268 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 



Genus Speotyto Gloger. 

 171. (378). Speotyto c/i nun/aria f/vpooa-al^owa.]^. Burrowing Owl. 



The Burrowing Owl is essentially a bird of the Cxreat Plains 

 region of the United States, where it is common locall}-, nesting 

 in the deserted burrows of prairie dogs, badgers, and gophers. 

 Thomas L. Roberts observed the species Jul}- ig, 18S1, in Swift 

 county, western Minnesota, and states that many weeks spent in 

 traveling through the prairie portions of that state failed to dis- 

 cover the presence of this bird in an}- other locality. Though the 

 Burrowing Owl occurs sparingly at various points in northwest- 

 ern Iowa, I have been unable to discover any published records 

 of the fact. 



County records : Dickinson — In the early fall of 1895, seven 

 miles southwest of Lake Park, I believe that I saw a Burrowing 

 Owl, or an owl having general characteristics of one rose from a 

 collection of ground-hog or badger holes, but was not procured. 

 I can say that it was not a Short-eared Owl. The bird rose within 

 six feet of me. After watching it until out of gunshot it dawned 

 upon me that it was an owl new to me, and from its size, color, 

 action, location, etc., I* made out that it was a Burrow'ing Owl" 

 (Salisbury). 



Kossuth — "One taken in Kossuth county, Iowa, two miles 

 south of Minnesota line, two and one-half miles southwest of 

 Elmore, Minn. It was shot either June 8th or 9th, 1904, in a 

 pasture, and only one bird was seen" (Bingaman). This is the 

 most eastern record I have seen, with the exception of stragglers 

 (probably from captivity) in New York City and in Massachu- 

 setts. 



Lyon — Prof. Bohumil Shimek states that the species is fairly 

 common on the prairies of Lyon county, in the north-central and 

 southwestern portions of the county, two or three being usually 

 seen in a day's drive. He first observed them in 1896, and at 

 other times later, while investigating the flora of the northwest 

 corner of the state. 



Sioux — "Summer resident, common; nests. The season of 

 1902 I found them in Sioux county, and at that time the young 

 birds were out of the hole in which they lived, but could hardly fly 

 at all, so I knew they were hatched there. This brood was at the 



