Flammulated and Scops Owls 529 



five, but as many as seven or eight have been recorded. "Both parents are 

 generally found near the nest, and not infrequently sitting on the eggs at the 

 same time. When suddenly disturbed in their hole they frequently utter a 

 hissing noise and snap their mandibles together, producing a kind of rattling 

 sound." 



Of the various geographical races, mention maybe made of the Florida Screech 

 Owl (M. a. florid anus}, which is smaller and much darker than the typical form 

 and has the rufous phase more richly colored. It ranges from South Carolina 

 to Georgia and the whole of Florida, while in southern Texas and eastern Mexico 

 occurs the Texan Screech Owl (M. a. maccallii), which is also smaller and slightly 

 darker than M. asio, the light mottlings on the upper surface being much coarser 

 and more conspicuous. Of the races which do not exhibit dichromatism, the 

 Arizona Screech Owl (M. a. cineraceus) ranges from northwestern Mexico to the 

 contiguous border of the United States; the Californian Screech Owl (M. a. 

 bendirei), which is confined to California; Kennicott's Screech Owl (M. a, kenni- 

 cottii) of the northwest coast; and the Rocky Mountain Screech Owl (M. a. 

 maocwellia) of the higher Rocky Mountains. 



Flammulated Screech Owls. - - The only other North American species, 

 which is sometimes placed in a separate genus, is the Flammulated Screech Owl 

 (M. flammeola), a resident of the elevated plateaus of Guatemala and central 

 Mexico, whence it ranges northward to Colorado and northern California. It is 

 a small species, only about six and a half inches long, and may be known by having 

 the toes entirely naked to the extreme base, and by the rather small ear-tufts. 

 It is a rare bird in the United States, and but little is known of its habits beyond 

 the fact that it nests in deserted Woodpeckers' holes and feeds largely on insects. 

 A smaller and much lighter-colored form (M. f. idahoensis) has recently been 

 described from the mountains of central Idaho. 



Scops Owl. There are a number of Screech Owls inhabiting Mexico, 

 Central America, and northern South America, but as little is known of their 

 habits we may pass to a brief consideration of some of the Old World species, 

 one of the best-known being the so-called Scops Owl (M. scops) of central and 

 southern Europe, central Asia, and northwestern India. It is about seven 

 and a half inches long, grayish above, varied with orange-rufous and brownish 

 and striped and vermiculated with black, while the wings are barred with white, 

 and the under parts are grayish white, vermiculated, blotched, and striped with 

 brown or brownish black. According to Dresser, " it frequents groves and woods 

 where there is abundant undergrowth, and is especially nocturnal in its habits. 

 It feeds chiefly, if not entirely, on insects of various kinds. Its note, which is 

 uttered constantly at short intervals during the night, is a clear monotonous 

 he-ou." The nesting site is usually a hole in a tree, more rarely the deserted 

 nests of other birds or holes in rocks or walls, and the eggs are usually four or 

 five in number. This species passes into a great variety of forms throughout 

 its range and there are numerous more or less well marked species through the 

 Oriental region, with a lesser number in Africa. Their habits so far as known 

 are all similar to those already mentioned. 



