262 
lf!75. 
(Apr.30) 
Scops asio, 
Middlosox County, Mass. 
May 6, 
June 
Pound their signs in several old orchards at Concord, 
but failed to discover any nests. 
Prom a hole in an apple tree I took numerous feath¬ 
ers of Quail as v/ell as some of Robins ^d smaller birds 
all of which had evidently been killed by this little 
Owl. 
7. Visited the nest where I took a set of eggs April 
ji 26 and found that the birds had deserted although they 
had evidently visited the hole since I was there as 
there were two fresh pellets at the foot of the tree, one 
of thfflm composed entirely of Bluebird’s feathers. 
20* ^ Was shown a hole in a huge elm , which shadowed 
Minot Pratt’s house in Concord, where a pair of Screech 
Owls had bred this season. Their nest was at least 
forty feet above the ground; the young were seen in the 
tree this morning. 
Nov, 24. 
Dec, 5, 
1876. 
Apr, 
Visited the pine swamp a little after sunset this 
evening especially to hunt for Owls. In the fast gath¬ 
ering tv/ilight I at length discovered a rod Scops within 
ten yards of mo. Ho was sitting in a maple sapling 
over a ditch, outside, but near the edge of a tangled 
J "P''" ^shooting him 
I found his stomach entirely empty with the exception of 
a few feathers. His body was encased in white watery 
at which omitted a strong and rather disagreeable odor. 
twilight this evening, I discovered a 
Scops sitting in the top of a leafless alder over an 
open ditch near Block Island. It started when I was at 
skimlr'' ^ flapping very like a Woodcock 
swiftnlr^'r^^ ghost-like ease anil 
swiftness, finally disappearing in the gloom of the 
wood«d hUl beyond, *hor, » searehed f?r it in ratn 
These as ^eli as other Owls, are doubtless much co^on- 
han we realize. Their habits apart from their 
nocturnal proclivities resemble those of Buteo especially 
xn this habit of sitting on the watch over dUches! 
_ Woodward tells me that he has seen repeatedlv « 
ITll lately, entering an old Flicker’s 
siie Rot on Linnaeari St., oppo- 
site the Botanic Garden, usuallv a littio 
He believes they are going 
11 
m 
^1 
