Birds of Oregon and Washington 199 



places, from western Kansas, west and north- 

 west, to the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and 

 Washington. He is the only Owl that lives 

 in the ground. He scarcely ever trusts himself 

 to his wings beyond a short flight to some point 

 near his hole. There are fables current about 

 his living in " Happy Family " fashion with rattle- 

 snakes and prairie dogs. The fact, however, is 

 that the Owls occupy only the burrows that have 

 been deserted by the animals which made them. 

 And if rattlesnakes do occupy the same habita- 

 tion, it must be one of many rooms, for, in the 

 order of nature, snakes in the same room with 

 the young birds would swallow them, while the 

 old birds in turn would eat the snakes. 



The ground-habit of these birds renders them 

 very interesting, and their way of diving out of 

 sight, under the earth's surface, is unique, not 

 only in the Owl, but in any other bird-family 

 at least in America. 



These birds do not hibernate, as some have it, 

 but appear upon comfortable days throughout the 

 cold winters of the regions which they inhabit. 



No particular description is necessary. 



Permanent resident. 



