HORNED OWLS, ETC. 



189 



Biol(i;:u-al Survey, U. S. L)ei)t. 

 ot Agriculture. * 



Fig. 252. 



ing again as it seeks another percli. The note is a shrill cry which 

 is uttered generally while the bird is on the wing." (Fisher.) 



GENUS SPEOTYTO. 



378. Speotyto cunicularia hypogsea {Bonap.). Bukhowing 

 Owl. 



Tail only about half as long' as wing-; tarsus more than twice as long as 

 middle toe, scantily feathered in front, bare 

 behind ; toes bristly. 



Adults. — Upper parts dull earth brown, 

 spotted and barred with white and buffy ; 

 under parts mainly buffy barred with brown. 

 Youuy : under parts nuiinly buffy, unmarked ; 

 upper parts plain brown except wings and 

 tail, which are as in adults. Length: l»-ll. 

 wing- 5.80-7.20, tail o, 15-3.50, bill .55-.00. 



Distribution. — Plains region from the 

 Pacific east to Dakota and Texas, and from 

 British Columbia and eastern slope of Rocky 

 Mountains south to Guatemala. 



Nest. — At the end of an old burrow of 

 prairie dog", badger, or ground squirrel, or in 

 a similar cavity. Eggs: (5 to 11. white. 



Food. — Ground squirrels, young prairie 

 dogs, mice, gophers, small birds, frogs, liz- 

 ards, horned toads, and even fish, tog-ether with crickets, g-rasshoppers, 

 beetles, scorpions, and centipeds. 



When you are living in the owls' country, they, like the ground 

 squirrels and prairie dogs, come to seem a part of the landscape, and 

 as you ride over the great brown stretches you find yourself looking 

 for the quaint little 'Billy owls' for life and interest on the mono- 

 tonous way. In a region where there are only scattered holes suit- 

 able for their nests, solitary owls or families are most often seen, and 

 sometimes there will be as many as nine aroimd one biu-row. But 

 where a ground squirrel colony or prairie dog town offers good nest 

 holes the little owls gather in companies. 



In dog towns they often find spacious old badger holes to occupy. 

 As you walk about one of the towns and the dogs lope off to their 

 holes shaking their little yellow tails as they disappear, the owls 

 stand stiitue-like around their burrows with their eyes upon you. If 

 you are bent on getting within good photographing range the young 

 ones will go backing down their holes, their .solemn round yellow 

 eyes fi.xed on yours till they drop below the earth line. Their elders 

 will prol)ably fiy before you get your focus, though it is only a low 

 short llight to a neighboring mound. It rarely seems to occur to 

 them to leave the town. 



Tlie association of owls, dogs, badgers, and ralth-snakcs is far from 

 being that of the hai>py family circle it was formerly sui)posed. The 



