354 LIFE HISTOKIES OF NORTH AMEKICAN BIRDS. 



One of my men also found a nest in the Blue Mountains, near Camp 

 Harney, Oregon, May 2, 1881. The nest was in a deserted Woodpecker's 

 hole in a pine stump standing in a dense thicket of young pines on the side 

 of a canon, and contained five nearly fresh eggs. The hole was 8 feet from 

 the ground and about 10 inches deep, the eggs lying on the rubbish in the bot- 

 tom of the cavity; the female was at home and was secured. 



From the foregoing it appears that the Saw-whet Owl usually nests in 

 hollow trees, in old squirrels' nests, or in the abandoned excavations of Wood- 

 peckers, occasionally in artificial nests, as well as in open ones. Such 

 instances as the latter are probably of rare occurrence, however. 



The number of eggs laid to a set varies from three to seven, the latter 

 numbei appearing to prevail in northern New York, where nidification usually 

 commences early in April, while in the West, where the sets of eggs range 

 only from three to five, the nesting season seems to commence either late in 

 May or the beginning of June. 



The eggs are pure white in color, with little or no gloss, usually oval 

 in shape, and occasionally a set is found that is slightly ovate. 



The average measiu-ement of thirty specimens in the U. S. National Mu- 

 seum collection is 30 by 25 millimetres, the largest egg measuring 31 by 

 25, the smallest 29 by 25 millimetres. 



The egg described in the "History of North American Birds," (Vol. in, 

 p. 47), No. 14538, U. S. National Museum collection, and said to have been 

 taken by R. Christ, Nazareth, Pennsylvania, April 25, 1867, is certainly not 

 an egg of the Saw-whet Owl, being much smaller, very glossy, and measuring 

 only 24 by 21.5 millimetres. From the texture of the shell I should call it a 

 Woodpecker's egg. 



The type specimen, No. 23889 (PI. 12, Fig. 7), from a set of tlu-ee eggs, 

 was taken June 5, 1889, by Mr. Denis Gale near Gold Hill, Boulder County, 

 Colorado. 



121. Megascops asio (Linn^us). 



SCREECH OWL. 



Sfrix nsio Linn^us, Systema Natura?, ed. 10, i, 1758, 92. 

 Megascops asio Stejneger. Auk, ii, April, 1885, 184. 



(B 49, part, C 318, R 402, C 4(i5, U -373. 



Geographical range : Eastern United States and the southern border of the 

 British provinces, except lower portions of the South Atlantic and Gulf States ; west 

 to the Great Plai s. 



The breeding range of the common Screech Owl, also known as the 

 Mottled and sometimes, according to its plumage, as the Red or Gray Owl, 

 extends through the eastern United States, west to middle Louisiana, except- 

 ing southern South Carolina, southern Georgia, all of Florida and the Gulf 

 coast, where it is replaced by the slightly smaller Florida Screech Owl. North 



