8(5 



OENITIIOLOGIST 



[Vol. 13-No. G 



saakes \Yhen going after the owl eggs, but I 

 have never found one around a dog-town, either 

 ill the burrows or out, and I never lieard of a 

 snalie eating an owl. 1 am po-itive that the 

 snakes do not live in the burrows with the owls, 

 all stories to that ell'ect to the oonti'ary notwith- 

 standing. 



Oeeasionally the I'rairie Dogs will rout the 

 owls out of a l)urrow and occupy it themselves, 

 but in that case they do not break the eggs 

 but simply cover them ovei' with dirt, and let 

 them remain there. 



Any collector who was not accustomeil to the 

 habits of the Burrowing Owls, woukl waste 

 quite au amount of muscle in trying to obtain 

 their eggs, as ho would be digging out the 

 burrows occupied by the Prairie Dogs, and 

 would not suspect the ditterence, until lie 

 would finally liecome disgusted or discouraged. 

 There is one infallible sign, however, by wliich 

 the burrows occupied by the owls can always 

 be detected, and this is the general litter 

 around the entrance. When this has once l)een 

 observed it can never be mistaken. 



About tlie fifteenth or twentieth of May the 

 first set of eggs is complete, but if the birds are 

 deprive<l of them tliey at once select another 

 burrow and begin making another nest. It de- 

 prived of the second set, a tliird and even a 

 fourth clutch may be secured. About the time 

 the second set is laid, however, the ground has 

 become so dry and hard, owing to the power of 

 the sun's rays, that it is almost impossible to 

 dig them out. 



I have found from one to eleven eggs in a 

 nest, and they vary greatlj' in size and shape. 

 Incubation begins as soon as tlie first egg is 

 laid, and fresli and heavily incubated eggs are 

 no unconnnon occurrence in the same set. 



The female is constantly on the nest, from the 

 time the first egg is laid until they are all 

 hatched. During this period the male is busily 

 employed in gathering food for his mate, and 

 large (juantities of detid mice and insects are 

 found within easy reach of the female, so that 

 she can feed without leaving her eggs. 



As civilization advances, these birds are driven 

 farther and farther west, until the day is not 

 far distant when they will probably be extinct. 



[The eggs of the Burrowing Owl are Of a 

 pure white, quite glossy, and vary greatly in 

 size and number. Eight is probably the aver- 

 age set, although sometimes six is all that are 

 laid, and the number occasionally luns up to 

 eleven. 



A series of twelve sets now before the pres- 

 ent writer may be thus described : 



Set I. .June 10, 1885, Los Angeles, California. 

 Ten eggs: 1.17 x. 96; 1.20 x. 98; 1.18 x. 98; 

 l.lTx.UO; 1.20 X. 98; 1.18 x ,98 ; 1.20 x. 98; 

 1.16X.97; 1.24 x. 98; 1.21x1.01. 



Set II. May 8, 1886, Harper County. Kansas. 

 Eight eggs: 1.30x1.06; 1.30x1.0.".; 1..30 x 

 1.00; 1.28 X 1.02; 1.2.5 x 1.06; 1.2.". x 1.07; 1.25 

 X 1.05; 1.28 X 1.06. 



Set III. May 19, 1886. Harper County, Kan- 

 sas. Ten eggs: 1.21x1.03; 1.20x1.03; 1.22 

 xl.(ri; 1.24x1.04; 1.20x1.03; 1.27 x 1.02; 

 1.21 X 1.05; 1.21 X 1.02; 1.22 xl.02; 1.24 x 1.04. 



Set IV. May 8, 1886, Harper County, Kansas. 

 Eleven eggs: 1.19x1.02; 1.21x1.01; 1.21 x 

 102; 1.21x1.01; 1.20x1.00; 1.23 x 1.01 ; 1.19 

 X .99; 1.17 X .99; 1.17 x .98 1.22 x 1.02; 1.24 x 

 l.(K); 1.21 X 1.01. 



Set V. April 13, 1887, .San Bernardino Coun- 

 ty, California. Eight eggs: 1.36 x 1.0(i; 1.34 x 

 1.04; 1.35x1.03; 1.32x1.06; 1.32x1.05; 1.29 

 X 1.04; 1.29 X 1.05; 1.33 x 1.05. 



Set VI. May 8, 1886, Harper County, Kansas. 

 Eight eggs: 1.19x1.04; 1.18x1.02; 1.16 x 

 1.00; 1.20x1.04; 1.22x1.03; 1.15 x 1.04; 1.21 

 X 1.02; 1.23 xl.02. 



Set VII. May 8, 1886, Harper County, K.-m- 

 sas. Eight eggs: 1.26 X 1.05; 1.25 x 1.04; 1.27 

 1.05; 1.24x1.05; 1.24x1.05; 1.24x1.05; 1.24 

 X 1.03; 1.26 X 1.05. 



Set VIII. May 8, 1886, Harper County, Kan- 

 sas. Eight eggs : 1.21 x 1.01 ; 1.20 x 1.05 ; 1.15 

 xl.04; 1.24 X 1.03; 1.23x1.01; 1.23 x 1.00; 

 1.24 X 1.01; 1.17 X 1.02. 



Set IX. May 8, 1880, Harper County, Kansas. 

 Eight eggs: 1.32 x .99; 1.30 x 1.01; 1.31 x .98; 

 1.26x1.03; 1.29 x 1.00; 1.28 x 1.02; 1.27 x 

 1.03; 1.03. 



Set X. March 28, 1884, Los Angeles County, 

 California. Six eggs: 1.25x1.06; 1.26x1.08; 

 1.24 X 1.04; 1.30 x 1.09; 1.27 x 1.05; 1.27 x 

 1.06. 



Set XL May 27, 1886, Harper County, Kan- 

 sas. Ten eggs: 1.28x1.06; 1.25x1.05; 1.28 x 

 1.07; 1 .28 xl.07; 1.29 x 1.06; 1.29 xl.06; 1.28 

 1.06; 1.27x1.08; 1.27x1.06; 1.30x1.05. 



Set XII. May 8, 1880, Harper County, Kan- 

 sas. Ten eggs: 1.15 x .98 ; 1.18 x .98; 1.15 x 

 .99; 1.17 X .99; 1.10 X .93; 1.18 x.99; 1.16 x. 99 ; 

 1.21 X .99; 1.16 x .97. 



Mr. Hartzell's observations of this species 

 were made in Harper County, Kansas, and the 

 sets from that county, in the above series 

 (which were collected by him), fully carry out 

 his statements as to the date of its nesting in 

 his locality. The sets from California, how- 

 ever, indicate that a much earlier date is chosen 

 in that State.— J. P. N.J 



