MACFARLANE'S SCREECH OWL. 373 



<* 



The eggs like those of all Owls are pure white in color, rather glossy, 

 and mostly oval in shape; some are nearly spherical; the shell is smooth and 

 closely granulated. While not quite as large as the average egg of the Amer- 

 ican Long-eared Owl, their capacity, the shape being a more perfect oval as 

 a rule, is very nearly the same, and the contrast in size between them and 

 the eggs of all the other members of this family found with us (with the 

 exception of Kennicott's Screech Owl, perhaps) is especially noticeable when 

 placed side by side. 



The average measurement of twenty-seven speimens in the U. S. National 

 Museum collection is 37.5 by 32 millimetres, the largest egg measuring 39 

 by 33.5, the smallest 35 by 31.5 millimetres. 



The type specimen, No. 20563, selected from a set of five eggs (Bendire 

 collection), was taken by the writer on April 12, 1881, near Fort Walla Walla, 

 Washington. It is figured on PI. 12, Fig. 9. 



130. Megascops asio saturatus, BREWSTER. 



PUGET SOUND SCREECH OWL. 



Megascops asio saturatus BREWSTER, Auk, vui, April, 1891, 141. 



(B , C R , C U 373i.) 



GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE : Shores and islands of Puget Sound, Washington, and 

 southward along or near the coast to central Oregon, west of the Cascade Mountains ; 

 north to Vancouver Island and southern British Columbia. 



According to Mr. William Brewster, this newly described race, which he 

 names the "Puget Sound Screech Owl," is somewhat smaller than Kenni- 

 cott's Owl, with the general coloring darker and less tawny, and the face 

 and under parts much more white. It is found in two phases of plumage, 

 gray and ferruginous. 



The habits of the Puget Sound Screech Owl appear to be very much like 

 those of the California and MacFarlane's Screech Owls. Like these it inhabits 

 the timbered bottom lands in close proximity to water courses, nesting in 

 natural cavities in trees, generally in oaks and cottonwoods, and raising usu- 

 ally a single brood in a season. In Marion County, northwestern Oregon, 

 nidification commences usually in the latter part of April and is frequently 

 protracted into May. 



Mr. C. L. Keller informs me that the number of eggs laid by this race 

 is usually four, occasionally five, and should the first set be taken a second 

 and smaller one is now and then laid again in the same nest. 



The sites found occupied by these Owls varied from 20 to 30 feet in 

 height, and the eggs were laid on very little nesting material, simply a few 

 leaves and feathers. Occasionally he found some of these birds in the fir 

 timber on the outskirts of the forests, but more often among the cottonwoods 



