BIRDS OF PREY 179 
Geographical Distribution: Western North America through the timbered 
regions, from British Columbia to Mexico; not in the humid coast 
district. 
Breeding Range: Throughout its habitat. 
Breeding Season: April 20 to June 15, 
Nest : In deserted woodpeckers’ holes. 
Eygs: 4; white. 
THe Pygmy Owl is a tenant of old woodpeckers’ 
holes all through the San Bernardino Mountains. Early 
in May it may be seen sitting close beside its mate near 
the trunk of a pine tree, looking somewhat like a huge 
pine cone wrong end up. It is a very love-sick wooer, 
and the indifference .of petite Madame Owl is, we are all 
convinced, only feigned. All the soft, purring love notes 
may come from the throat of the male, but after lying 
concealed and listening for hours at different times, I 
felt certain that it was a conversation in which both took 
part. The home of this pair was in a charred tree-trunk 
next to the pine in which they used to sit morning and 
evening. They were so chubby that it seemed to me the 
doorway must be too small; but evidently it suited, for 
on May 20 there were four white eggs in it, and from 
that time on Madame Owl was a devoted mother. I 
watched closely but never saw the male go to the nest 
between 7 A.M. and 5 p.m. As soon as the sun’s 
brightest rays were gone, he would call softly from the 
pine, and soon a small brown head appeared in the 
round doorway. Aftera moment of sleepy winking and 
blinking at the great sun sinking behind the trees, the 
head would come farther out of the nest hole, followed 
by the plump brown body, and the next instant there 
were two in that old pine tree. It was comical to watch 
