22 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



the giouiid; aiul, nccordinj,' to liichardsoii, in the lur regions it sometimes lays 

 its eg^s in liiat manner, at other times in the deserted nests of other birds, on 

 low Ijusiies. Mr. Ihitehins speaks of its depositinj^ tliem as early as A])ril. 

 Jiichardson received one found in May ; and another nest was observed, in 

 tlu! same neiyhborliood, which contained three eg,us on the 5th of July. 

 Wilson speaks of tliis Owl as liaving been abundant in his day in tlie vicin- 

 ity of Philadelphia, and of six or seven having been found in a single tree. 

 lie also mentions it as there breeding among the bnmches of tall trees, and 

 in one ])artieular instance as having taken jxisisession of the nest of a t^tiia 

 IJird {Xj/dui riha (janhni), wiiere Wilson found it sitting on four eggs, while 

 one of tiie Herons had her own nest on the same tree. Audubon states 

 that it usually accommodates itself by making use of the abandoned nests 

 of other birds, whether these are built high or low. It also makes \y o of 

 the fissures of rocks, or builds on the ground. 



As tliis Dwl is known to breed early in April, and as numerous instances 

 are given oi' their eggs being taken in July, it is proliable they have two 

 broods in a season. Mr. J. S. Drandigee, of Jierlin, Conn., found a nest 

 er.ly in April, in a hendock-trec, situated in a thick dark evergreen woods. 

 The nest was Hat, made of coarse sticks, and contained four fresh eggs 

 when the ])arent was shot. 



Mr. liidgway found this Owl to be very abundant in the Sacramento Valley, 

 as well as througliout the Great liasin, in both regions inhabiting dense wil- 

 low copses near the streams. In the interior it generally lays its eggs in the 

 deserted nests of the ^Iag])ie. 



The eggs of this Owl, when fresii, are of a brilliant white color, with a 

 slight pinkish tinge, which they preserve even after having been blown, if 

 kei)t from the light. They are of a rounded-oval sha]ie, and obtuse at either 

 end. They vary considerably in size, measuring Ironi 1.G5 to 1.50 inches in 

 length, and from l.;U) to 1.35 inches in breadth. Two eggs, taken I'rom the 

 same nest by liev. C. M. Jones, have the following measurements : one l.til) 

 by l.-'U inches, the other 1.50 by I.oO inches. 



Otus (Brachyotus) brachyotus, Stepii. 



8H0RT-EABED OWL; MAHSH OWL. 



Slrix brachi/ofus, Gmel. Syst. Nat. 289, 1789. — FoiisT. Phil. Trans. LXII, 33-J. — Wil.s. 

 Am. Oiii. 1)1. xxxiii, f. 3. — Aui). liiitls Am. 1>1. cofcx.xxii, 1831. — In. Oin. Iling. V, 

 273. — UiuH. & Swains. F. B. A. II, 75. — lioxAr. Ann. Lyr. N. Y. II, 37. — Tiiomp.s. 

 N. II. Vermont, p. 6C. — Puab. IHrds Mass. ]). 89. U/iihi braclnfofiis, Jamks. (Wii.s.), 

 Am. Orn. 1, 100, 1831. — Nrrr. Man. 132. Oliis bmclnjohis, (Stkwi.) Jaud. (Wils.), 

 Am. Orn. 11,(13, 1832. — I'kai.i;, U. S. Expl. Exp. VIII, 75. — Kaui-, Monog. Strig. 

 Cont. Orn. 1852, 114. — In. Tr. Zoiil. Soc. IV, 1859, 236. — Hud.son, P. Z. S. 1870, 

 799 (habits). Aaio bmchi/otus, SriMCKi,. Oni. Syn. I, 259, 1855. Oliis brachi/otus 

 amvrknniis, Max. Cab. Jour. II, 1858, 27. Srachi/uhin jmluslri.i, HoxAr. List. 1838, 

 p. 7. — Kluuw. in Couiis, K.y, 1872, 204. Olits paludris, (Dauw.) Dk Kay, Zobl. 



