247 
1874. 
Asio americanus. 
Middlesex County, Mass. 
( Junel2) -about'thirty yards off and stood facing m» vrith spread 
wings and unmistakably monancing gestures. It had such 
a fierce almost demoniac expression that for the moment 
it quite startled mo; the next it took wing threading 
the intricacies of the Y/oods v/ith marvelous ease and 
swiftness and, alighting on a low branch, again uttered 
its shrieking outcry. I noY/ started in pursuit but for 
some time found it impossible to get v;-ithin range. 
Occasionally the bird which vms evidently a female would 
alight on the top of a tall dead locust and utter a low 
deep whoo, whoo, never given more than twice in succession 
difficult to describe, but very like the sound produced 
y blowing into ho bung-hole of an empty cask. At 
length I gave up the pursuit and hearing the creaking 
sound again returned to the starting place and soon dis¬ 
covered the nest (in a small cedar) with the white dov/ny 
head of a young Owl peeping over the edge. As it was 
getting dark I decided to postpone further investigation. 
While crossing the open pasture bordering the woods one 
of the old birds (the male I think) came sailing close 
oyer my head looking down at me quite fearlessly and 
alighting on a dead tree within easy range. Having only 
dust shot I did not fire at him. 
13 
‘his afternoon and star- 
ted both birds from trees near it. The male I shot wtth- 
?“ flapped off through the pines vrith- 
-n (Ifteen yards of mo. The female gave me a long 
chase before I finally secured her and vias quite as shy 
by daylight asshe had been in the evnlng twilight 
She went through all the manourres already describoB 
hooting but oftener uttering her peculiar 
shreaking outcry. The dash, swiftness, and quick turn- 
oZr°H- r i saw ir 
winr oommand of 
flifht^? growing trees and branches. The 
oas? with ?rLr^ t Observed last night was slow and 
hiJ hlafe«r!mef His wings looked broad and 
The “®ad extremoly large in proportion to his body 
The female presented a differnet appearance her wings 
looking longer and more Sv/ift-like. ’ ^ 
Tho nest was in a red cedar about twenty fe^t ahov^* 
Onr;ZB’’bSrsat‘of?h' ‘L'hes. 
seen they looked like nearly round balls of r.Ju ^ 
themselves 
circumstances,\ut^unlike that specierdir^Lr'^'''' simila* 
oye-lids to more slits But- nulikl not narrow the 
I got within a few feet of them they crouched^^'^ri 
ing the hind part of their wings so ^ rais«d 
touched over their backs, and the tips 
