16 TIIE CONDOR Vol. XIII. fourth rabbit and a second Bob-white, also a plump field mouse, do not appear in the picture, being tucked away under the over-hanging roof to the left or buried under other remains. It was chilly on March 30 and a high wi.nd was blowing in from the northwest. On April 13 we had a regular northwest gale to contend with and freezing temperature added. We varied our work with the camera by runs across the frozen timber pasture. Why it was that our negatives taken on these last two dates did not show motion we have never satisfactorily explained to ourselves, for only time exposures could be used. Certain it is that both the big elm and our nearly thirty-foot stretch of ladder were swaying back and forth under the lash of that roaring wind. The gentle rain that was falling when, on April 18, Mr. Benedict helped me bring the nowlively owlets to the base of the old nest tree, proved to be really no obstacle at all. It splashed water against the lens of the camera but the negatives gave no sign. The first fine weather of spring was calling forth the backward buds of the young hard maples when, on April 22, the owlets posed for the last time o? an old oak stump just east of the nest tree. The weather encountered on dates not mentioned was composed of variations of the above, but the rule was freezing temperatures with high winds. Under all the conditions the young owls thi-ived and did not seem to mind seriously our intrusion into their home life. During the season of 1907 the food contents found in the nest cavity reach the following total: five Bob-whites, two meadow mice, one domestic pigeon, one Flicker, two American Coots, one King Rail,' uineteen adult cotton-tails. This list is not, of course, an accurate account of the various captures brought to the nest. It merely records what was seen there on the sixteen trips made. The same bird or mammal ?'as doubtless sometimes counted twice and captures were in all proba- bility brought in of which no remnants were seen. I think not more than three differentBob-whiIes were seeu, quite likely only two, and the number of cotton-tails is also probably too high. The fact seems to be that both birds and quadrupeds of the larger size, after being eaten from the head to the tougher hind parts, were then left two or three days untouched and finally removed from the nest altogether. These were not dropped about the base of the tree, however, and in fact no trace of food remnants were found at any time except in the nest itself. That so,me refuse was removed from the nest seems probable from such facts as the following. The above mentioned two Bob-whites, one meadow mouse, and four rabbits found in'the nest cavity on March 16 were all in fairly whole condition, aside from the heads. On March 23 parts of five rabbits were found, represented by the hind quarters only, and one Bob-white with the breast eaten away, These were mostly rather dessicated remnants and I took them to be, for the most part, left- overs from the week before. On March 30 the nest was eutirely clean except for a freshly killed white pigeon. Generally speaki?g the nest cavity was well kept, a fact which seemed to indicate removal of the excrement of the yotmg by the old birds. Our second season's active work with.the owls was not without its exciting features. Twice when alone I had had, in spite of close watchfulness, pretty close brushes with one of the old birds. But it was not until the yotmg were removed from the nest for the last two attempts to get clearer pictures that there was any real element of danger. With the three pugnacious owlets grouped on the ground at the base of the nest tree both old birds now closed in, teetering and dancing and hooting on branches about thirty feet from our heads or brushing close past us as they took up new positions or sought for an opening. Mr. Benedict, who was my
