SHORT-EARED OWL. 117 



Others have noted similar- instances of its sociable disposition. 

 The birds were sitting quite closely together in the rank herbage 

 bordering the river ; some flapped hurriedly off as the steamboat 

 came abreast of them, while others stood to their perches as we 

 passed." I have myself often met with them in large numbers in 

 Canada, and more particularly — as already mentioned — in the 

 autumn. On some of these occasions the meadows really seemed 

 to swarm with them, but on our approach they betook themselves 

 to the trees. It is probable such gatherings in the autumn are in 

 some way or other connected with their southward migration. 

 This Owl appears to be as abundant on the Pacific as it is on 

 the Atlantic coast, and no differences can be detected in the 

 specimens from these widely separated portions of our continent. 



Sr. Char. Ear-tufts very short ; entire plumage buft' or pale fulvous ; every featlier on the 

 upper parts with a wide longitudinal stripe of dark brown, which color predominates on the back ; 

 under parts paler, frequently nearly white on the abdomen, with longitudinal stripes of brownish- 

 black most numerous on the breast ; very narrow and less numerous on the abdomen and flanks ; 

 legs and toes usually of a deeper shade of the same color as the abdomen ; quills pale reddish 

 fulvous at their bases ; brown at their ends, with wide irregular bands and large spots of reddish 

 fulvous ; tail pale reddish fulvous, with about five irregular transverse bands of dark brosvn, which 

 color predominates on the two central feathers ; under tail coverts usually nearly white ; throat 

 white ; eyes enclosed by large spots of brownish-black ; ear-tufts brown, edged with fulvous. __Bill 

 and claws dark ; irides orange-yellow. 



Total length — Female, about 15 inches ; wing, 12 ; tail, 6 inches. 

 " — Male, rather smaller. 



