208 NOTES ON THE 



Very many of this species find their way into the hands of 

 the taxidermists for mounting. Mr. Howling who has done 

 nearly all of the mounting of birds for me which I have had 

 done, has many times called my attention to the variations of 

 plumage of the Long-eared Owls, in connection with sex and 

 degrees of maturity. He has always preserved notes of the 

 different birds sent to him as far as possible, that I might have 

 the benefit of them. 



In this way I have secured many invaluable opportunities 

 for information. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Ear tufts long and conspicuous; eyes rather small; wings 

 long; tarsi and toes densely feathered. Upper parts mottled 

 with brownish-black fulvous, and ashy-white, the former pre 

 dominating. Breast pale fulvous with longitudinal stripes of 

 brownish-black; abdomen white; every feather with a wide lon- 

 gitudinal stripe, and with transverse stripes of brownish-black; 

 legs and toes pale fulvous, usually unspotted, but frequently 

 with irregular, narrow, transverse stripes of dark brown; eye 

 nearly encircled with black; other feathers of the face ashy- 

 white, with minute lines of black; ear tufts brownish-black, 

 edged with fulvous and ashy -white; quills pale fulvous at their 

 bases, with irregular transverse bands of brown; interior coverts 

 of the wing pale fulvous, frequently nearly white, the larger 

 widely tipped with black; tail brown, with several irregular 

 transverse bands of ashy-fulvous, which are mottled as on the 

 quills; bill and claws dark horn color; irides yellow. 



Length (female), 15; wing, 11 to 11.50; tail, 6. 



Habitat, temperate North America. 



ASIO ACCIPITRINUS (Pallas). (367.) 

 SHORT-EARED OWL. 



In my earlier observations of the birds of Minnesota, I 

 accepted the conclusion that the Short-eared Owl was decidedly 

 a rare species. Further observations have changed that con- 

 clusion. Their proclivity to marshy districts and building 

 their nests on and in the ground, misled me somewhat, but 

 since I have become more familiar with their feeding and 

 breeding habits, I believe them to be, at least, fairly common. 

 It has been truly said that what the Marsh Hawk is to the 

 marsh by day, this owl is by night. Essentially nocturnal in 

 its feeding, it is not absolutely blind in the daytime, but if 

 flushed from the ground where its colors largely conceal it, it 

 flies away in a confused manner, and then sails along quite 

 near to the ground till at a safe distance, and then drops sud- 



