230 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



NYCTALA ACADICA (Gmel.). 

 103. Saw-whet Owl. (372) 



Size, small ; bill, ])]ac;k ; the cere tumid, tiie circular nostrils presenting 

 anteriorly ; al)o\-e, chocolate-browu, spotted with white, the tail with transverse 

 white bars ; facial area and forehead variegated with white, the face and 

 superciliar\- line grayish-white ; the lower pans, white, with streaks of the 

 color of the back. Length, 74-8 : wing, 5i ; tail, 2^. 



Hab. — Temperate North America, breeding from the iir)rtlu'rii States and 

 southern Camula southward. 



Nest, in a hole in a tree. 



Kggs, four to six, I'ound, white. 



This is tlie smallest nicmljei- of the fainilv t'ouiid east of tlie Rocky 

 IVlouiitaiiis. For some reason all the owls are of irreffulai- occurrence 

 in the settled parts of the country. I have seen as many as six or 

 eight of this species in one winter, and again for several years have 

 not seen one. Without being migratory, in the ordinary sense of the 

 word, T think it is highly prol)a])le tliat during the fall these birds 

 associate in gr()U})s, and move from one section of the country to 

 another in search of food. In this way a good many may he observed 

 at one point, while foi- many miles arouiul they may be altogether 

 absent. 



The Saw-whet is evidently partial to a medium temperature, for 

 it is most common in the northern States, and does not penetrate 

 far into British America. In the opposite direction, it has been 

 foand breeding as far south as Mexico, but mostly in the wooded 

 mountain ranges. In Southern Ontario, these birds are most at home 

 in the tliick sheltei- of the evergreens in the deptlis of the woods, but 

 when deep snow covers the ground, they are often fouiifl in the l)arn, 

 or other outhouse near tli<' farmer's dwelling, where they are forced 

 to seek for food and shelter when theii- supply outside is cut off. 



The food of this s])ecies consists almost entirely of mice, which 

 renders it worthy of our friendshij), although the small size of the 

 bird limits the anxjunt of its usefulness in that direction. It takes 

 little else when mice can be had, and theref(n-e the number destroyed 

 in a season is considf^rable, so that we coi-diallv endorse its ))ositioii in 

 Cla.ss h, where it has been placed. 



Occasionally, there is a small owl fouml, tin- ])lumage of wliich is 

 uniform chocolate-biown, with white eyebiows. For a time this was 

 <lescribed as a distinct species, under the name of White-fi'onted Owl, 

 also as Kirtland's Owl, l)ut of late these names have been dropped 



