268 Cameron, Birds of Custer & Davenport Counties, Mont. [j\lw 



stone ferry crossing at Terry. On June 1, two nearly full-feathered young 

 could be seen sitting in the tree, but as they were the objects of much 

 attention the parents removed them on the night of the second. 



Mr. J. H. Price is familiar with this owl in his locality (Knowlton), 

 and informs me that several birds of this species frequented Mr. G. M. 

 Kirwan's ranch, on Tongue River, during the winter of 1906-07. 



In fall and winter these owls occupy cavities in the high cut banks of 

 the badlands; Messrs. Archdale found a Long-eared Owl frozen to death 

 in a badland hole. When this owl is in flight, a brown spot shows conspic- 

 uously on the buff lining of the wings underneath the primary bases. 



78. Asio accipitrinus. Short-eared Owl. — Erratic winter visitor. 

 Tolerably common some winters, in others not observed. These owls lie 

 very close, and are flushed from sage brush precisely as from the heather 

 in the Orkney Isles where they were very common. In either case, they 

 are difficult to see without a dog. On January 10, 1902, my wife picked 

 up a dead Short-eared Owl, in good condition, by the Yellowstone. It 

 must have been frozen to death in the extreme cold of the previous Decem- 

 ber, as there was no other way to account for its demise. A pair of these 

 owls wintered on my ranch in Dawson County, during 1902-03 and were 

 last seen on April 16. May 7 is the latest date on which I have observed 

 this species. 



79. Megascops asio maxwelliae. Rocky Mountain Screech Owl. — 

 Captain Thorne mentions three seen by him. I have not observed this; 

 owl here. 



80. Bubo virginianus pallescens. Western Horned Owl. — Common. 

 A resident and predominant bird, nocturnal in habit, and to be seen or 

 heard at all seasons wherever there is a tree for it to rest in. Nests indiffer- 

 ently in the river valleys or pine hills. f A pair of Hoot Owls reared their 

 young on my ranch in Custer County for many years, repairing the same 

 nest, often but a storm swept fragment, each spring in the same box-elder 

 tree. Almost before winter is fairly over (about third week of March) the 

 female begins to lay the two or three white eggs upon which for about 

 three weeks thereafter, she will sit alternately with the male, who shares 

 the duties of incubation with his spouse. While one of the pair is on the 

 nest, the other sits silent in a tree, its plumage assimilating so closely to 

 the bark, whether box elder or willow, as to render the bird invisible even 

 when the tree is leafless. The young are hatched successively from about 

 the middle of April onwards, and the first hatched nestling may precede the 

 latest arrival by an interval of a week. By the second week in June they 

 can fly. So pugnacious are the owlets that the strongest finally drives 

 the others from the nest to occupy a branch near, where they pretend to 

 fight but avoid the real issue by twirling round and hanging head down- 

 wards by their scansorial feet. Hoot Owls have an ill repute as chicken 

 stealers and are shot at sight on neighboring ranches; but the fact that 

 their raids are not commenced till dusk serves generally to protect them_ 



