470 THE SAW-WHET OWL. 



General Ratine. — Nortli Ainerica at large, breeding from the AFiddle States 

 iKirtliward. and ni nu)iintain()u> regions of tlie West southward into Mexico. 



Range in VVashinjjton. — Imperfectly made out — at least not common resi- 

 dent east and west of the Cascades. ( S|)ecimen hy Dr. Meyer of Portland taken 

 Point Defiance, Wn. — .\. W. Anthony in i-f^isl.. Jan. 20. 07.) 



Authorities. — Xvctalc acLidica. ("imelin, Baird, Kep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 

 185S, p. 5,S. L\S.S. L'. Rh, Ra. 



Specimens. — P'. I'rov. 



BEING slriclh' nocturnal in its lialiits, ii is not sur|)rising thai conipara- 

 tively little is kn(nvn e\en yet of this woodland reclu.se, altho it enjoys a wide 

 distribution and is pirobably not unconinioii. Several specimens have been rer 

 corded locally, and there is little doubt that the bird breeds in suitable localities 

 thruout the State, yet its eggs ba\e ne\er been taken in Washington. 



Theoretically, the abundant b'licker boles which aljound in the moss- 

 co\-ered oaks of the Pierce County prairies should afford ideal nesting sites for 

 Saw-whets, as well as appnjpriate retreats by day. Elsewhere, in default of 

 such con\ eniences. the birds conceal thenisehes during the hours of da\dight 

 in dense thickets, or evergreen saplings. Dr. Ralph, of Utica, finds that 

 under such circumstances the\" are not at all suspicious, and he has even 

 stroked Ihem with his hand as the\' were nodding sleepily in Inish or tree. 



The notes i>f the v^aw -w bet ()\\1 h;i\c been com])ared to the "liling of a 

 cross-cut saw": and if this be a fair com])arison, one wnuld rather be excused 

 from hearing them during certain ()f the "wee sma' hours." The i)riuci]ial 

 note f ha\e hearrl, however, is a rasping, querulous sa-a-a-a-ay. re])eated by 

 olil and \iiung with preciseh* the same .accent, and inaudible at an\" distance 

 abo\-e a hundred feet. Once, in Ohio, I came across a family party. I'ncer- 

 tain in the first instance, since the hour was late dusk, whether the dai'k sil- 

 houettes before me bad "horns" or not. I tried the Screech Owl cry. and was 

 greeted with a jierfect chorus of .>,-(n''s from the youngsters, while the ])arents 

 whined in a mystified way and flew back and forth near my head snapping 

 their mandibles fiercelw U|ii>n another occasion T succeeded in arousing one 

 old bird and fi\'e owlets at an unusnall\- early hour, \iz., about twenty minutes 

 after stniset. The smaller song bir<ls were still astir and scolded x'igorously 

 at the a])]iearance of these grim night watchmen: but the Owls ga\-e no heed 

 to their clamor, and were onh- intent u])on (lisco\-ering the whereabouts of 

 their Cousin Screecli Owl, who bad summoned them. A i^arent bird was 

 the first to disco\-er the dece|)tion and she l)ent forward i>eering earnestl\- at 

 me, and uttering a low mellow ciio/,' of comprebensicm. twice, after which the 

 party withdrew. 



