286 THE STORY OF A BIRD LOVER 



owls in the "prairie-dog towns " — gregariousness ; 

 for there are no prairie-dogs on these prairies, and 

 the little owls are forced to make their own bur- 

 rows, which are widely scattered. My stay was co- 

 incident with the height of the breeding season. 

 The burrows, excavated as dwelling places, were 

 also used for breeding, and at the mouth of each 

 domicile was a little hillock of sand, the proprietor 

 or joint owners often standing on this elevated 

 porch to view the surroundings. Visitors w^ere 

 greeted by them with the same bowings, nods, 

 and antics that are marked traits of their Western 

 cousins. Too close an approach, though the 

 birds were not timid or wary, often caused them, 

 instead of flying, suddenly to disappear into the 

 burrow. These excavations, several of which 

 were explored, were generally about eight feet in 

 length and some seven inches in diameter. They 

 rarely penetrated more than eighteen inches below 

 the surface, when they turned at an easy curve 

 and were extended parallel to the top of the 

 ground. The site for such a residence was more 

 frequently in or near a clump of the dw^arf, stunted 

 huckleberry growth. At the end the burrow was 

 enlarged into a chamber, and here the round white 

 eggs, from four to seven in number, were laid 

 There was but little attempt at nest making. 

 Usually the eggs lay on a thin bed of cow-dung, 

 dry trash, and a few feathers. This sort of 



