240 



Iwciuv feet from the groiiiid; the entrance to I lie hole 

 was very small, scarcely two inches in diameter, (^n 

 climbing tlie tree and loolcini;- in the liollow, I discov- 

 ered silting on the bottom wliat 1 snpposed might be 

 a small owl. Uncertain as to the truth, I introduced 

 a small stick into the hole, and turned the bird over 

 upon her side, she making no struggle whatever, but 

 remaining perfectly still as if dead. I discovered that 

 she was sitting upon a single egg. Supposing that she 

 had but just commenced laying I left her, and did not 

 mo'lest her for several days; on the fifth day after I 

 again examined the nest, and found the bird on her 

 egg. none other having been laid. I enlarged the hole, 

 and took the egg, leaving the owl quietly sitting on ibe 

 rotten chips which formed the bottom of the nest. 



"The egg was white with a bluish tint, like many 

 of the other owls' eggs, nearly globular in form, and 

 consideiably smaller than the egg of the Ked oi- Mot 

 lied Owl." 



THEY LIVED IN HARMONY. 



Dr. Elliot Coues, in his "Birds of the Northwest," 

 says: "Mr, Gentry informs me of a curious circum- 

 stance ]n regard to this owl. Referring to the associa- 

 tion of the Burrowing Owl of the west with the prairie 

 dog, he continues: 'In the holloAv of an oak tree, not 

 far from Germantown, lives an individual of the com- 

 mon chickaree squirrel {Sciurus hudsonius), with a 

 specimen of this little owl as his sole companion. They 

 occni>y the same hole together in perfect harmony and 

 mutual goodwill. It is not an accidental, temporary 

 association, for the bird and the squirrel have rej)eat- 

 edly been observed to enter the same hole together, as 

 if they always had shared the apartment. But what 

 benefit can either derive from the other?' " 



