460 



THE LONG-EARED OWL. 



Range in Washington. — Common resident east of the Cascades, less com- 

 mon in winter; rare west of the monntains, dnring migrations only. 



Authorities. — :' Otus 7vilsoiiianus. Cassin, "Illustrations," (1856) p. 182. 

 Asio aiiicricaiiiis Brewster, 11. N. O. C. \II. iSS.Sj. p. 27. T. C&S. Rh. D'. D% 

 Ss'. B. 



Specimens.— U. or W. V. I'rov. C. RN. 



OWING to the fact that this (Jwl is strictly nocturnal in its habits, more 

 so perhaps than in the case of any other species, what may be learned of it 

 other than at nesting time can be written on the fl_\'-leaf of a pocket-book. A 

 glimpse of it west of the Cascades is a mere lucky accident, for cover abounds 

 and the bird 

 rarely indulges 

 its low-sound- 

 ing hoo-hoo. 

 Upon the 

 East - side, 

 however, the 

 bird is obliged 

 to find shelter 

 in willow or 

 aspen groves, 

 and if closely 

 approa ched, 

 tmless certain 

 of d etection, 

 will rely rath- 

 er upon its 

 protective col- 

 oration than 

 flight for safe- 

 ty. As Mr. 

 Bowles says, 

 "In coloring 

 they so closely 

 resemble the 

 bark of the 

 trees that the 



sharpest eye often tails to distinguish them. I have stared for some time 

 at what I knew uiiist be an owl until gradually its outlines appeared, 

 much as when one develops a photographic negative. They seem to 

 know this instinctively, and when a human being appears stretch themselves 



Taken in ll'iiHn ll'alla County. 



I,0NG-E.\KED OWL, FEM.\LE. 



THE PLUMICOBNS ARE DEPRESSED, AS IS CUSTOMARY IN ANXIETY 



PlioSo by the Author. 



