NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS EGGS. 177 



They also often nest in barns or other old buildings which are not frequent.-.! t,, 

 freely. Their food consists chiefly of mice and meadow moles, with occasionally 

 small birds. During April or May they lay their white eggs, the full comple- 

 ment of which is from five to eight. Size 1.35 x 1.20. The nesting habits of" ail 

 the sub-species, as far as we can learn, are exactly like those of the eastern 

 Screech Owl; the eggs cannot be distinguished, and in most cases, even the 

 birds cannot be distinguished. 



373a. Florida Screech Owl. Megascops asio floridanus. 



Range. South Atlantic and Gulf coasts. 



Slightly smaller and darker than asio. The eggs average slightly smaller 

 Size 1.30 x 1.15. 



37 3 b. Texas Screech Owl. Megascops asio mccalli. 

 Range. Texas, and southward into Mexico. Very similar to floridaim*. 



373c. California Screech Owl. Megascops asio bendirei. 



Range. Coast of California and Oregon. Size of, but darker than ux'm. 



373d. Kennicott Screech Owl. Megascops asio kennicottii. 



Range. Pacific coast from Oregon to Alaska. This is the darkest of the 

 Screech Owls and averages a trifle larger than the eastern form. 



373e. Rocky Mountain Screech Owl. Megascops asio maxwell in. 



Range. Foothills of the Rockies, from Colorado to Montana. This is the 

 palest form of the Screech Owl. Of the same size as the last. 



373f. Mexican Screech Owl. Megascops asio cfnerarcnx. 



Range. Western Mexico and southwestern border of the United States. A 

 gray form with little or no buff, and more numerously barred below. 



373g. Aiken Screech Owl. Megascops asio aikcni. 



Range. Fl Paso County, Colorado. A gray form, with the dark mark in u- 

 coarser and more numerous than in any other. 



373h. MacFarlane Screech Owl. Megascops asio iiuirfnrhinci. 



Range. Northern border of the United States from Washington to Montana. 



373 I. Spotted Screech Owl. Megascops trichopsis. 



Range. Mountains of southern Arizona, south into Mexico. 



A grayish species, similar to a*io, but paler and more finely barred beneath. 

 and with whitish spots on the feathers of the foreback. The nesting habits an. I 

 eggs are probably the same as those of the Screech Owl. 



