The Red Cloud chief., 1913-12-04

lar nest was pcturesquely situated a rocky
point OF the Chalk Cliffs" northeast Of the geo
logically famous Square Butte" which, despite
It's modest name. is an immense rock constitut
Ing an isolated spur Of the Highwood mountains
1900 feet above the prairie. In reality the So
called Chalk Clins" consist OF an outcrop OF
white sandstone. chiefly In the center of range
OF grass'covered hills whose green submits rise
In strong contrast above the white corrugated
rocks This sandstone stratum has been worn
into series OF perpendicular cliffs. pure white
above. but stained light brown below by lignitic
matter and projecting spurs carved into fan.
tastic pinnacles and mounds. One promontory
In particular 10 q regular saw.tooth ridge The
nest here shown Is poised upon the apex Of pill.
lar which terminates a knife-b blade projection
3.676 feet high. and suggests in some photographs
the prov of ship. As there is a sheer vertical
descent on three sides. and the surface OF the
connecting ridge suddenly breaks of. leaving a
wide fissure In the rock between II and the nest.
II Ia task OF no small difficulty to reach the lat
ter and one best suited to sailor or a cat. II
can only be accomplished by approaching the
eyrte from above. and then crawling along the
ledge. when. by dropping into and crossing the
gap (which ts well shown In the photography. the
nest can be attained. Mr. FELTON,. making light
Of the danger climbed frequently to the nest.
and made numerous exposures with a small
camera at the range of a few feet. The nest was
four feet IN height and three and half feet in
diameter. and was higher than any Montana
eyries OF the golden eagle known to me- which
species has also nested in the "Chalk Cliffs" lin
his recently published History Of the Birds of
Colorado" Mr.. w. l.. Sclater mentions a golden
eagles nest which measured six feet in diane
ter and nine feet high.") The hawks carried
green alfalfa to the nest for decorative purposes
aad Mr.. FELTON, noticed fresh supply there on
three separate occasions. When found on May
10 the eyris contained three newly hatched young
but only two reached maturity. ~ one Of the
nestlings disappeared on July when hfty.two
days old Mr. FELTON, conjectured that II had
been blown out OF the nest by . violent thunder
storm. but the two stronger birds might have
elected their weaker brother. In any event. the
Outcast would soon have been picked up by some
four-fOOted or winged marauder. The two re-
maining nedglings permanently left their nest on
July rs. when about nine weeks old. While
watching at this nest. at two o'clock one after
noon. Mr.. FELTON, observed a great horned owl
nyng along the cliff face In an easterly direction
The owl passed close to the nestlngs when one
OF the soaring hawks. presumably the female. was
seen to swoop at and strike the interloper, which
thereupon dived obliquely to the ground The
hawk made two moro dashes at the sitting owl
and short sQuabble ensued each time between
the birds; but when Mr.. FELTON, reached the place
the owl was nowhere to be seen and the hawk
had returned to her nestlings As the great
horned owl In powerful and ferocious bird,
which even attacks and eats large hawks (ses