486 



THE i;n<R( )\\IXC, OWL. 



from central portions of the Great Plains west fn llic Pacific; south to Cnatcniala. 

 Accidental in Xew ^'ork and Massachusetts. 



Range in Washington. — East-side, cdumicin summer resident and migrant, 

 hreedint; in rppcr Simoran and Transition lifc-zdues; casual west of the Cascades. 



Migrations. — Sf^iiiig: Ahtanuni. .March 13. itpo; Brewster, .\pril 6. 1896. 

 J'all: 'i'acoma, Se])tcml)er 23. 1899. 



Authorities. — \.ltliciic CKiiiciilaria. I'.dnap. C.tvS., .\11. jH. IT. p. 157, 158, 

 "Fort Dalles." .\ot \'alid.J | " I'.urn iwin.y ( )\vl," jnhnson, Rej). Gov. \V. T. 

 1884 (1885), 22. j Bendire, Life Hist. X. A. I'.irds, 1. iH()2. p. VJ.S- T. CX'S. 

 D'. Sr. D^ Ss'. Ss-'. J. P. E. 



Specimens.— (U. of \V. ) P. Prov. C. PN. 



A I)A\' cm the cattle range in eastern W, 



ashington is almost certain to be 

 varied by the sight of a "Groinid Owl," which first cliatters valorously from 

 the mouth of its burrow, and then either di\es below or flees to some distant 

 sage to]). Or, if it holds its own at the home mound, it bows and clucks in a 

 fashicin which is eccentric rather than pnlite. Of its absurd apjiearance Cones 



says'* : "Their hg- 



tail ; the clement 

 of the griites(|ue 

 i,s never wanting; 

 it is hard to say 

 whether llic\' li » ik 

 most kulicrous as 

 the}' stand stilfly 

 erect and nmiidn- 

 less, o\- when they 

 suddenly turn tail 

 Id duck into a 

 hole, dr when en- 

 gagcil in their \a- 

 ridus antics. ]->olt 

 upright du what 

 may lie imagined 

 t h e i r rdstrum, 



they gaze about with a bland and self-satisiied. but earnest air. as if about to 

 address an audience upon a subject of great pith and moment. Thev suddenly 

 bow low witli profound gra\ity. and rising as abruptly, they begin td twitch 



Taken in I'lniglm L uitnty. 



Fnuto by tlic .-Inthot-. 



ON C.U.M-iD. 



a. Hirds of tlie Kurtliwest, 1S74, pp. 326-7. 



