268 BULLETIN 17 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



seems to be given a slight preference over the fir woods, as a rule, 

 though during the day the birds are usually found hiding amongst the 

 dark foliage of some young fir." 



Nesting. — He says that the nests are very rarely found, and that 

 "the eggs are almost invariably deposited in natural hollows in trees, 

 the only exceptions being extra big holes made by the Northwestern 

 Flicker (Colaptes cajer saturatior). One of these two cases was a hole 

 that had been excavated to a depth of only about six inches, in a lone 

 dead fir stub that stood in a vacant lot in the city. A most unusual 

 nesting site in every way for these owls, as the cavities used are most 

 often two or three feet in depth and situated in well wooded localities. 

 The nests that I have seen were placed from four to twelve feet above 

 the ground, but it is impossible to say what the average height may be 

 in this country where trees two hundred feet tall are the rule rather 

 than the exception." 



F. R. Decker (1912) mentions a nest that he found about 60 feet from 

 the ground in a cavity in a cottonwood tree; doubtless these lofty 

 cavities are seldom investigated by collectors. 



Eggs. — Kennicott's screech owl lays two to five eggs. Mr. Bowles 

 (1917a) says: "I think that complete sets will usually be found to 

 contain three eggs, although two are nearly as often the full number. 

 In only one instance have I seen as many as four. In color they are 

 pure white and somewhat glossy, with more or less nest stain accord- 

 ing to the state of incubation. They are usually nearly spherical 

 in shape, like the eggs of most owls, but occasionally there is a slightly 

 elliptical tendency." 



He evidently changed his mind, as to the number of eggs laid, 

 for, in an earlier article (1906a) he says that the eggs "are from 

 two to four in number, four being most commonly found." Mr. 

 Decker (1912) mentions two sets of four and one of five. 



The measurements of 33 eggs average 37.8 by 32 millimeters; the 

 eggs showing the four extremes measure 42 by 35.6, 33.3 by 31, and 

 35.3 by 30 millimeters. 



Plumages. — Kennicott's screech owl has two well-marked color 

 phases, a gray one and a brown one, which are described above. 

 The color phases in this race are more pronounced than in the other 

 Pacific coast races, and more generally recognized, though nearly 

 all the races, if not all of them, show some tendency to dichromatism. 



Food. — Mr. Bowles (1917a) has published some interesting items 

 on the food of this owl; he says that a — 



bird was taken on January 6, 1917, at which time the thermometer was somewhat 

 above freezing with no snow on the ground. The stomach contained eleven cut- 

 worms, two centipedes, one mole cricket, one good sized beetle, and other insect 

 remains. With all this on the credit side of their ledger, these owls are at times 

 subject to some most astounding falls from grace. The fact does not reflect 



