagles in the above list were i 
young birds, lacking the white head and | 
tail, and for the most part were killed with j 
rifles, a few with shot guns, and two by ! 
the use of stiwchnine ujjon a dead carcass, i 
— Oliver Davie, Columbus, Ohio. 
[Mr. Davie writes that he has omitted three from the i 
above list, taken during the Winters of 18T8—’T9. They 
will prol)ably be given in a future list.—Ei>.) 
The Great-horned Owl in Texas. 
This Owl is very abundant in Maverick 
county, and the iiest easily found. They 
are built in the o])en forks of the mes- 
quite. at a height of from eight to twelve 
feet from the ground, and are constructed ' 
of large dead sticks, with generally no 
lining, except the sticks are somewhat 
smaller atid finer on the inside, though 
sometimes there is cpiite an extensive 
lining of fur, feathers and litter, made by 
the birds skinning their prey in the nest. 
The nests average two feet in diameter by 
about eighteen inches high, and are veiy 
slightly hollowed. They nearly always 
build a new nest, though sometimes re])air 
the nest of the jirevious year, and occa¬ 
sionally they use tlie nest of some other 
sjiecies. One set of two was taken March 
9th. from the nest of a C iracara Buzzard, 
from which a set of three eggs was taken 
last year. .\n entire new nest was found : 
built directly on top of the old nest. 
The uj)])er one contained a set of two. i 
fresh, and the lower one an addled egg. ! 
jirobably of last year, but in a good state j 
of ])reservation. Out of about twenty | 
