Vol. XX j Brown, Arizo?ta Bird Notes. AC 



of it. I might here add that I have never seen unused food in 

 the nest of an Elf Owl, but with Screech Owls such things have 

 been of common occurrence. 



I have been more or less familiar with the Elf Owl for the past 

 eighteen years and am, or should be, fairly well acquainted with 

 them. In one day I took over thirty adults, and turned everyone 

 of them loose. In the matter of plumage I never found but one 

 out of the ordinary. It had a black eye disk and black eye. 

 When handled, they are, apparently, as inoffensive as a canary, 

 and will feign death when first taken in the hand, but that it is 

 fully conscious of its surroundings is evidenced by its quick dart 

 for liberty the moment the grip of the hand is relaxed. I once 

 thought that this semblance of death was due to paralytic fear, 

 but after losing a number of birds I came to believe it a wise 

 provision for its preservation. Have often tried the experiment 

 and the little fellows never failed to take advantage of it. Occa- 

 sionally two, male and female, are taken from the same hole. On 

 the Santa Cruz I saw an owl taken from its nest which contained 

 three of its own and two eggs of the Gila Woodpecker. As it was 

 in possession, it had, undoubtedly, driven away the original 

 occupant. All the eggs were fresh. 



For years I was of the belief that adult birds could not be kept 

 alive in confinement. With an abundance of fresh meat before them 

 they would, if permitted, deliberately starve to death. An exami- 

 nation of their stomachs disclosed their food to be largely insects. 

 A small black ant and numerous beetles are, apparently, their 

 principal food. With this knowledge I had no trouble in keeping 

 them alive indefinitely. The six taken up the river enjoyed the 

 best of health during the weeks I kept them here. Two were 

 sent to Los Angeles and died shortly after reaching their destina- 

 tion ; the other four were sent to New York and died in transit. 

 Their daily food consisted of crickets, grasshoppers, lizards, small 

 birds and mice. Years ago, before I knew how to properly feed 

 adults, I raised five. When first taken they had been hatched 

 only a few days, but they did well and eventually grew into hand- 

 some birds. If I remember rightly I sent them to the Zoological 

 Gardens at Philadelphia, but do not know how they fared after- 

 wards. 



