IGO The Wilson Bulletin — Xo. 100 



of 1916. I have examined numerous pellets thrown up by this spe- 

 cies and have almost always found from one to three meadow 

 mouse skulls in each pellet. 



Barred Owl {Strix varia varia). Mr. Lee said that barred owls 

 were always rare and that they are still found occasionally. 



Screech Owl (Otus asio asio). The screech owl is a common resi- 

 dent the year round. Nearly every farmer's grove has its pair of 

 screech owls, and the towns are also well supplied, as anyone who 

 knows their call can readily testify. At my home farm a pair have 

 nested in an artificial house, with an entrance three inches in diam- 

 eter, and w^ith ground cork in the bottom, for several years. The 

 female has become so accustomed to people that at the time the 

 young leave the nest she is very bold. One evening when I was 

 picking cherries she swooped down from behind and struck me 

 on the head. In rare instances I have heard them " screech " in 

 broad daylight. They are proficient catchers of English sparrows 

 and mice. In the bitter cold winter of 1914-15 a screech owl in- 

 jured one eye so that it could not see from it. I found it in the 

 barn hay loft and also a partly eaten pigeon, which was frozen, 

 and which I removed. The next day the owl was still there, also 

 there was another partly eaten frozen pigeon. The owl died that 

 night and there were no more dead pigeons. 



Great Horned Owl (Buho virginianus virginianus) . Mr. Lee 

 stated that the great horned owls were common in the early days, 

 but are rare now. 



Snowy Owl (Nyctea nyctea). Three specimens in the Smith col- 

 lection. In occasional very severe winters the snowy owl comes 

 as far south as Sac county, but it is always rare. I have never 

 seen one alive. 



Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia liypogcea). Mr. Lee re- 

 ported burrowing owls as common and nesting. I have found them 

 only tolerably common. My first identification was September 16, 

 1907, on our home farm. I have found them breeding in the fol- 

 lowing localities: About four miles north of Lake View, two miles 

 south of Wall lake, and five miles southwest of Wall lake on the 

 hills bordering the Boyer river flood plain. Mrs. George May also 

 reported these owls from this locality April 15, 1911. In the sum- 

 mer of 1916 I saw two broods of four owlets each, sitting at the 

 mouths of their burrows in the evening, a few days before they 

 started to fly. At this stage the adults are very angry should a 

 person or dog appear near the burrow, and swoop toward the in- 

 truder, snapping their bills and uttering loud cries. The pellets 

 at the mouth of the burrow seemed to consist chiefly of beetle 

 wings from various species, with the fur and skull of an occasional 

 mouse. 



