Horned and Hoot Owls 



families exist in reality. I am fully convinced that the burrowing 

 owl, small as it is, is more than a match for the average prairie 

 dog, and the rattlesnake as well; it is by no means the peaceful 

 and spiritless bird that it is generally believed to be, and it subsists, 

 to some extent at least, on young dogs, if not also on the old 

 ones." 



Enlarging the deserted burrows of numerous small quad- 

 rupeds, especially of ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and badgers, 

 but never living with them, the burrowing owl begins at the far end 

 of the tunnel to loose the earth and send it backward with vigor- 

 ous kicks until all is clear. Now dry horse or cow dung is carried 

 to the burrow, broken up in little pieces, and scattered over the 

 nesting chamber, which may be eight or even ten feet from the 

 entrance. In California, dry grass, feathers, weed stalks, and such 

 material may serve as a carpet; but however lined, a prairie owl's 

 nest is sure to abound in fleas. These sometimes speckle the 

 eggs until no one who had not washed them would suspect they 

 were normally a clear, glossy white. As many as eleven eggs 

 have been taken from a chamber where they were found arranged 

 in the form of a horse-shoe — which is usual — or piled in a double 

 layer when the set is exceedingly large; and so skilfully do both 

 mates cover the eggs, that only very rarely does one become 

 addled. The devoted mates remain paired for life. 



Except when they have nursery duties to house them — and 

 these are usually ended by June — one may expect to see the funny, 

 top-heavy little owls around the entrance to their homes at any 

 hour of the day, for they are diurnal in habits, and not night 

 prowlers only, although their activities greatly increase after sun- 

 down. Bowing toward you as you approach — your entertainer 

 is not shy — a little gnome-like creature nearly twists its head 

 off its neck in its attempt to follow your movements with its 

 immovable eyes. Approach too near, and off it flies, chattering, 

 but not often further than a neighbor's burrow. Small colonies 

 of these owls live in perfect harmony. Doubtless it is the chatter- 

 ing of a disturbed bird, which does sound something like the rattle 

 of a snake, that has given rise to the yarn about rattlesnakes living 

 in owl burrows. Quite a concert of mellow coo-c-o-o-o-os, the 

 love note of the species, is kept up by several pairs, sometimes 

 for an hour or m.ore. These notes are uttered only when the 

 birds are at rest and happy. Zip, ^ip, they shrilly cry when 



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