THE SHORT-EARED OWL. 333 



ground, which it carefully scans for its humble prey. Its flight is remarkably 

 easy, graceful, and perfectly noiseless, very similar to that of the Marsh Hawk, 

 but accompanied with more flapping of the wings. On account of the great 

 length of the latter it looks while flying much larger than it really is. 



From the fact that these Owls are generally seen in pairs at all seasons of 

 the year it is very probable that they remain mated through life. During 

 the winter of 1881-82 a pair of these birds took up their permanent quar- 

 ters near an inclosure in which several hundred tons of hay were stacked 

 within the limits of the military post of Fort Walla Walla, Washington. These 

 hayricks were placed under open sheds, and the lanes between each stack 

 formed the favorite hunting grounds of these birds and furnished them an 

 abundance of mice. As shooting was absolutely prohibited in this vicinity 

 and the birds were never molested, they became quite tame, flying within 3 

 or 4 feet of the sentinels on duty there at night. One of my men informed 

 me of this, and I visited the place several times to watch their actions. In 

 cloudy weather they might be seen flying in and out between the haystacks 

 during the greater part of the day, but when it was clear they only made their 

 appearance about sundown. They generally flew close to the ground, not 

 more than 3 feet above it; their prey was caught without apparently arrest- 

 ing their flight an instant, and then carried on top of one of the stacks 

 where I presume it was devoured at leisure. During the day they remained 

 hidden among the tall weeds, wire grass, and rushes growing in a marsh close 

 to the corral. Aside from a faint squeak, which might have been that of a 

 mouse when suddenly pounced on, I heard no note that might be attrib- 

 uted to them. 



The food of the Short-eared Owl consists almost exclusively of small 

 rodents, such as meadow mice and gophers, as well as grasshoppers, insects 

 of various kinds, and occasionally a small bird. Like the Barn and Long- 

 eared Owls, it deserves the fullest protection, being far more beneficial than 

 otherwise. 



In the southern parts of its range in the East, nidification is said to 

 begin sometimes in March, usually in April and again not until the beginning 

 of May. In the Arctic regions it does not commence until the latter part 

 of May, usually about the first week in June, and occasionally a month later, 

 Mr. W. J. Fisher taking a set of five eggs on. Kodiak Island, Alaska, on 

 July 12, 1882. Incubation had advanced about one-half in these eggs. 



While in the Eastern States these birds may nest, as before stated, in 

 March and early April, in the West, where I found their nests, in Idaho 

 and Oregon, as well as in Washington, they do not as a rule begin laying 

 before the last weeTc in April, and generally about the first week in May. 

 The first nests I found of this species, two in number, near Fort Lapwai, Idaho, 

 was on May 6, 1871. Both were placed on the ground, one in the center 

 of a tall -bunch of rye grass, the other by the side of one of these, and 

 both were well hidden. These tall bunches of grass grew with others amidst 



