212 BULLETIN 17 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



three feet high and three feet wide on the inside, with a little smaller entrance. 

 This nest, which was perpetually shaded, was an old one with little indication 

 that it had recently been repaired. * * * 



On April 10, in the same mountains, a third nest was found in a dense abnormal 

 growth of Douglas fir, generally termed "witch limbs" and common among the 

 trees in this region. * * * I had suspected that the Spotted Owl nested in 

 the "witch limbs" of Douglas fir, as such examples of tree growth were often noted 

 where the Owls were seen. The tree in question was 16 inches in diameter at the 

 base with no limbs below the mass that encircled it fifteen feet or more from the 

 ground. * * * After some difficulty I climbed to the nest but found that the 

 bird had not laid, although she was reconstructing what was evidently a nest that 

 had been used before. 



* * * On April 12, I visited this nest again and found it contained one egg. 



Eggs. — Mr. Ligon (1926) says of the three eggs that he collected: 

 "They are dull white with a very faint tinge of buff, shell faintly 

 roughened, with no glaze apparent. The eggs are rounded ovate in 

 shape and the measurements are 50.1 by 40.6, 49.9 by 41.5, and 48.0 

 by 40.6 millimeters." He also says that Bendire's egg "exhibits the 

 same faint tinge of buff as those from the San Mateo Mountains, New 

 Mexico. * * * The lack of gloss in all these specimens is es- 

 pecially noticeable when they are compared with series of the Barred 

 Owl." Bendire's egg measures 52 by 45.5 millimeters. 



Food. — The food of this owl is similar to that of other spotted owls — 

 rats, mice, and other small rodents, with an occasional small bird. 

 Laurence M. Huey (1932) found that the stomach of one taken in 

 Arizona "was filled to distention with insects"; these were determined 

 by the Biological Survey to consist "entirely of parts of at least 17 

 noctuid moths of the genus Agrotis." 



Behavior. — The habits of this race of spotted owls do not differ 

 materially from those of other races. This owl is apparently just as 

 tame, unsuspicious, curious, or stupid as the California bird. My 

 experience with it in Arizona was characteristic. On May 7, 1922, 

 while walking up the trail toward the summit, through the coniferous 

 forest at an elevation of about 7,000 feet, in the Huachuca Mountains, 

 we were surprised to see a spotted owl sitting half asleep in a little fir 

 sapling, which stood at the base of a giant fir. It was the first one 

 we had seen and I was anxious to secure it, but we had no gun. 



My companion, Frank C. Willard, thought he might be able to creep 

 up behind the tree and knock it over with a club, if I could keep its 

 attention focused on me. This I succeeded in doing by squeaking 

 like a mouse, dancing about or waving my arms. Moving stealthily 

 as an Indian, he made a wide circuit and gradually approached the 

 other side of the tree without being seen; but several times the owl's 

 keen ears detected his footsteps and looked toward him, when I would 

 motion him to stop until I could again attract the owl's attention by 

 renewed activity. This game continued until Mr. Willard was close 



