66 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 14-No. 5 



tions of colors. Mr. J. Parker Norris* has 

 published tlie best descriptions I have yet 

 seen. The nest complement is from three to 

 five, but four seems to be the true number, al- 

 though extreme sets of six and seven have 

 been taken. 



122. Pamllon halmtuH earolinensia (Gmel.). 

 American Osprey. Summer visitant; tolerably 

 common. Breeds as high as 9,000 feet, and 

 reaches 10,500 feet in summer and fall. Be- 

 gins laying in April ; nests in high trees along 

 the largest streams. Eggs two to four, buffy- 

 white, spotted and blotched with burnt um- 

 ber and brown, with sometimes a few lilac 

 markings. This species has escaped the no- 

 tice of most all the members. Drew and 

 myself seem to be the only ones that have 

 observed it. 



123. Aaio w'dftonianuK (Less.). American 

 Long-eared Owl. Resident; common. Breeds 

 as high as 11,000 feet. I have noticed one 

 fact in regard to this species. At its lowest 

 breeding range it commonly deposits from four 

 to six eggs, and I know of several sets of 

 seven, but as we find it at higher altitudes 

 these numbers decrease; for instance, at S,.")00 

 feet I never found but three eggs in any set. 

 Higher up, at 10,.'i00, I can record two nests 

 found, one containing two eggs, the second 

 two young. Now can altitude affect its egg- 

 laying proclivities? 1 would like very much 

 to receive data from collectors from different 

 parts of the interior districts, and will be 

 greatly obliged to any who can furnish me 

 with any facts relating to this theory in the 

 case of any of our raptnrfs. Nests in trees, 

 mostly in nests of other birds of sufficient size, 

 Crows, Hawks and Magpies being most com- 

 monly used, however, I have never yet known 

 of this species taking forcible possession of 

 other nests, but select nests of the year before, 

 making them habitable by a lining of grasses 

 and feathers. A nest of its own building is a 

 rough, bulky affair of sticks and lined as 

 above. Out of some forty nests found I can 

 not vouch for more than one-tenth being made 

 by the birds themselves. Mice, Gophers and 

 Cotton-tail Rabbits furnish their diet and the 

 nest becomes rather filthy after the young 

 have hatched. 



124. Afiio acciptrinus (Pall.). Short-eared 

 Owl. Resident; rare ('?). Breeds in south- 

 eastern and southwestern portion of the state. 

 Begins laying in Aiiril. Eggs four or five. Nest 

 on ground on open prairie, or more commonly 



* See O. & O., Vol. XIII, No. 5, May 1888, p. 75. 



upon mesas under clump of scrub oak, or a 

 bunch of high grass, or sagebrush. 



125. Sj/rnlnnioccldentale (X^iintnn). Si)otted 

 Owl. This species was reported by Smith and 

 Anthony* of Denver, but in a recent letter 

 from Mr. Smith he has the following: "In 

 looking over some owls recently, my attention 

 was called to the genus Syrniinn and I came to 

 the conclusion that the supposed Spotted Owl 

 captured at Denver and mentioned in the 

 'Auk' was not of this species. I acctn-dingly 

 wrote to Mr. Anthony, who now resides in 

 California, who writes ' that the bird in (question 

 is not iS\ occidPHtale.^ Therefore »S'. occidcnUde. 

 as a Colorado bird rests on the authority of 

 Mr. Chas. E. Aiken." In corresi)ondence with 

 Messrs. Smith and Anthony, Mr. Aiken assured 

 them he had taken "several specimens which 

 he refers to this species." I am almost posi- 

 tive I have seen this species in La Plata county 

 but took no specimens, antl may be mistaken. 

 It would be interesting to hear Mr. Aiken's 

 experience with this species. 



120. Ulnla cinera (Gmel.). Great Gray 

 Owl. The record for this species rests upon 

 Mr. Drewt; he says, "One evening in Feb- 

 ruary, just at dark, I saw a pair of large, gray, 

 tuftless Owls which I think were of this 

 species. Its 'hoots' were different from tjiose 

 of liubo Virf/inianus.'''' 



127. Nijctala acadica (Gmel.). Saw- whet 

 Owl. Only one specimen known, which I took 

 in southwestern Colorado. Rare in mountain- 

 ous portions of the state. I would advise col- 

 lectors to look for this species in the uKuintains 

 as I think it will be found to be tolerably 

 common. 



128. MPf/asropK nmo (Linn.). Screech Owl. 

 Reported by Capt. Thorne from eastern Col- 

 orado. Resident. 



120. M('(jascops nmo maxri}Plli(v (Ridgw.). 

 Rocky Mountain Screech Owl. Resident; 

 common. Nests in hollows of trees, laying 

 generally four eggs. 



180. Megascrq^s flammpolus (Raup). Flam- 

 mulated Screech Owl. T<)leral)ly common in 

 southwestern Colorado. Breeds in hollows of 

 decayed trees, depositing four white eggs. 

 Habits similar to the preceding, and I think a 

 resident wherever found. I have seen this 

 species mostly in pinon groves. Eggs are laid 

 in April, and by first of May the young are 

 hatched. The nest is often in Flickers' holes 

 which are somewhat decayed, and filled with 

 an odd assortment of the bark of the grease- 



* Auk, Vol. Ill, No. 2, pp. 284-28C, 188C. 

 t li. N. O. C, Vol. IV, p. 141, 1881. 



