416 BULLETIN 17 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



catch grasshoppers in the meadows. From that point on their hunting 

 gradually extends to larger and larger game as the young owls get 

 older, stronger, and more skillful. 



Plumages. — The first plumage of this subspecies resembles that of 

 the Rocky Mountain form. Mr. Dawson says that: "Immature birds 

 are darker and reddish brown above; the tone of the head is grayer, 

 inclining to slaty, in decided contrast to back; spotting much reduced, 

 nearly confined to forehead and wings." Since what little difference 

 there is between young and adult is not ordinarily capable of detection 

 in the field, Mr. Dawson probably had specimens in hand for compari- 

 son in order to make the above distinction. H. S. Swarth (1910a) 

 speaks of three young birds secured June 28, 1894. "The young 

 birds have lost the natal down, except where a few filaments cling to 

 feather tips, and are in the juvenal plumage, but with stubby wings and 

 tail. The body plumage is much as in adults, but the top of the head 

 is plain drab gray, in marked contrast to the brown dorsum, with a 

 few partly concealed white spots on the anterior portion. There are 

 some slight, apparently sexual, differences observable. The two young 

 females are of about the same size, and are appreciably larger than the 

 male. In the former the brown of the upper parts is of a more reddish 

 cast, approaching Vandyke brown, while in the latter it is darker, more 

 nearly Prout brown." It is not known just when the adult plumage 

 is assumed. Probably, as with the Rocky Mountain pygmy, the 

 change is gradual. Still, I think the changes all take place before the 

 first winter begins. 



There is one notable peculiarity of the adult plumage called to my 

 attention by Mr. Michael when he told me of watching one of these 

 owls one winter day. "With a lightning movement he would turn his 

 head halfway around, presenting the back of his head to us. And as 

 we watched this wonderful head, which appeared at times to turn 

 completely about, we got the impression that the owl was double 

 faced ; for when he turned away his face we saw a second face on the 

 back of his head — a white beak and closed eyes under beetling brows. 

 Close scrutiny showed this beak to be a white feather and the eye 

 brows and eyes produced by an arrangement of feathers. Neverthe- 

 less, this make-believe face was a very good one, and we wondered if 

 nature had bestowed this second face upon the little owl to fool his 

 enemies. With two faces the pygmy owl can really look one way while 

 appearing to look the other way. Neither his enemies nor his poten- 

 tial victims can be sure just which way he is looking, all of which is 

 to the advantage of the blood-thirsty little demon. He is like the 

 teacher who hides his eyes behind dark glasses — the scholars can never 

 tell just which way those eyes are looking." 



Food. — Mr. and Mrs. Michael have studied these little owls so much 

 that I cannot do better than give their experiences here, although some 



