ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 189 
pose upon. Nevertheless, the Florida owls do not live lives of 
unalloyed peacefulness, since there, as in the west, rattlesnakes 
are not adverse to appropriating a tempting burrow, and if a 
young owl is to be had for the taking, at the end, why so much 
the better! A most interesting fact is told about these owls; 
that when disturbed, they utter a sound, startlingly like the buzz 
of a rattler. This, if correct, must often serve a useful purpose 
in frightening away a marauding weasel or other predatory animal. 
The food of these birds defies description. It may be said to 
consist of anything edible and small enough to be captured and 
killed by them—whether insect, lizard, bird, or mammal. Insects, 
however, form the chief item in their diet. 
The burrows which these birds dig for themselves are usually 
about eight feet in length with little attempt at a nest at the end, 
where the five to ten eggs are laid. 
I have observed both of the Nearctic races of Burrowing Owls 
in captivity, and have seen each make burrows with equal rapidity. 
I know of no account of the actual operation, so will add what I 
have noticed concerning the nesting of a pair of the Florida birds. 
When a pile of earth and clay, some three feet deep, was placed 
in their cage, they began to work at once, and within a few days 
had burrowed out of sight. This work was carried on mostly at 
night, on account of the many people passing during the day, but 
several times on rainy days, when the bird house was quiet, by 
stealthily watching behind a door, the birds were seen at work. 
Their method of excavating was to alight at the entrance of the 
burrow and walk slowly into it, kicking a shower of dirt backward 
at each step. Long after the bird disappeared from view, the 
little spouts of sand would continue to be thrown out, as regular 
as clockwork. In three or four minutes the bird would come up 
to the entrance and repeat its trip to the end of the burrow. In 
this way the entire length of the passage was kept clear, and the 
earth loosened at the inner end was gradually heaped up outside. 
Soon after the burrow was begun, the two Florida birds paired 
off, and the single Western Burrowing Owl which shared the 
cage, led an unhappy life until removed to another enclosure. If 
he happened to alight anywhere near the burrow, both of the 
owners would jump on him literally “with both feet,” rolling him 
over and over. 
When the offensive third owl was removed, the two partners 
settled down to burrowing in earnest, and excavated a large pile 
of earth. Now began a most amusing courtship. They would 
stand side by side in tke entrance of the burrow, and chuckle and 
