Saw-whet Owl 203 



The young bird is very different ; above ruddy chocolate-brown, 

 without any white ; wings and tail darker, and marked as in the adult ; 

 below, throat and breast like the back ; posteriorly brownish-yellow ; 

 no streaks. 



Distribution. — Breeding from Hudson Bay and British Colmnbia 

 south, to New York and Indiana in the east, in the west through the 

 mountains as far as Mexico, wandering often into the lower country 

 and fvirther south in winter. 



In Colorado the Saw-whet is a rather uncommon resident, wintering 

 in the eastern plains, and breeding in simamer in the mountains from 

 about 7,000 to 9,000 feet. It has not hitherto been met with on the 

 western slope, though noticed by Morrison in La Plata co. 



The following are winter records : Fort CoUins, January (Cooke), 

 Fort Lupton, February, and Clear Creek, near Denver, April (H. G. 

 Smith), Beloit, near the Kansas border, April (Cooke), Buttes, January 

 (Aiken coll.), Salida, December (Frey). 



Simamer records are : Estes Park, breeding at 7,000 feet (W. G. 

 Smith), Boulder co., breeding at 8,500 feet (Gale), Breckenridge, August 

 (Carter), Dome Rock, June (H. G. Smith). 



Habits. — ^This little Owl gets its name from its shrill 

 note, which is said to resemble the sound of sharpening 

 a sav/ with a file. It is a thoroughly nocturnal species, 

 and is only very exceptionally seen abroad in the day 

 time. It preys almost exclusively on mice of various 

 species, and is doubtless very beneficial from the farmers' 

 point of view. Both Gale and W. G. Smith have found 

 this bird breeding in Colorado (Bendire). In most cases 

 an old Flicker-hole in an aspen tree had been made 

 use of, but in one instance what appeared to be an old 

 squirrel's drey was taken possession of. The clutch 

 varies from three to five, and incubation appears to 

 commence after the first egg is laid, since the young 

 birds are generally found to be of obviously different 

 ages. Gale's nests were found on May 24th and June 

 3rd, and the earlier one contained three young and one 

 egg, and the later, three nearly fresh eggs, so that 

 the egg-laying seems to extend over a couple of months 

 at least. The eggs are white, nearly spherical, and 

 average 1*20 x I'O. 



