THE MACFARLANE SCREECH OWL. 475 



first man at a given "blind," lie may hear at the same time from the adjacent 

 woods the somber hooting of the Dusky Horned Owl, gruff and dreadful, 

 the mellow wailing of the Kennicott Screech Owl, and the gh<nilish tittering 

 of the California Pygni}- Owl. If to this be added the quacking of restless 

 ducks, the bellowing of startled herons, and the screaming of prowling 

 minks, one almost regrets the coming day with its prosy restrictions and 

 unmysterious commonplaces. 



No. 190. 



MACFARLANE'S SCREECH OWL. 



A. O. U. No. 373 h. Otus asio macfarlanei (Brewster). 



Description. — Similar to 0. a. kcnnicottii, but lighter; upperparts sooty gray 

 or buffy brown with more sharply defined black shaft-streaks, and with 

 markings of wings lighter ochraceous buff or cream ; underparts still more sharply 

 streaked and elaborately cross-barred with black — gray phase much more comnion. 

 Measurements somewhat less tlian those of kcnukottii. 



Recognition Marks. — As in preceding, lighter. 



Nesting. — Much as in O. a. keiinicottii. Eggs: 4-6, Av. size 1.48 .\ 1.26 

 (37.5x32). Season: March 20- .April 30; one brood. 



General Range. — East of the Cascades in Washington, interior southern 

 British Columbia, southward to central Oregon and eastward into Montana 

 (A. O. v.). 



Range in Washington. — Not common resident east of the Cascades, more 

 common in southeastern portion of State. 



Authorities. — Scops asio kciiiiicotti. Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club. \'U. 

 1882, 227. D-. Ss-'. J. 



Specimens. — P'. 



We are chiefly indebted to Captain Charles Bendire for our knowledge 

 of this species in Washington. I have met with it casually at Ahtanum ( in 

 Yakima County) and \\'alhda onlv, and there are no other ])ublished records 

 of its occurrence. 



^Vhile stationed at Fort Walla Walla in 1881 and 1882, Hendire 

 took fi\'e nests of this species. He found that thev were unable to use 

 old ^^'oodpecker nests because none were large enough to accommodate 

 them. The mating season began early in !\Iarch, and thruout that montl'. 

 their "doleful notes" could be heard e\ery exening snon after sundown: 



