i8S8.] Bendire on the Habits of Glaucidiuin. 3^7 



I presume that it is not at all uncommon throughout the entire 

 mountainous and timbered portions of the West ; but from its 

 small size and retiring habits, generally being perched in dense 

 evergreen trees, it is not often noticed by the naturalist, and 

 usually only by accident. I have taken it personally in the Blue 

 Mountains in Washington Territory, and in several places in 

 Oregon, but have never met with more than one at a time. My 

 specimens were, with but a single exception, all found in or near 

 the pine timber. While hunting Sage Fowl {Centrocercus 

 urophasianus) on the morning of Feb. 5, 1875? in the vicinity 

 of Camp Harney, Oregon, I shot a female Pygmy Owl at least 

 five miles from the nearest timber. It was pei'ched on a large 

 bowlder, lying at the foot of a basaltic cliti' from which it had 

 broken oft', and allowed me to approach quite closely. It had 

 just about finished its breakfast, furnished by a Western Tree 

 Sparrow {Spizella monticola ochraced)^ 2.% indicated by the 

 feathers scattered about and on the rock. It was in prime con- 

 dition and exceedingly fat. 



The first of these little Owls, coming under my observation, 

 was shot by Sergt. Smith, who used frequently to go gunning 

 with me. On the morning of Dec. 14, 1874, we were out hunt- 

 ing Sooty Grouse iyDendragapiis obscurus fuligi)iosus) along 

 the southern slopes and amongst the foothills of the Blue Moun- 

 tains, a few miles north of Camp Harney, and had been quite 

 successful. The Sergeant was walking along the edge of a 

 mesa (tableland), while I was about a hundred yards below him, 

 hunting amongst some serviceberry bushes growing about half 

 way up the slope of the hill, and in which Grouse were usually 

 found feeding at that time of the year. Hearing the Sergeant 

 fire (he could not be seen from where I was at the time), I 

 called to him and asked what he had shot. His reply seemed at 

 the instant rather strange to me. It was "Captain, I shot a baby 

 Owl, riding on a rat ; I have got them." Had I not known the 

 Sergeant to be a strictly sober man, not at all addicted to drink- 

 ing, I should have readily agreed with him, that he had them, 

 and laid it to over indulgence in something stronger than water, 

 on that particular morning ; but when I climbed up to where he 

 was standing, the matter was fully explained. 



It appears that a tall old pine tree had been uprooted years 

 ago by some of the heavy windstorms that occasionally sweep 



