288 LONG-EARED OWL 



Major Bendire believes that these Owls remam 

 mated through life, and quotes an interesting 

 account of their courtship from Mr. Lynds Jones. 

 " The female was perched in a dark leafy tree," 

 his informant writes, " apparently oblivious of the 

 presence of her mate, who made frantic efforts 

 through a series of bowings, wing-raisings, and 

 snappings to attract her attention. These antics 

 were continued for some time, varied by hops 

 from branch to branch near her, accompanied by 

 that forlorn, almost despairing wink peculiar to 

 this bird. Once or twice I thought I detected 

 sounds of inward groanings, as he, beside himself 

 with his unsuccessful approaches, sat in utter 

 dejection." 



The Screech Owl's nesting site is almost always 

 a hollow in a tree, often a Woodpecker's hole, 

 and it has been known to accept a bird-box for 

 its home. It is interesting to hear that both lit- 

 tle parent Owls sometimes sit on the eggs at the 

 same time. The eggs, like those of all Owls, are 

 white. 



Long-eared Owl : Asio wilsoniajius. 



(Plate. XXII.) 



Geographic Distribution. — North America ; breeds from 

 Nora Scotia and Manitoba southward to the Gulf states and 

 table-lands of Mexico. 



In the Long-eared Owl we have one of the 

 interesting cases where unconscious protective 



