OF NEW ENGLAND. 331 



seems to consist chiefly of mice and insects. Occasionally, 

 when startled on the ground, they move off in leaps, more 

 quickly than one might suppose them to be capable of doing, 

 but they commonly take to wing. Audubon speaks of them 

 as common in the Floridas during the winter, and sa}*s : " In- 

 deed I was surprised to see the great number of these birds 

 which at that period were to be found in the open prairies of 

 that country, rising from the tall grass in a hurried manner, 

 and zig-zagging for a few yards, as if suddenly wakened from 

 sound sleep, then sailing to some distance in a direct course, 

 and dropping among the thickest herbage." He adds : "I 

 never started two birds at once, but alwa3*s found them singly 

 at distances of from twenty to a hundred yards.; * * * ." 

 The Short-eared Owls are partially migratory. 



(d). Their notes, if they have any, I have neither heard, 

 nor seen described. 



III. SYRNIUM 



(A) CINEKEUM. Great Gray Owl. Cinereous Owl. 



(Very rare so far to the southward as Massachusetts, where 

 it occurs in winter onty.) 



(a). Extreme length, thirty inches. General colors, cinere- 

 ous or ashy-brown, and a paler shade. "Waved" above; 

 streaked on the breast; barred on the belly, tail, primaries, etc. 



(b). One egg in Dr. Brewer's cabinet measures 2-25 X 1'78 

 of an inch. 



(c). The Great Gray Owls exceed in size all other American 

 species, and stand no less than two feet high. They seem, 

 however, to be much less spirited than many others of their 

 tribe. Mr. Dal I considers them very stupid, and states that 

 they may in daj'-time be caught by the hand. They are Arctic 

 birds, and do not occur in New England except as very rare 

 winter-visitors. I observed one in some pine-woods near Mil- 

 ton, in the early part of 1875, towards the end of an excep- 

 tion ally 'severe winter. He was roosting in a partially dead 

 tree, at about thirty feet from the ground. He instantly per- 

 ceived my approach, and watched me dreamily. He refused 



