Octi 30* 
1875. 
Jan. 18. 
Dec. 16. 
1876. 
Feb.25. 
257 
Nyctale acadica. 
Middlesex County, Madd, 
On the edge of a thicket of birches in Lexington 
I started one of these little Ov/ls from a lov/ bush with¬ 
in a yard of my head. It flew only a few rods alight¬ 
ing in the top of a high, leafless birch. I shot at 
It and missed when it imniediately took flight and disap¬ 
peared among the birches. Following it I again started 
It from a lo-w bush under which I was passing and, as be¬ 
fore, It alighted in a leafless birch top. It proved a 
female; its body was fairly eased in fat; the stomach 
contained the remains of a largo mouse which I identified 
as Ajiy^cola rjo^ria . When alive it looked much larger 
than It really was and I atfirst mistook it for a ^coL 
asio. It sat erect like most of its kind. its flight 
was slow, flickering and apparently feeble. In neither 
instance did it fly more than tv^enty yardds. 
In the cedar grove in Watertovm I found numerous 
traces of Owls, and one feather unlistakably belonging 
IL species; in the vicinity a heap of feathers mar¬ 
ked the spot whore a Snow Bunting had been killed and 
devoured, and a pellet lying a foot or two away contained 
the entire bill of a Pine Grosbeak. 
toong the dense birches on the west side of Pout 
Pond I came suddenly upon a Saw-whet Owl. it was sit- 
^ horizontal limb about five feet above the path 
^‘ixod on mo. Its 
it lonk^n"^^^ feathers tightly drawn in, and 
as a s^ol*^ ss large 
Ted ofrZll.h hissed. when it star- 
Tht fii IT ® swiftness, threading its wav through 
the thickets with surprising dexterity. A quick shot 
from my second barrel, hov;ever brought it TTl ^ . 
with a broken wing. ’as I plcke^rrun it . 
hin j r picKoa It up It snapped its 
... ^ struck at my hand v/ith its delicate tjii'irt- 
vmion i Identified as Sorex palustriR 
One shot by Patten to-day near 
tertown. 
the Arsenal in Wa- 
