34 BULLETIN FERGUS COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL 



lables like "hwah." The other owl only uttered a low hooting noise, and 

 did not manifest so much anger as did the female. 



This owl sometimes uses an old nest of the magpie. On May 13, 

 1903, I found a magpie's nest thus occupied. The lower part of the nest 

 was almost flat, and was very scantily lined with about a half dozen soft 

 dark feathers. This set contained six eggs, which were partially incubated. 



Distinguishing features: Upper parts marked with blending dull 

 yellowish, grayish white, and dark brown; lower parts dull yellowish tinged 

 with white and barred with darker colors; ear-tufts prominent; length 

 13-16 inches. 



367. SHORT-EARED OWL. Asio accipitrinus. 



Occurs regularly throughout the county, though rather locally dis- 

 tributed. 



Distinguishing features: Upper parts dull yellowish, striped with 

 dark brown; tail crossed by four or five dark bands; spaces around eyes, 

 black; length 14-17 inches. Ear-tufts not prominent. 



368. BARRED OWL. Syrnium varium. 



Dr. J. A. Allen notes that the barred owl was met with on the Yel- 

 lowstone and Musselshell. 



Distinguishing features: Upper parts very dark brown, with bars 

 cf dull yellowish; lower parts dull white, with bars or spots of brown; 

 length 20-24 inches. No ear-tufts. 



373e. ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCREECH OWL. Megascops asio maxwell- 



iae. 



Not generally common, owing to the lack of suitable wooded areas. 

 The only specimen seen near Lewistown by me was lurking in a willow 

 thicket near Big Spring Creek, where it was surprised as I was taking an 

 after-school ramble. It is not mentioned in Dr. J. A. Allen's Musselshell 

 list 



Distinguishing features: Upper parts light yellowish gray varying 

 to more reddish brown, lower parts frequently pure white; ear-tufts promi- 

 nent; length 8-10 inches. 



375a. WESTERN HORNED OWL. Bubo virginianus pallescens. 



A common resident. The western horned owl begins to nest early 

 in March in this region. On March 16, 1900, I found two ne^ts of this owl. 

 Both were old hawk's nests, one abo.ut thirty-three feet from the ground 

 in a crotch of a cottonwood in a grove along Big Spring Creek. This nest 

 had been slightly furnished by adding a scanty lining of downy feathers, 

 presumably from the body of the sitting bird, and its complement was 

 four eggs partially incubated. The second nest was thirty-eight feet from 

 the ground, in a lone cottonwood along a small branch of Big Spring 

 Creek. As in the preceding instance, a few downy feathers were used to 

 make the old nest comfortable, and to receive the three fresh eggs forming 

 the complement. 



A second set of eggs of one of the foregoing pair of birds was taken 

 on April 13, from a nest in a grove along Big Spring Creek. It was a 



