ELEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 189 



pose upon. Nevertheless, the Florida owls do not live lives of 

 unalloyed peacefulness, since there, as in the west, rattlesnakes 

 are not adverse to appropriating a tempting burrow, and it a 

 young owl is to be had for the taking, at the end, why so much 

 the better ! A most interesting fact is told about these owls ; 

 that when disturbed, they utter a sound, startlingly like the buzz 

 of a rattler. This, if correct, must often serve a useful purpose 

 in frightening away a marauding weasel or other predatory animal. 



The food of these birds defies description. It may be said to 

 consist of anything edible and small enough to be captured and 

 killed by them — whether insect, lizard, bird, or mammal. Insects, 

 however, form the chief item in their diet. 



The burrows which these birds dig for themselves are usually 

 about eight feet in length with little attempt at a nest at the end, 

 where the five to ten eggs are laid. 



I have observed both of the Xearctic races of Burrowing Owls 

 in captivity, and have seen each make burrows with equal rapidity. 

 I know^ of no account of the actual operation, so will add what I 

 have noticed concerning the nesting of a pair of the Florida birds. 



When a pile of earth and clay, some three feet deep, was placed 

 in their cage, they began to work at once, and within a few days 

 had burrowed out of sight. This work was carried on mostly at 

 night, on account of the many people passing during the day, but 

 several times on rainy days, when the bird house was quiet, by 

 stealthily watching behind a door, the birds were seen at work. 

 Their method of excavating was to alight at the entrance of the 

 burrow and walk slowly into it, kicking a shower of dirt backward 

 at each step. Long after the bird disappeared from view, the 

 little spouts of sand would continue to be thrown out, as regular 

 as clockwork. In three or four minutes the bird would come up 

 to the entrance and repeat its trip to the end of the burrow. In 

 this way the entire length of the passage was kept clear, and the 

 earth loosened at the inner end was gradually heaped up outside. 



Soon after the burrow was begun, the two Florida birds paired 

 off, and the single Western Burrowing Owl which shared the 

 cage, led an unhappy life until removed to another enclosure. If 

 he happened to alight anywhere near the burrow, both of the 

 owners would jump on him literally "with both feet," rolling him 

 over and over. 



WHien the ofifensive third owl was removed, the two partners 

 settled down to burrowing in earnest, and excavated a large pile 

 of earth. X^ow began a most amusing courtship. They would 

 stand side bv side in the entrance of the burrow, and chuckle and 



