ie " LAND BIRDS 
possible on top of their chosen burrow, they converse 
in soft love notes not unlike a far-away ‘‘ kow-kow-kow ” 
of a cuckoo ; at the same time caressing with head rub- 
bings and billings. 
Although the Burrowing Owl is more or less shy, it 
is not at all difficult to study its habits, and none of the 
owls are better worth while. Only one thing is needful, 
patience, — patience to lie flat on your face in the broil- 
ing sun with field glass glued to your eyes, hour after 
hour, and, if you are a woman, thoughts of possible 
lizards or rattlers tormenting your inner consciousness. 
But the game is worth the candle, as always in nature 
study. On the Tulare plains you may watch them at 
any hour of the day hunting grasshoppers, crickets, mice, 
gophers, squirrels, lizards, and shore larks. You may 
even see them kill bull snakes that are crawling too near 
their nest. This war they wage -on bull snakes has 
doubtless given them the reputation of killing rattlers, 
but I know they are afraid of the latter and scramble 
away with queer sidewise hops, breaking into flight at 
the near approach of one. 
379. PYGMY OWL. — Glaucidium gnoma. 
Famity: The Owls. 
Length: 6.50-7.50. 
Adults: Upper parts grayish brown or reddish brown or drab ; top of 
head speckled with white ; under parts white, thickly streaked with 
dark brown ; tail barred with white and blackish ; face encircled by a 
dusky border. 
Young: Similar, with head not speckled. 
Downy Young: Gray, merging to white. 
