(32) 



blotched and spotted with britfht chestnut and rufous. The marking's va- 

 r\' much in different eggs; some eggs may be almost immaculate, while others 

 are blotched over the whole surface, presenting a beautiful appearance. I 

 could give many more interesting facts concerning the habits of this ina- 

 jestic bird, but the time will not allow me to do so. 



We will now consider the other branch of the Raptores, the Strig'es, or 

 Owls. 



On but two occasions have I ever seen our smallest owl, the Saw-whet 

 Owl, and have never been able to collect any of their eggs myself, but wa.s 

 told of a set of five collected near Nebraska City about seven years ag^o, 

 by Messrs. N. H. Reed and H. E. Hershey of that place. 



The Screech Owl is much more plentiful, there being- hardly a creek or 

 patch of timber without one or more of these interesting little owls. They 

 seem to like Cottonwood groves, where they take up their residence in a de- 

 serted Flicker's hole. I have frequently taken eggs from such positions. 

 The red variety is not as common as the gray. Like the majority of the 

 owls, the Screech Owl does not migrate, but remains in the same place the year 

 round, and if not disturbed too often will lay in the same hole year after 

 year. Its food consists almost exclusively of mice of various kinds and 

 ground squirrels. I have never found the bones or skull of a bird in the 

 pellets of a Screech Owl, or in fact of any other owl. The best way to find 

 one of them in the summer is to go along- a creek or through a g-rove where 

 there are trees overgrown with grape vines, when, by shaking- these vines, it 

 will not be long till one will be flushed. They do not resort to the holes 

 much tmtil cold weather or in the breeding season. Eggs are deposited 

 from the 20th of April to the 12th of May. However, it is very uncertain 

 when they will lay. One year I found a set of six badly incubated eggs on 

 April 21st, and again have taken fresh eggs on May 7th. The average 

 number of egg-s is five. The nest is made of leaves and grass, lined with 

 feathers pulled from the breast of the female. On one occasion I took 

 from her nest a female, which had pulled the feathers from her breast until 

 it was almost bare. 



The lyong-eared Owl was very plentiful eight or ten years ago, but is 

 quite rare now. At present I know of but one pair, which lives in a tan- 

 gled patch of timber growing on the river bottom about four miles south- 

 east of Nebraska City. Two years ago there was another pair on a small 

 creek, but they have disappeared. I know very little of the habits of this 

 bird, as it is shy and difficult to approach, living as it does in the dense 

 woods, overrun with vines and creepers. I have found three nests with 

 eggs of this species; one set of four, April 10, 1897; one, April 7, 1898; and 

 one of five eggs April 8, 1899. The first two were fresh, but the last was 

 badly incubated. The two first were in willow trees g-rowing near a creek, 

 and about thirty-five feet from the ground, the last in a small vine-covered 

 tree. All were old crow nests fitted up with a lining- of grass and feathers. 

 On two occasions the bird did not return after being- flushed, but once the 

 female returned with the male and both fought me savagely wliile I was 

 securing the eg-gs. With snapping mandibles and erect ear tufts they had 

 little resemblance to a bird. 



