STRIGIDiE THE OWLS. 21 



Dr. Cooper met with this .species on the lianks of the ('(jhinihia, oast of 

 tlie Dalles. The region was desolate and liarren, and several sjiecies of Owl.-s 

 appeared to have been drawn there hy tlie abundance of hares and mice. 

 Dr. Suckley also met with it on a branch of Milk liiver, in Xcbrasi<a. It 

 has likewise been taken in different ])arts of Calil'oniia, in New Mexico, 

 among the liocky ^Mountains, in the valley of the IJio Cirande, at Fort I5en- 

 ton, and at Cape Florida, in the last-named place by ^Ir. Wiirdcniann. 



Dr. Cooper found tliis Owl (^uite common near San Diego, and in ]\Iarch 

 ob.served them sitting in pairs in the evergreen oaks, ajiparently not much . 

 trouliled by the light. On the 27th of March he I'ound a nest, probably that 

 of a Crow, built in a low evergreen oak, in which a female Owl was sitting 

 on five eggs, then partly hatched. The bird was (luite bold, ilew round him, 

 sna]iping her bill at him, and tried to draw him away from the nest ; the 

 i'emale imitating the cries of wounded binls wtoh remarkable accuracy, 

 showing a power of voice not supposed to exist in Owls, but more in the 

 manner of a Parrot. He took one of the eggs, and on the 2od of A])ril, on 

 revisiting the nest, he found that the others had hatched. The egg measured 

 l.GD by l.:3G inches. Dr. Cooi)er also states that he hiis found this Owl 

 wandering into the barren trei'less deserts east of the Sierra Nevada, where 

 it was freipiently to be met with in the autunni, hiding in the thickets along 

 the streams. It also resorts to caves, where any are to be found. 



Dr. Kennerly met with this bird in the canons west of the Aztec Moun- 

 tains, where they find good places for tlieir nests, which tliey build, in 

 connnon with Crows and Hawks, among tlie precipitous cliffs, — places un- 

 ajjproachable liy tlie wolf and lyn.x. 



On the Atlantic coast tlie Long-earcLl Owl occurs in more or less abun- 

 dance from Nova Scotia to Florida. It is found in the vicinity of Halifax, 

 ace ling to Mr. Downes, and about Calais according to Mr. Boardman, 

 thougii not abundantly in either rcgimi. In Western Maine, and in the rest 

 of New England, it is more common. It has been known to breed at least 

 as far south as Maryland, Mr. VV. M. McLean finding it in IJockville. ^Ir. 

 C. N. Holden, Jr., during his residence at Sherman, in AV -oming Territory, 

 met with a single specimen of this bird. A numlier of Magpies were in the 

 same bush, but did not seem either to molest or to be afraid of it. 



The food of this bird consists chiefly of small quadrupeds, in.sects, and, to 

 some extent, of small birds of various kinds. Audubon mentions finding 

 the stomach of one stuffed with feathei's, hair, and liones. 



The Long-eared Owl appears to nest for the most part in trees, and also 

 frequently to make use of the nests of other birds, such as Crows, Hawks, 

 or Herons. (Jccasionally, however, they construct nests for themselves. Au- 

 dubon speaks of finding such a one near the Juniata liiver, u> PeniLsylvania. 

 This was composed of green twigs with the leaflets adhering, and lined 

 with fresh grass and sheep's wool, but without leathers. Mr. Kennicott 

 sent me from Hlinois an egg of this bird, tiiat had been taken from a nest on 



