422 Bowtes, Kennicott’s Screech Oul. Ges 
NOTES ON THE KENNICOTT’S SCREECH OWL (OTUS 
ASIO KENNICOTTI) IN THE PUGET SOUND REGION. 
BY J. HOOPER BOWLES. 
Tue following notes, unless otherwise specified, are taken en- 
tirely from the vicinity of Tacoma, Washington, which is situated 
on Puget Sound at the head of Commencement Bay. This region, 
together with the vicinity of the fresh water lakes, rivers and 
marshes of the surrounding country, furnish many attractions 
for this subspecies, which at the best is by no means common in 
any part of its range. There seems no apparent reason why it 
should not be as abundant as the owls of this genus that are found 
in New England or California, with both of which I am very 
familiar, but such is far from being the case. The most favored 
localities are in the immediate vicinity of water, either fresh or 
salt, where the country is to some extent open. Deciduous timber 
seems to be given a slight preference over the fir woods, as a rule, 
though during the day the birds are usually found hiding amongst 
the dark foliage of some young fir. 
It is a resident throughout the year, and is probably no more 
abundant at one season than another, although it is much more 
often heard calling during the fall than at any other time. 
The size of the birds in this vicinity is a matter of considerable 
interest to me when I compare them with the measurements of 
this form as given in the books. ‘These would seem to indicate 
that a length of ten inches or more might be expected, but my 
experience has been that such is never the case. Specimens that 
I have had in my collection measured, before skinning, from 8.80 
inches to 9.25 inches in length, the average being about 9.04 inches, 
and I believe that I can confidently assert that I have never seen 
one ten inches long. I do not for a moment wish to suggest the 
probability of a new race, although one cannot help recalling the 
formerly described Puget Sound Screech Owl in this connection, 
but it would seem of interest to indicate the size of the birds from 
this section of Puget Sound. Unlike a majority of the other 
Raptores the females are frequently smaller in size than the males, 
