BIRDS OF FERGUS COUNTY, MONTANA 33 



Ires, preparatory to rearing its brood in some cavity of the dead timber. 

 The prairies afford it fine foraging ground, as it is fond of the grasshop- 

 pers. In the fall, it can be seen perched on the fences, generally with 

 several of its fellows, for the family does not break up immediately after 

 leaving the nest, but forage in company, though scattering somewhat to 

 hunt to better advantage. One day in fall my attention was attracted 

 by a sparrow hawk that was hunting near a small pond near my home, 

 lor in one instance he pursued a least sandpiper in air, following it persist- 

 ently through several attempts to escape the' swift dashes of the hawk, 

 though the chase was unsuccessful. The same hawk soon after attempted 

 to capture a yellow-legs, starting toward it when the yellow-legs uttered 

 its whistle as it arose in flight, and making several unsuccessful swoops 

 upon it. 



Distinguishing features: Sides of the head marked with one or two 

 black stripes; top of head bluish gray; tail reddish-brown, with broad band 

 cf black near end; lower parts dull yellowish white of varying hue; length 

 -12 inches. 



364. AMERICAN OSPREY. Pandion haliaetus carolinensis. 



The American osprey occurs regularly along the larger water-courses 

 of this region. I have noted it frequently near Lewistown, and know that 

 it has been taken within a few miles of town. 



Distinguishing features: Upper parts grayish brown; tail crossed by 

 six or seven dark bands; head, neck, and lower parts white, the upper 

 part of the breast often spotted or tinged with brown; length 20-25 inches. 



366. AMERICAN LONG-EARED OWL. Asio wilsonianus. 



Rather common. On June 2, 1900, I found a nest of the long-eared 

 owl within a mile of Lewistown. It was sixteen feet from the ground, 

 in an old nest of the American crow, in a willow thicket along Big Spring 

 Creek. The old nest was nearly flat, and had been lined with a few downy 

 feathers. There were in it four eggs in which incubation had begun. 



May 11, 1901, I found an incomplete set of three eggs of the long- 

 eared owl, in an old nest made by the American crow, fourteen feet from 

 the ground in a willow thicket inhabited by a colony of crows. No effort 

 had been made to re-line or build up the nest,, but a few downy feathers 

 were clinging to the twigs in the edges of the structure, and to adjacent 

 branches of the tree. One of the owners was sitting on the edge of the 

 nest glaring at me as I ascended to a crow's nest in an adjoining tree. 



On May 10, 1902, a nest of the long-eared owl came under my ob- 

 servation. It was in the grove on John Clancy's ranch, an old nest of the 

 American crow having been taken possession of by the owls. Only a 

 few downy feathers had been used in refitting the nest. The site was in 

 a willow, fifteen feet from the ground, not far from a path leading through 

 the grove. The nest contained four eggs, snowy-white, partially incubated. 

 Both parent birds were near this nest, the female being found on the 

 eggs. As I examined the nest, she sat nearby, or flew about excitedly, 

 snapping her bill, or uttering a prolonged cat-like cry, or scolding in syl- 



