OWLS 305 



4000 feet, which proved unquestionably to be given by a spotted owl. On 

 October 30, at about 8 o 'clock in the morning, the same owl note was heard, 

 and presently a California Gray Squirrel began barking furiously. This 

 signal was followed up, but without success. Fifteen minutes later, some 

 kinglets, both Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned, were heard remonstrat- 

 ing in excited fashion, and their interest was found to focus within a 

 Nuttall dogwood. Scrutiny of this tree resulted in the discovery of what 

 was at first thought to be a big wasp 's nest among the branches about forty 

 feet above the ground. This object, however, soon resolved itself into the 

 outlines of an owl, all hunched-up, so as to quite obscure its true identity. 

 The bird was shot and proved to be an old female spotted owl. Mr. C. A. 

 McCarthy, a rancher in the neighborhood, said that a pair of these owls 

 had lived in the vicinity for three years, to his knowledge, and had raised 

 a brood of young each year. He appreciated the birds for the variety of 

 their evening voicings. 



In the late afternoon of July 23, 1920, on a wooded ridge-slope near 

 Bower Cave, Mr. Donald D. McLean found himself within hearing of a 

 clamor of bird voices. Following the clue he worked cautiously up the 

 slope and discovered the center of the disturbance to be a spotted owl 

 which was perched in an incense cedar, close to the trunk on a branch 

 about 60 feet above the ground. The throng of excited birds included 19 

 Blue-fronted Jays, 5 or 6 CaUfomia Jays, half a dozen California Wood- 

 peckers, one Sierra Creeper, and many Cassin, Hutton, and Warbling 

 Vireos, Black-throated Gray Warblers, and Western Flycatchers. 



The stomach of the California Spotted Owl obtained in Yosemite Valley 

 was empty — the bird was waylaid probably too early in the evening for 

 it to have dined. The Feliciana Mountain bird taken in the morning had 

 fared well, its stomach containing a mass of foodstuff in which were 

 recognized parts of a wood rat (Neotoma fuscipes streatori), a white-footed 

 mouse (Peromyscus) , and a grasshopper. 



Great Gray Owl. Scotiaptex nebulosa nebulosa (Forster) 



Field characters. — Size very large (largest of our owls) ; length nearly two feet, 

 expanse four feet and a half; head big and round, without ear tufts; eyes yellow; tail 

 relatively long. General color grayish brown with dull mottlings and streakings of 

 white; no conspicuous white throat patch. (See text fig. S9h and pi. 43c.) Voice: A 

 deep reverberating wJioo, given at irregular intervals. 



Occurrence. — Probably permanently resident. Found by us only in the fir woods of 

 the Canadian Zone. Definite stations: 7400 feet altitude, within one mile south of 

 Ostrander Eocks; 7900 feet, mthin one mile north of Indian Eock. Seems prone to 

 be active during the daytime, but keeps within thick timber. 



