OWLS 313 



have been captured alive by persons walking up and taking them in 

 their hands. On this account the Eskimo in Alaska have given it the 

 name of 'blind one.' "The song of this Owl, according to Dr. Merriam 

 (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club., VII, 1882, p. 237), is a low liquid note that resem- 

 bles the sound produced by water slowly dropping from a height" 

 (Fisher). 



372. Cryptoglaux acadica acadica (GmeL). SAW-WHET OWL. Ads. 

 Upperparts dark cinnamon-brown, the head finely streaked, the back spotted 

 with white; tail with three or four imperfect white bars; underparts white, 

 heavily streaked with cinnamon-brown or dark rufous; legs and feet feath- 

 ered, buffy white, unbarred; eyes yellow. Im. Upperparts as in the ad., 

 but head and back with little or no white; breast like the back; belly ochra- 

 ceous-buff. L., 8'00; W., 5;40; T., 2'80; B., '60. 



Remarks. Its small size and absence of 'ears' at once distinguish this 

 species from any Owl of eastern North America except C. f. richardsoni, from 

 which it may be known by its lighter color, streaked instead of spotted head, 

 and unbarred legs and feet. 



Range. N. A. Breeds from cen. and e. B. C., Alberta, Man., Que., N. B. f 

 and N. S. s. to cen. Ariz., s. Nebr., n. Ind., Pa., and Md. (in mts.); winters 

 s. to s. Calif., La., Va. (casually to the Carolinas), and Maine; casual or 

 accidental in Mex. and Guatemala. 



Washington, rare W. V., Oct.-Mch. Ossining, rather rare W. V., Oct. 

 28-Jan. 13. Cambridge, not uncommon, W. V., Nov.-Mch. N. Ohio, 

 rare P. R. SE. Minn., uncommon, P. R. 



Nest, in a hole in a tree; frequently a Woodpecker's, sometimes a Squir- 

 rel's deserted nest. Eggs, white, 3-5, 1*19 x 1*00. Date, Trenton Falls, 

 N. Y., Mch. 31; Farmiiigton, Maine, May 21; se. Minn., May 9 (hatching). 



"This species is not migratory, but is more or less of an irregular 

 wanderer in its search for food during the fall and winter. It may 

 be quite common in a locality and then not be seen again for several 

 years. It is nocturnal, seldom moving about in the daytime, but pass- 

 ing the time in sleeping in some dark retreat. So soundly does it sleep 

 that oftentimes it may be captured alive. . . . 



"During the day it frequents the thick evergreen woods, though 

 sometimes it is found in comparatively open groves, but always in 

 dense trees. . . . The note of this species is peculiar and has a 

 rasping character, resembling the sound made when a large-toothed 

 saw is being filed; hence the name. It is more often heard during March 

 and early April, though occasionally it is heard at other times of the 

 year. 



"The flight resembles that of the Woodcock very closely so much 

 so, in fact, that the writer once killed a specimen as it was flying over 

 the alders, and not until the dog pointed the dead bird was he aware 

 of his mistake. . . . 



"Of 22 stomachs examined, 17 contained mice; 1, a bird; 1, an insect; 

 and 3 were empty" (Fisher). 



1911. TAVERNER, P. A., and SWALES, B. H., Auk, XXVIII, 329-334 



(migration). 



373. Otus asio asio (Linn.}. SCREECH OWL. Size small; ear-tufts con- 

 spicuous, about an inch in length. Ads. rufous phase. Upperparts bright 



