197 



cases a cat-like mew, while the screech- 

 owl snores when stationary. The hoot is 

 said to be produced by closing the bill, 

 puffing out the throat, and then liberating 

 the air, a proceeding comparable to that 

 of the Bitterns. On the whole the voice 

 is mournful and monotonous, but occa- 

 sionally it resembles a shrill laugh." The 

 utterances of the Owls are, however, 

 quite various. Some species will give a 

 piercing scream and hiss like an angry 

 cat when disturbed. 



The Western Horned Owl of our il- 

 lustration is a variety of the Great 

 Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus) of east- 

 ern North America. It has a wide and 

 extensive range reaching from Manitoba, 

 on the north, into the table-lands of Mex- 

 ico on the south and eastward from the 

 Pacific coast across the Great Plains. Oc- 

 casionally specimens are taken as far east 

 as the states of Illinois and Wisconsin. 

 It is replaced in the Arctic regions by the 

 Arctic Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus 

 arcticus), which is lighter in color, its 

 range only reaching as far south as Idaho 

 and South Dakota. The Western Horned 

 Owl breeds nearly throughout its range. 

 It is of interest that this Owl is not an in- 

 habitant of high altitudes but rather of 

 the foothills and more open country of 

 its range. The Dusky Horned Owl 

 (Bubo virginianus saturatus), the dark- 

 est colored of all the owls, taking its place 

 in the higher regions. 



In its habits it is closely related to its 

 eastern relative. It has a similar call note 

 and is as destructive. It feeds on grouse 

 and ducks as well as other species of val- 

 uable food water-birds. It also kills many 

 forest birds that are useful to man as in- 

 sect destroyers. It is said that they will 

 feed on mammals, such as pole cats, prai- 

 rie dogs, squirrels, rabbits and other ro- 

 dents. But this is not the worst crime of 

 this marauder, for when it visits' the more 

 thickly inhabited districts it appreciates 

 the delicacies to be found in the poultry 

 yards of the farmer and kills far more 

 than it needs to satisfy its appetite. 



With regard to the nesting habits of 

 this Owl, Captain Charles Bendire says : 

 "While perhaps the majority of these 

 birds resort to hollow trees or old nests 

 of the larger hawks and of the common 



crow, quite a number nest in the wind- 

 worn holes in sandstone and other clififs, 

 small caves in clay and chalk blufifs, in 

 some localities on the ground, and, I be- 

 lieve, even occasionally in badger holes 

 under ground. On the grassy plains in 

 the Umatilla Indian Reservation, in 

 northeastern Oregon, I have several 

 times seen Owls of this race sitting on the 

 little mounds in front of badger or coyote 

 burrows, near the mouths of which small 

 bones and pellets of fur were scattered 

 about. While unable to assert positively 

 that they do actually breed occasionally 

 in such holes, the indications point that 

 way, and this would not seem to be due 

 to the absence of suitable timber, as an 

 abundance of trees grow along the banks 

 of the Umatilla river not more than a mile 

 away. When nesting in trees, large cot- 

 tonwoods, sycamores, willows, pecans, 

 pines, oaks and firs are generally pre- 

 ferred. In regions, however, where heavy 

 timber is scarce, they content themselves 

 with nests in small mesquite and hack- 

 berry trees, frequently placed not more 

 than ten feet from the ground." Captain 

 Bendire also states that they have been 

 known to use the nests of the black-billed 

 magpie, either laying their eggs on the 

 inside of these curiously built and enor- 

 mous structures or on the broken-down 

 roofs. These nests are well adapted to 

 the requirements of the Owl, for they 

 vary from one to three feet in diameter 

 and are constructed in a very substantial 

 manner. The foundations consist of 

 twigs held together with mud, and upon 

 this, built of smaller twigs, is the nest, 

 which is plastered with mud and lined 

 with grass and small roots. The whole 

 structure is surrounded by dead twigs, 

 which form an arch over the top of the 

 nest. This is a palace which the Owl 

 would never take the trouble to construct, 

 but is willing to use. 



It is said that the Western Horned Owl 

 will lay two or more sets of eggs at short 

 intervals' if the nest and eggs are dis- 

 turbed, and an instance has been recorded 

 where three sets of eggs have been taken 

 from the nest of a single pair at intervals 

 of about four weeks. The number of 

 eggs laid is usually two or three, and in- 

 frequently four are found and sets of five 



