THE BURROWING OWL. 309 



just been mentioned. It is also a great eater of lemmings, and in the 

 destruction of these quadrupedal pests does infinite service to the agri- 

 culturist and the population in general. 



The color of an old Snowy Owl is pure white without any markings 

 whatever, but in the earlier years of its life its plumage is covered with 

 numerous dark brown spots and bars, caused by a dark tip to each 

 feather. Upon the breast and abdomen these markings form short 

 abrupt curves, but on the back and upper surface they are nearly^ 

 straight. The beak and claws are black. The length of the male 

 Snowy Owl is about twenty-two inches, and that of the female twenty- 

 six or twenty-seven. 



The quaint, long-legged little Owl which is represented on page 310 

 is a native of many parts of America, where it inhabits the same local- 

 ity with the prairie dog. The description of that curious marmot and 

 its peculiar burrow may be found on pages 193-195. 



The prairie-dogs and Burrowing Owls live together very harmoni- 

 ously, and this strange society is said also to be augmented by a third 

 member — namely, the rattlesnake. It is now, however, ascertained 

 with tolerable accuracy that the rattlesnake is nothing but a very un- 

 welcome intruder upon the marmot, and, as has been shown by the 

 Hon. G. F. Berkeley's experiments, is liable to be attacked and de- 

 stroyed by the legal owner of the burrow. If all had their rights, it 

 would seem that the Owl is nearly as much an intruder as the snake, 

 and that it only takes possession of the burrow excavated by the prai- 

 rie-dog in order to save itself the trouble of making a subterranean 

 abode for itself. Indeed, there are some parts of the country where 

 the Owl is perforce obliged to be its own workman, and, in default of 

 convenient " dog " burrows, is fain to employ its claws and bill in ex- 

 cavating a home for itself. 



The tunnel which is made by the Owl is not nearly so deep or so 

 neatly constructed as that which is dug by the marmot, being only 

 eighteen inches or two feet in depth, and very rough in the interior. 

 At the bottom of this burrow is placed a tolerably-sized heap of dried 

 grass, moss, leaves, and other soft substances, upon which are deposited 

 its white-shelled eggs. 



The Coquimbo Owl is by no means a nocturnal bird, facing the glare 

 of the mid-day sun without inconvenience, and standing at all times 

 in the day or evening on the little heaps of earth which are thrown up 

 at the entrance of the burrow. It is a lively little bird, moving about 

 among the burrows with considerable vivacity, rising on the wing if 

 suddenly disturbed, and making a short undulating aerial journey be- 

 fore it again settles upon the ground. When it has alighted from one 

 of these little flights it turns round and earnestly regards the pursuer. 

 Sometimes it will dive into one of the burrows, heedless of prior occu- 



