372 LIFE HISTORIES OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



on the nest, and beyond snapping her mandibles made no resistance; the 

 male was not seen. 



I did not hear the tremulous notes of this bird about Camp Harney nor at 

 Fort Klamatli, Oregon, and do not believe it is found in close proximity to the 

 mountains. At Fort Walla Walla, Washington, it is not uncommon, and I there 

 secured a number of specimens. I also found two of its nests in the year 1881, 

 and three more in 1882. Here the mating season began early in March, and 

 their doleful notes could be heard every evening, shortly after sundown, 

 throughout the month. After incubation commenced the birds were silent. In 

 1881 a pair of MacFarlane's Screech Owls nested in a natm'al cavity of a good 

 sized Cottonwood tree, about 25 feet from the ground, and within 100 yards 

 of my quarters, giving me ample opportunity to watch them. Whenever I 

 rapped on the tree the occupant would stick its head out and look about, but 

 did not fly away. When first examined on March 29, I found a single egg and 

 a dead mouse in the hole. On April 7 the set was apparently complste, consist- 

 ing of four eggs. These were laid on small pieces of decayed wood and a few 

 dead leaves. The parent remained in the hole Avhile the eggs were being re- 

 moved. I was in hopes of securing another set from this pair later in the season, 

 but they abandoned the locality. A pair of SpaiTow Hawks (Falco sparverius), 

 had taken possession of an old Woodpecker's hole only about 2 feet above the 

 one occupied by the Owls, and seemed to live in harmony with them. 



The earliest date on which I took a full set of their eggs was March 26, 

 1882. This nest was also in a hollow cottonwood, the cavity being about 2 

 feet in depth and 15 feet from the ground; it contained five fresh eggs and 

 two black spotted brook trout (Salmo purpuratus), as well as the parent. The 

 latest date on which I took eggs was April 30, 1882. This nest was found 

 on Api'il 24, when it contained three eggs, which were left, and on reexami- 

 nation a week later, the nest was abandoned and no other eggs had been 

 added. 



All the nests found near Walla Walla, Washington, were placed in 

 natural cavities in cottonwood trees, from 15 to 30 feet from the ground, 

 and invariably near water. In two of the holes occupied by them I found 

 trout from 6 to 8 inches long and a small whitefish {Coregonus ivilUamsonii) 

 about 10 inches long. It still puzzles me to know just how they manage to 

 catch such active fish, but believe that, where obtainable, these as well as 

 frogs form no inconsiderable portion of their daily fare, while the smaller ro- 

 dents and grasshoppers supply the remainder. I do not believe it catches 

 birds to any extent, and must be considered an eminently useful species. 



But a single brood seems to be raised in a season. The eggs, which 

 are deposited in the latter part of ]\Iarch or in the iirst two weeks in A\ni\, 

 var}^ from three to six in number, usually four or five, and are deposited at 

 intervals of one or two days. Incubation lasts from three to four weeks, 

 both sexes assisting in this duty. The young when first hatched are covered 

 with fine white down, and if they are born blind I failed to notice the fact. 



