May, 1889.] 



A^T> OOLOGIST. 



67 



wood, grasses, feathers and anything- handy, 

 the top being firmly matted togetlier. The 

 young generally fill the cavity so that it is a 

 matter of surprise how the old bird finds room 

 for itself. I have seen the female leave the 

 nest, and climbing to it found it completely 

 filled np with hungry nestlings. I know of no 

 Owl whose young are as pretty, the down is 

 gone and the regular plumage is on before 

 leaving the nest. Are easily tamed, and this 

 and the preceding make very amusing pets. 



131. Bubo vlrginiamis auharcUcAis (Hoy.). 

 Western Horned Owl. Common and resident 

 in low altitudes throughout the state. Breeds 

 in the thickly wooded river bottoms in hollow 

 ti-ees, and in old Hawks' and Crows' nests, 

 sometimes building a nest of its own, but not 

 when it can save such an amount of labor. 



132. Bitho virrjinlanus arctlciis (Swains.). 

 Arctic Horned Owl. This is the variety to 

 which I refer the alpine specimens of the 

 mountains, they showing as much difference 

 from the plains specimens of Huharcticufi as 

 my Montana birds do, and in some cases are 

 even lighter. Just where we can draw the 

 line of its most southern extension has not 

 been yet ascertained, but I think true arcticiis 

 will be found as far south as tlie southern bor- 

 der of the state in the main chain of the 

 Rockies. 



133. Nyctea nyctea (Linn.). Snowy Owl. 

 A rare winter visitant in the state. I know of 

 but two authentic cases of its occurrence. 



134. Speofyto enniculnrin hyporjiea (Bonap.). 

 Burrowing Owl. A common resident, and 

 breeds up to 9,000 feet. So mucli has been 

 written upon this species that it would be su- 

 perfluous for me to add anything more, but I 

 will say that several instances of its feeding 

 upon the young of the Prairie Dog have come 

 under my notice, and its familiarity with the 

 rattlesnake is now, I hope, a fact too tough to 

 be digested. 



13.5. Glaueidium (jnonia (Wagl.). Pygmy 

 Owl. A resident in southwestern Colorado, 

 and reported by H. G. Smith, .Jr.,* of Denver, 

 who took a specimen on Bear Creek. I found 

 it breeding in La Plata county, the eggs being 

 deposited in deserted Flickers' holes in pine 

 trees or stubs. I secured four sets of their 

 eggs in 1886 and 1887,1 and found one nest 



* Auk, Vol. Ill, No. 2, pp. 284-280, 188G. 



t I was not aware at this time that these ep;p;s were 

 so rare, or I should have made a somewhat tlifferent 

 disposal of them. Two sets are now packed among; my 

 boxes in Massachusetts, and the others are promised to 

 the Museum of the Colorado Biological Association as 

 soon as rooms are obtained for this purpose.— C. F. M. 



with four young in .June, 1886. All the nests 

 found were in trees, growing on the sunny 

 side of deep gulches, which were covered with 

 a growth of tall pines. All were found from 

 the 1st to the 22d of June, showing them to be 

 rather late breeders. Their preference for the 

 pine gulches may account for this as the snow 

 is a long time disappearing from these places. 

 While spring seems to be just beginning in 

 these deep gulches, it is well along at the tops 

 and many small species have young in the 

 nest while the Juniper bushes are in full leaf. 

 Here the mercury standing at 60°, if you 

 slowly descend into the gulch you will find the 

 temperature to become cooler until finally at 

 the bottom it is just above freezing. 



136. ConuruH rarolinenMS (Linn.). Carolina 

 Paroquet. Formerly found in eastern part of 

 the state, but there are no late records, and it 

 is doubtful if it ever occurs again. 



137. Geococcyx californiamis (Less.). Hoad- 

 runner. Found in summer on the Ute reserva- 

 tion in southwestern Colorado, and there is 

 no reason why it should not be found along 

 the soutliern border, east of Pueblo and Trin- 

 idad. Drew gives it as breeding at .5,000 feet, 

 but whether in the state or not I can't say. 



138. Coccyzus americanus (Linn.). Yellow- 

 billed Cuckoo. Summer visitant; rare. Ob- 

 served by Drew, Anthony and Nash. Breeds, 

 eggs three to six, and I am positive that in 

 the West this bird deposits its eggs as any 

 sensible bird does, and they are hatched near 

 together, and not at intervals. 



139. Ceryle alcyon (Linn.). Belted King- 

 fisher. Summer visitant; common. Observed 

 by all the members, reaches and breeds at 

 10,000 feet. 



110. Dryohates ci7/o.s?f,s harr'iaii (And.). 

 Harris' Woodpecker. A resident in south- 

 western Colorado, also noted by Drew at 

 11,500 feet, and observed by Anthony near 

 Denver. Most commonly seen in winter busily 

 engaged in feeding near the tops of the tall 

 pines of the gulches, preferring these to the 

 trees along the river bottoms, where it is 

 found in smaller numbers. It breeds among 

 the pines almost exclusively. 



141. Dry abates piibescens f/airdnerii (Aud.). 

 Gairdner's Woodpecker. Resident; common, 

 from the foothills of the mountains westward. 

 Often seen in same localities as the preceding 

 but is more common in the river timber than 

 that species, and it breeds mostly in decayed 

 Cottonwood stubs and aspens, 



142. Picoides americanus dorsalis (Baird). 

 Alpine Three-toed Woodpecker. Reported in 



