Barred Owls in Captivity

THE AUK-

A O•UARTERLY JOURNAL OF

ORNITHOLOGY.

VOL. VII. APRIL• •890. No. 2.

BARRED OWLS IN CAPTIVITY.

BY FRANK BOLLES.

CnocoRu,x is one of the boldest,most picturesque,and at the same time one of the most southerly, of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. At its southernfoot are severalsmall lakes fed by its streams. The chief of these streamsis called Chocorua River, and its main lake Chocorua Lake. North of this water, fringing the river for half a mile, is a growth of yellow birch, beech,and hemlock of considerableage and size. The dainty Parula is frequently seen in its gray moss. Cooper's Hawks, Broad-wingedHawks, and Yelloxv-belliedWoodpeckers are com- mon tenantsof its shades. On June x, x888,xvhile nest-hunting in its midst, [ saw a Barred Owl sittingon the edgeof a cavity in a beech. The tree was a giant. The cavity was aboutthirty- five feet fi'om the ground, on the southwesterlyside, and quite large. The Owl did not move, even after I threw a stick at her. Convincedthat the cavity was worth exploring, I went home and returned with a fi'ieud, a ladder, and a guu. As a result two old birds were shot, and t•vo young onestaken from the nest. The gun was quite necessary,for my fi'ieud would have fared badly in climbing if I had not shotthe old birds before they could attack him. Their threateningcries and loud snappingof their beaks were quite enoughto discouragean unarmedrobber. I wrappedthe two youngbirds in a towel and later placedthem side by side in an ordinary canary cage. They were savage, usingbeaks and claws vigorously. When releasedin my door- 102 BOLLES,Barred Owls t'•tCat$l*t'vt't•.J,. [April yard they half hopped, half flew towards the nearest tree, making suchrapid progressthat I did not risk their lossby a secondexperiment. For their permanent prison I chosea case in which a piano had been boxed. By standingit upon its end, and nailing perchesat different heights,ample spacewas given the captives. The front of the box was barred horizontallyby laths. On what could the Owls be fed? That was my first problem. Not sharingin the belief of my family that everythingin feathers eats dough,I tried raw beef. The birds found it too toughto managereadily, and raw liver was substituted.Nothing couldhave suitedthem better, and for the best part of eighteenmonths liver and beefkidney havebeen the chief of their diet. For the birds' namesthe femininehalf of my householdagreed upon •Puffy' and •Flufl•.' At first the names were not of much use, for no one could tell one bird from the other, but it was not long before an event occurredwhich not only causedthem to be readily distin- guished,but led to a lifelong differentiationof their charactersand careers. Puffy, or he who was thenceforthto be Puffy, caught his left wing betweentwo of the laths, and by his strugglesin- jured it so that it lost most of its usefulnessas a wing and became rather an obstruction to his free locomotion. This happened aboutthe middle of June, after my returnto Cambridge,and [ did not seethe Owls again until the secondweek in July when my long vacationat Chocoruabegan. I foundthe birdsfifty per cent larger than when I first handled them, and with tempers similarly developed. No one's fingerswere sat• inside the barswhen the young gluttons were hungry. When satiated they ,vere stolid, and did little beyond moving their headsand snapping their beaks. One interestingfact had been developedduring my absence:the Owls not only drank water freely, but took prolonged baths whenever fresh water was given them. Their tank was a foot and a half long, a foot wide, and ten inches deep. Their reflectionsin this comparativelydeep and dark pool greatly amused them for a time. On the arrival of fresh water Fluft•• was usually the first at the brink, ready to drink several times, and then to step cautiouslyin. He would test the depth before ducking his head, and then, holding out his wings, he would 'pump the water under them, flapping his tail and otherwise drenchinghimselL When thus soaked he becameabout the size •59•-; •BOLLES,•5'arred Owls /n Captt'vt'ty. IO 3

of a pluckedpigeon, the colorof a Crow, and a dismalobject to look upon. His eyesat such timeswould stand out from his drenchedand drizzling feathersin a mostunpleasant way. This habit of bathing has been maintained in all weathers and tem- peratures. I have seenboth birds take their plungeson mornings when the mercury outdoorswas not more than •oø 1•'. On such occasionsthey shiver for hours before drying. After washing, it is their habit to preen eachfeather in their wings and tails with great care and precision. During the summerand autumn of •888, and at intervals since, I have tried various experimentsin feeding the Owls. They reject all vegetable substanceswith the possible exception of cooked oatmeal, although they will sometimesplay with ap- ples, grape leaves, fresh twigs, corn silk and husks,tearing them up solelyfor amnsementapparently, and flinging fragments in all directions. Mice they considera rare treat, and they swallow them without hesitation,head foremost. With birds they are equallypleased, but if one is larger than a Redstart they are quite sureto crushthe skull, sometimeseating the head separate- ly, then to pull out the stilt feathers,and after feeling of the wing joints, to s•vallo•v head foremost. A_ Hermit Thrush thus pre- paredis aboutthe limit of their singleswallowing power. They sometimes,especially with larger birds, devour the contentsof the abdominal cavity before swallowing the trunk. When an appetizing mouthful has been startedon its do•vnwardjourney the expression of gluttonousenjoyment thro•vn into their half- closed eyesand distendedmouths is somethingbeyond words. One seems to see them taste the morsel all the way do•vn! If a mouthfulsticks at first, they jerk their bodiesup and down with considerableforce, literally ramming it in by concussion. Some- times the tail of a Warbler thus being lost to sight, remains in one corner of the Owl's mouth. The Owl's practice then is to turn his head towards it far enoughto t•vist the unwilling feathersinto the middleof his tongue,and then to s•vallo•vviolently, always with effect. With great interest in the result I placed nine live perch and breamin the O•vls' tank onemorning when they •vereabout three months old. They had never seen fish before. As the light played upon the red fins and bright scales,the birds' excitement wasamusing to see. In a very shorttime, however,they plunged 104 BOLLES,Barred Owls in Ca_•tivity. lAptit feet foremostinto the water and with almostunerring aim lanced the victims with their talons and flew out with thein. Then the head was crushedat its junction with the back bone, the spines were bitten into jelly, and the fish was swallowed. I have seen half a dozensmall hornpoutcaught, disarmed, and swallowedby them in a comparativelyshort time. Generally all the fish in the tank were caught and killed beforeany were eaten. Live frogs called for moreagility than live fish. When placed on the bottom of the cage or in the water tank, the frogsseemed to realize their danger•and as a rule remained motionless. The Owls would hang their great t•eads towards them, and eye them intently. The faintestsign of life would lead to a pounce or a desperate chaseround the cage. When caught,the fi'ogwas subjectedto a careful overhauling. Every joint was felt and crushed. _As they slid the slipperylegs through their beaks they seemedto be searchingfor spursor hornswhich might prevent easyswallow- ing. Once found spurless,the frog soon vanished. The wood frog seemsto be their favorite species,and the leopard frog the least well flavored. Once Puffy caught a toad in the grass, but the creature apparently tasted so unpleasantthat it was quickly dropped,while for severalminutes the Ow'l hoppedabout: shakinghis head and making motionswith his mouthexpressive of disgustor even pain. A small salamanderwas eatenwithout hesitation. Once, when unusuallyhungry, the Owls devouredmore than a pint of large• fat earthworms,taking them from my fingers, or picking them up singly with their claws with wonderful dex- terity. ]k plump slugwas taken readily by Puffy, but ahnost instantlyflung from his mouthwith disgust. Fresh water mus- sels, abundantin ChocoruaLak% were taken with some hesitation and, I fancied, made Puffy miserable. Flies, harvest flies, dragon flies, grasshoppers,and beetles of variouskinds all proved enjoyable tidbits. But of snakesand turtles the Owls stoodin terror during the summerof •888. The appearanceof either led the birds to make desperateeflbrts to escapebetween the upper slatsof their cage. What was my sur- prise then• in the summerof •859, to find that so far as snakes were concerned,timidity was changedto curiosity, and curiosity quickly transformedinto an eager desireto catch, kill, and swal- l,w, Even a deadmilk snake,three feet long a•d tht• wa• eaten ,890.] BOLLES,Barred O-a:lsœn Casbllvt'ly. IO 5

piecemealuntil only the well-picked skeletonremained. This was donein August, I889. Small green snakeswere seizedby their middle and swallowed doubled, while still wtlthiug. Generallyfresh meat is greatly preferredto that which is stale. I have seenboth Owls retire in disgust to the top of their cage when somethoroughly offensive liver was offeredthem. On the other hand they devouredthe skinnedcarcass of a Broad-winged Hawk when it was in ahnostas advanced a stage of decay, and oncerecently, when I placeda piece of luminouskidney in their' closetat night, Puffy instantlypounced tipon it. I have no doubt fi'om other experimentsthat the light of the decaying meat, aud not its sinell, was what attracted him. On one occasionI found a large number of mice in a barrel of excelsior. Carefully taking out most of the packing, I placed Puffy in the bottom of the barrel. The mice spun round him in confusingcircles, but with great coolnesshe caught one after another until nineteen were disposedof. The Owls between them ate the entire numberxvithin six hours. Puft•f is also ex- pertin catchingand killing chip. munks, when placedwith them in a harrel. After seeingone or two let out of a box trap for his benefit, the sight of the trap was enoughto bring him to the door of the cageready to act as executioner. The junction of the head and body of a vertebrateis the point always chosen for the first effectiveuse of the beak. The strugglesof a dyin.• victim seem to causea certain cat-like excitementand pleasure. During the warm monthsthe Owls require food daily, and in considerablequantities. As cold weather comeson, their'demands grow more moderate, and in lnidwinter they eat little and seem drowsy most of the time. Once or twice I have failed to t•ed them for nearly a week after giving them a hearty ration. In summer,when fed frequently,and on mixed animal food, they often eject fi'om their throatsround pelletsmade up of the bones, hair, feathers, or other undigested portions of their preceding meal. Once or twice these ejectionshave been extremely ofibn- sire in odor. When hungry the owls betray the fact by whining cries. When fed, if both sectirea hold ou the first piece of liver, a spiritedtug of war ensues•wings, beak, fi'ee foot, and tail all being usedto gain ground. During sucha scrimmage a queer chatteringwith an undertoneof angry whinin• is kept up, but I neverhave seen either bird attemptto wotmdor reallyinjure the 106 BOLLES,t•arred Owls t'•t Ca3•tfvt'ty. [April other. Food not required by one of the Owls for immediate use is always hidden in a corner, and often guardedwith care against appropriation by the other. Cpntraryto my expectationsthe Owls arenot appreciablymore active in twilight honrsthan at other times, and I think they are quiet, possiblyasleep, at night. I am certain that in an ordinary degree of darkuessthey cannot see. If the light goes out while Fluffy is flying in my cellar in the evening,he is sureto crashinto somethingor fifil heavily to the grotincl. I have held Pu•v close to a cat in the dark, and he xvaswholly tinaware of her presence. Neither of them has ever shown a dislike for sunlight, and, as will be seenhereafter, they can see without difficulty in the Gce of the brightest natural light. While watching anything which intereststhem they have a most characteristichabit of throwing their headsf•tr forward and then swingingthein about like signal lanterns,or waving them back and fi)rth and tip and down, as if seekingthe clearestavenrta of vision to the objectof interest. This trick is probably due to their ancestors'peering through thick branchesin searchof prey. About the third week in September, x888, the Owls were sent by freight from Chocoruato Cambridge. The .ionrney failed to disturb them3 and they took kindly to city life in a sunny corner of my cellar. Their near neighborswere my hens, who resented deeplymy early experimentsin letting the Owls out in their nar- row dominion. The hensfought them bravely when brought to closequarters. My first test with the Owls at liberty proved that they neither feared me nor desired to attack me. They recog- nized me as their caterer• and hailed my approach •vith noisy demandsfor food. I began handling them •vith heavy gloves which their beaks and talons made little impression upon. Gradnally I came to use my bare hands,and with Puffy especially I •vassoon on familiar terms. The way in which I accustomedhim to handling was by first rubbing the top of his head with one finger, and then sotUyrubbing the back of his head and neck with my finger tips. During the processlie seemedahnost mesmer- ized, althoughoccasionally he would recover himself and make a s•vift snap at mv retreating fingers. In the course of a few xveeksI gained snfficientinfluence over both birds to carry them abont with great free(lon•, alxvaysbeginning by pushing their lieadsdown, and then claspingthem round their bodies just be- •89o.] BolJIams,Ilarred Owlst'Jt Cafil;v/tg,. 107 low the wings. If turnedon their backs while thns held, they remain entirely quiet. During the greater part of the long winter I keep them in a closet in my main cellar. I found to my cost that I could not keep them in the sunnycellar where my hens were, for the reasonthat they caught and ate someof my pullets and terrified the survivorsso that their lives were a bnrden. Their only deli- caciesin these months are mice. Their attitudes in chasing a dead mouse dragged over the cell:•r by a string are striking. Fluffy s,qilsnoiselessly over the groundwith feetpointed fi)rward and claws ready to close,but Pnfl}¾unable to fly, stalks across the floor, his head pushedforward, and his feathers drawn away from his legs. As the springof x889 cameon, the Owls became tunefill after their kind. The quality of their soundssuggested fellue music, while their accentand metre often arousedmy roostersto respon- sivecrowing. They seldomhooted more than onceor t•vice, and then in the early evening. With the comingof warm weather and the return of birds in the springof •889 I begana series of experimentswith Pufl? ,vhlch proved of considerableinterest. I had t•mnd that he was willing to be carried about while perching on a short stick. Taking him in a basketto somewoods in the suburbs of Cam- bridge, I displayed him to the Robins, Pigeon }¾'oodpeckcrs, Vireos and Warblers which chancedto be at hand. No impres- sarlo ever was more delighted at the successof a new star. A t•11 housegathered at once. Armed with a field glass I had the satisfactionof studying at short range the whole bird population of the neighborhood. The Robius, Brown Thrushes and Pig- eon Woodpeckerswere the noisiest,the Oven-1)irdsand Red- eyed Vireos the most persistent,the Chickadees the most indignant. The ¾Voodpeckerswent so flu' as to fly past the Owl so close as to brush his feathers and make him jump at each charge. On May •2, during a three hours'walk, I saw overforty speciesof birds, many of which--as for example,Nashville and Prairie Warblers--I had unusualand ampletime to studythrough my glass,thanks to their interestin the Owl andconsequent indit2 fetenee to me. It was not, however, until my long vacation in Chocorua,beginning July 6, that I really had time to ascertain the full value as a magnetof my patientlittle bird companion. IO• BOLL•$, Ilarred O•wlsin Ca•t•t't«,. [Apr•!

The Owls made the jouruey back to the mountainswith perfect composure. On being returnedto their piano-boxcage they promptlysought their respectivecorners, and showediu many waystheir recognitionof oldsurroundings. This power of mem- ory waseven more strongly shown on their arrivalin Cainbridge in October,•889, when Fluffy flew acrossthe cellar in searchof a favorite perch •vhich had been removed,and the absenceof •vhich causedhim to end his flight in an ignominioustumble. On my arrival at ChocoruaI beganto keep systematicaccount of all birds seen each day, making carefnlallowance for birds seentwice in the same day. BetweenJuly 6 and Oct. •4, I rec- ognized9,782 birds, representing 95 species. On nearlyhalf the daysin this periodPufl? was my companionon my walks and rides. At first it •vas not easy to inducehim to leave his cage and accompanyme, but after a few lessonshe consentedto step from his perch upon the short pine stick on which I used to carry him, and to remain clingingto it while I walked or ran, scrambledover ledges,or forced my •vay through thickets and brambles. He went more than once to the heights of Chocorua; passedhours travelling through dark woods and high pastures; or perchedresignedly on the sharp prow of my Rushtonboat, watching dragon-fliesskimining the surfaceof the lake, and i•is own image reflectedin the water. In the woodsif I held him too near a tempting log or projectingbranch he would hop off: Sometimeshe would weary of my •valking, and, jumplug to the ground,would scurrya•vay to coverand snaphis beak angrily if I pokedhis perch in to•vardshim andtold hitn to •'get on." As the summerwore on he grew more and more obedient and less inclinedto nip my fingerson the sly as he had a way of doing when I first carried him about. This winter I have trained Flutl}f to stepup besidehis mate and submit to being carried aroundthe houseon a perch. Whenever on my summerwalksI came to a spot which I wishedto •sample'for its birds,I would place Puff}/ona bending sapling,and hiding in the neighboringfoliage, I would •squeak' by drawing in tny breath over the backof my hand,and at- tract the attention of any birds which were near by. Usually in the deepwoods the firstcoiner was a Red-eyedVireo, Chickadee, Herinit Thrush, or Oven-bird; but whichever it chancedto be, an alarm was almost sure to be given that would bring birds •89o.] Bot.ngs, Barred Owls inCaplt'vt'ty. 10 9 fi'om all directionseager to see the causeof disturbance. Even when I was imperfectlyconcealed, the irritated crowd paid little attentionto me, provided I kept reasonablyquiet. Sometimes I would leavethe Owl in comparativelyopen ground on a boulder in a pasture,or a stnmp in a meadow. Then his favorite posi- tion was with his head tipped directly backsyardand his eyes, half closed,fixed either on the sun or a spot not ten degreesfrom it. I never could fully understandthis attitude, but [ soonfi)und that the Owl was keenly alive to anything passingskyward, fbr ira Ilawk or Crow cameinto view far away in the deep blue, Pufl3-'sgaze was instantlyturned full uponthe growing speck, the eyelids partly closed and a most intent look conting into his eyes. Again and again Puffy has seenHawks or Gulls over- headwhich my eyes,although unusually far-sighted• have at tirst beenunable to discern. On one eventfidday he showedme 334 }tawks sailing southwest under the pressureof a stiff northeast gale. It was SeptemberIo, one of the later of the days when the fires were raging amongthe forestsalong the St. John River. The Haxvkswere mostof them flying very high. I sawnone before 9 ^' •' or after 2.t 5 e.•. I think Puffy saw every one of them. It matterednot whether they came singly or in bnnchesof twenty to forty, his ever ready eye was upon them as soon as they came into view. In spite of this marvellouspower of detecting moving objectsin a bright light, my pets often utterly ignore some dainty morsel merely becauseit does not move. Their sense of smell is either weak or uncertain in its action. Their hearingon the otherhand is a.cute, althoughnot dependedupon in the same degree as their sight. Of the various families of birds •vhich Puff) annoyed during the summerof I889 none•vere more distressedand angeredby his presence than the Woodpeckers, Thrushes, and Vireos. In every hemlock s•wunpthe Yellow-bellied Woodpeckersand Flickerssaid their sayagainst his character with petulantemphasis. The Flickers often ttew close to his head. Downies and Hairies liked him no better, but were less demonstrative. It was xvhen a venerable and fiery-tempered Logcock caught sight of hi•n on August 2t, that the full force of Woodpecker eloquencewas let out. Puffy seemedto recognize a hereditary tbe, for before the Pileated came into my view the Owl suddenlychanged his I IO BOLLES,Barred Owls

appearance t¾om rough-leatheredand sleepy content to an astonishingresemblance to an old moss-grownstump. He ef- fectedthe transformationby standingup very straight, nearly closinghis eyes, and makinghis featherslie absolutelysleek against his attenuatedbody. Once on another occasionwhen he ran away fi'om me, he climbedto the top of a small oak stump and made himself look so like a continuation of it that I passedhim four times without detectinghis presence. Not so the Pileated,for with a shriekingcackle, his crestgleaming in the sunlight,he flew.at the Owl sosavagely that [ expectedto see my pet slain on the spot. He only ruffled Pufl3"sfeathers, however, and made the poor bird unhappy for sometime by his discordantcries and frequentflights and counterflights. Of the Thrushes, the Robins took the Owl most to heart. More than once in black cherry time • have seen sixty to a hundredof themwithin twenty-five feet of him. Theirblended cries always drew Hermits and Swalnsons from the woods, Cedarbirdsfrom their cherryfeasts, and detachmentsof Warblers from woods and meadows. The \reeries seemed to care least abouttheir enemy; the Hermits said little, but did some hard thinking. The Swainsons,especially after sunset,had a good deal to say in a refined way, flirting wings and tail meanwhile. The numerousCatbirds and occasionalThrashers were coarsely abusive. Through it all Pnfl}/ made no remarks, and seldom stirred; he found out long ago that he could not catch birds. The ubiquitous Red-eyed Vireo never wearied of staring at Pufl•, and firing at him his suspicious,expostulatlng 'cree' ! By roadside and meadoxv, upland pasture,and in the deepsof the beeches,the Red-eye was always present. Even in the haunts of'theJuncos and White-throated Sparrows on thehigh ledges of Chocorua he was not absent. My count of birds in July showedhim to be inferior in numbersonly to the Barn Swallow, the Cedarbird, and the Robin. Far less numerous, but a leader amongthe hatersof the Owl, was the Blue-headedVireo. I had seen little of the bird in previous seasons,but Puff3 , seemedto draw one or more of them from every considerablearea visited. Their scoldingreminded me of an angry June-bug in a bottle. As a rule the Sparrows cared little for the Owl. Purple Finches would come and look him over, the female making a sweet little note of inquisitiveprotest, and then go away. zSOo.• BOLLgS,Barrear 07wlst'n Ca•lt'vt'ly. I I I

Goldfinchesdid about the same, showing no anger. Grass Finches sat about on boulders and said little, and their friends, the Field Sparrows,behaved similarly. In large swampsone or two Rose-breastedGrosbeaks generally came to seewhat caused so much outcry but they never approachedclose to the Owl. During the flight of Juncos, White-throats, and White-crowned Sparrows in October, these species seemed to care altnost nothing aboutPuffy after a first bustlingvisit of inquiry. A bird of great individuality and irregular distributionis found in the Chocorua country in considerableabundance. I refer to the Great-crestedFlycatcher, which, by the way, always places snake skins in those of its neststhat I find. No amount of bird clamorwill bring this self-containedand suspiciouscitizen near my Owl. He has his own affairsto care for, and he has a contemptfor brawls andgossip. Similar indifferencewas shown the Owl in a lessnmrked way by the smaller Flycatchers,but the Kingbirdsmaintained their reputationfor bullying, by attacking Puff), and striking him lightly again and againby well-directed darts from above. The Swallowsand Swifts delightedto teasethe Owl by dashing past him and fanning him with their wings. They showed no fear or hatred. Kingfishers took no notice of him. The Black-billed Cuckoo camenear, and had a gooddeal to sayin a reproachful voice, but its controlling emotion seemedto be curiosity ratherthan fear. Late one afternoonin August (the 2d) I placedPuff), in the midstof a white birch grove near a brook. A Cuckoo opened the opera and brought some Vireos including two Solitaries. Their explosionswere audiblealong way, and for a moment or two the air seemed full of birds, nearly all Warblers, and all conting towards the Owl. I could not count them;they came by scores and swarmed about incessantlyllke bees. Most of them were Black-and-white Creepers, Black-throated Greens, Chestnut-sideds,Black-and- yellows, Canadians,and Redstarts,young birds predominating. I never expectto see more Warblers in one noisy bunch. As a rule, however,a glanceor two seemedto satisfythem, and they went off after their suppers. Of all the Warblers, the Oven-birds were the only ones at all persistentin abusingPufFy. They would co•ne quickly and stay long, with ruffled feathers and anxious notes. One day (July I4) while exploring somedense BOLLES, 17arred Owls in Ca•l•¾ily. [April spruce thickets on a high ridge of ChocoruaI came acrossa pair of Blackpoll Warblers. They were much excitedby the 'Owl and joined with Juncos and White-throats in prolonged complainingat his presence. A White-wingedCrossbill, flying by at the moment, alit and lookedus over, but was apparently not at all interestedin Puny. Another bird which never showed any special emotion on seeing the Owl, no matter what the seaso,a,was the Scarlet Tanager. As a rule it took no notice of the Owl's presence. Cedarbirds were similarly indifferent even when the Owl was near their nestsor young. Crows and Blue Jays showedgreat hatred of the Owl. In the late summerthe Jays prowled about in considerableflocks. By %queaking'I could draw them near enough to seethe Owl, and then the harshest and most violent kind of bird abuse would be poured out on Puffy's head. Jays certainly have a broad knowledgeof profanity. The Crows were scarcelyless demonstrative; circling low over the Owl, they made the woods ring with their angry clamor. I found that I couldattract them by hooting like my pets. As a rule the Hawks caredlittle for the Owl. I shotone young Cooper'sHawk near its nest becausemy calling and the O;vl's moving about induced the creature to fly up, tree by tree, until within range. On July 23 while %queaking'I was astonished to see an •lccœfiœ1ervelox make a dashat Puffy, scaringhim into his stump-like condition of plumage and attitude. I continued to •squeak',and the Hawk flew straightat my head,grazed my face,and lit near by. Soona secondcame, but was morewary. I amusedmyself with them for half an hour, and againon another day a week later. On no otheroccasion do I remembera Hawk's taking any notice of PutTy,although in many instanceshe has be- trayed their presenceby his change of shape and expression. Once while walking with him along the shore of Chocorua Lake he changedhis wholeappearm•ce in the twinkling of an eye,and as I turned to follow his gaze I saw an Eagle strike the xvater near by, dashing the foam high into the air. About sunseton August •=, •889, I heard a Barred Owl hooting near a sm•dl lake close to the foot of Chocorua. Two of us set out at once with guns and reached the crest of a kame near the lakejust asthe moonrose. At•erwaiting quietly until weary, I$90.] BOLLES,Barred Owlsœn Ca•lt'vt'/y. I 13

I began hooting,and to my surpriseand delight an Owl responded fi'om a tree closeby-. I hootedagain; it came nearer. Then I 'squeaked,'and the next secondI hastenedto hide my headin(he bushes,for the wings of an Owl had brnshedmv face in the dark- hess, making cold shiversrun down my back. \Ve fired three times at this Oxvl and another which joined him, but failed to kill either. After amusingmyself and others several evenings by calling the Owls in this way, I took Puffy with me and placed }tim on a swingingbough where he was plainly visible to crepusculareye- sight. Several Swalnson's Thrnshes found him on! before twilight faded,and complait•edsoftly at his presence. When all was still, I hooted,and soonan Owl replied fi'om the farther shoreof the lake. Contimtingto call, I bad the satisfactionof seeingmy bird flv close over Puffy's headand alight within easy range, another Owl at the same time beginning to hoot closeby. 1 shot, one and was satisfied. Pnfly and Fluff\' always show great ex- cltement when wild Owls hoot at night, and occasionally Fluit? replies. The only other Owl which I have seen thus far in the Cho- corua region is the Acadian. On Jul3, •8, about six P.X.•., listening to four Great-crestedFlycatchers signalling each other in a wooded pasture, I noted an unustm] con,motion among Robings,tie(mits, and Vireos in a bunch of alders not far away. Creeping in, with Pufl•yheld before me, I saw the scolds sur* rounding a bufi:waistcoatedyonug Acadian perched about five feet from the ground on an alder. IIe saw Puffy, and Puffy looked at him with interest and attention. The agony in the little bird's yellow eyes was pitiful. lie gazed long, and then, turning his head slowly away, sailed noiselesslyout of sight, fol- lowed by the gossips. There are several of the Chocorua birds which I have not named in connectionwith the OwL The Blnebirds seemed grieved to think anythingso wicked could exist. They perched near him and see•nedto be trying with their sweet tones to induce hi•n to give up being an Owl. The Kinglets cared nothing for him, evenwhen their curiosity was arousedby the abuseof Chicka- (lees, who were among the noisiest of Pufi3•'s visitors. Both Nuthatchesare commonnear Cbocorua,and both showedby brief, bnsiness-likeremarks what they thoughtof Puff\-. Winter Wrens told Purl) plainly that he wasa thief. The Indigo-birdwas one of the fe•v Fincheswhich seemedmuch disturbedby him. The Towhee showed moderate excitement. The fcter[dce are un- commonin the Chocorua region, and none of them met Puffy in his native meadows. About Cambridge, however, Orioles, Red-wings, Crow Blackbirds, and Cow Bnntings all showed marked excitement and anger at his presence.. Nighthawks and Whip-poor-wills have not met Puffy. I hope next summer to arrange an interview with a X.Vhip-poor-will who hannts my pasture bars. Once or twice Hummingbirds have bnzzed a moment near Puffy's head, as if adding their small tribute of hatred to the general estimateof his character. None of the few speciesof game and •vater birds found near ChocoruaLakes have seemedto showany interestin the Owls. I have recently taken Puffy to Chocorua in the season of snow. Of the eight speciesof birds met only four saw the Owl. They were Chickadees,Red-bellied Nuthatches, Redpolls, and Blue Jays. They all scolded him, but not with the average snmmer emphasis. The Redpolls showed only mild curiosity which soon expended itself in gentle reproachful phrases. Puffy did not mind cold, but the light from the snow seemedto blind him. Indoors he held two young hounds at bay, and made their lives miserableby refiising to allow them to come near his corner without risking an attack fi'om his beak and claws. With dogsand catsoutdoors he always shows fear unlessthey come to closequarters; then, as indoors, he spreadsand archeshis wings, raiss his feathers on his back, lowershis head, and snapshis beak, sometimesmaking swift rusbes with an expression so fierce that I have yet to find any quadrupedwilling to defy him.

A SUMMARY OF OBSERVATIONS ON THE BIRDS OF TIlE GULF COAST OF FLORIDA.

BY x:V. •E. D. SCOTT.

( Concludedfrom •. 22.) Antbus pensilvanicus, A,,a•mex• P•V•T.---In the interior of the State I have noted this speciesas earh' as November •. This xvasat Ocala in •879. On the Gulf coastthe birds appear in small numbersthe latter part