330 ACADIAN OWL. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Dimensions of .-ii>;cimens from Ma^acliusetts and Maine. Average measurements of males. Length, 7"3.5; streteh, 

 lO-'JO; wini;, 5-25; tail, CSj; hill, -50; tar-ius, ■H'y. L)n'^3-;t specimen, 7-50; greatest extent of wing, 20-00; longest wing, 

 5-50; tail, 2-50; hill, -55; tarsus, I'OO. Shortest specimen, 7-00; smallest extent of wing, 19-00; shortest wing, S'OO; tail, 

 2 25; hill, -4.5; tai-sus '90. 



Average measurements of female specimens. Length, 8-25; stretch, 20-25; wing 5-50; tail, 2-50; hill, -55; tarsus, 1-05. 

 Longest specimen, 8-50; greatest extent of wing, 20-50; longest wing, 5-75; tail, 2-75; hill, -60; tarsus, 1-10. Shortest spec 

 imen, 8-00; smallest extent of wing, 2(1-00; shortest wing, 5 25; t-ail, 2-35; bill, -50; tarsus, I'OO. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nesis, placed iu holes of trees, not elahorately constructed, composed of grass. leaves, etc.; or the eggs are often placed 

 on any material which chances to he at the bottom of the hole. 



Er/ys, three or four in number, rather spherical in form, pure white in color, with the surface very smooth. Dimen- 

 .sions from 1-OOx 1-20 to 1-05 x 1-25. 



HABITS. 



I h.'ive siiid that the ISIottled- Owls were of retiring habits, on account of which thoj'' 

 were very seldom seen, and the same is true, but to a greater extent, of the little Acadian 

 Owls, for although there can be but little doubt that they occur quite commonly throughout 

 the country, yet they are not often seen; their peculiar, rasping notes are, however, not 

 unfrequently heard in the; woods. These birds appear to be the least shy of all the Owls, 

 allowing one to approach very near them when surprised outside their holes; in fact, I have 

 known of their being kilhid with a stick or even taken alive in the hand. When captured, 

 they readily become tame, behaving, while in captivity, in a similar manner to the Mottled 

 Owl. As both of these species enter holes quite readily, they may be easily taken by fast 

 ening small boxes, provided with a, suitable orifice, on limbs of trees in the woods and this 

 artifice is successfully practiced l)y a friend who takes both species in this way during win- 

 ter. He puts up his traps, as he calls them, then visits them regularly, securing a consid- 

 erable number of specimens during the season, for the Owls enter them as readily as they 

 do cavities in trees. 



I have somewhere seen it stated that Owls do not drink, but all that I ever had, were 

 very fond of water and would not only drink it but would frequently bathe. Scopsie i-.'^ 

 especially noticeable in this respect, as are all the Mottled Owls ami they may often be 

 .seen in the water during twilight or early in the morning. I once surprised a Barred Owl 

 ',-i; the margin of a river in Florida and a short time ago, an Acadian Owl was brought in 

 v.hich was killed by a gentleman while Woodcock shooting, he having found the bird in a 



j^mall stream. 



» 



The Acadian Owls breed about the same time as the Mottled Owls, usually choosing 

 a hole in a tree on the margin of a wood or in it but they will sometimes select an old apple 

 tree in an orchard for this purpose. The notes, during the nesting season, are described 

 as being peculiar liut I never heard them utter any, excepting the rasping sound which is 

 evidently given as a kind of call and from which the name of Saw- whet Owls, occasionally 

 applied to them, is derived. These little Owls ai-e not migratory but they do wander some- 

 what during winter, at least, they are much more commonly found then than during the 

 summer. 



