BIRDS OF MINNESOTA. 209 
denly down into its grassy covert again. Occasionally a 
favored locality will harbor several of them in the tangled 
grass during the day, to gather a harvest of small water-birds 
during the night, as indicated by the feathers in the morning. 
They tear open the breast and eat only that portion, leaving 
the remainder to tell the tale of their distinctive habits. They 
commence flying soon after sunset, and put in their best work 
in hunting before the twilight has disappeared, but if not 
eminently successful during that time, will work still far into 
the night, as is shown by the shallaboo amongst the terns and 
snipe. 
Sticks, reeds, grass and feathers comprise the materials of 
their nests, which are placed on the ground generally, but are 
sometimes found in forsaken burroughs. Four white eggs are 
laid in May. Whether they rear more than a single brood I 
cannot tell, but the young are seen occasionally late enough to 
make it highly probable that they do. 
It is only occasionally taken, and then usually by hunters 
who have little interest in ornithology. However it gets into 
the hands of the taxidermist often enough to prove it fairly 
common in most parts of the State. -Mr. Laurie found it at 
Duluth and Mr. Lewis at Red lake. Mr. Washburn does not 
mention this species in either of his reports from Mille Lacs 
and the Red river valley. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
Ear tufts very short; entire plumage buff or pale fulvous; 
every feather on the upper parts with a wide longitudinal 
stripe of dark brown, which color predominates on the back; 
under parts paler, frequently nearly white on the abdomen, 
with longitudinal stripes of brownish-black most numerous 
on the breast, very narrow and less numerous on the abdomen 
and flanks; legs and toes usually of a deeper shade of the 
same color as the abdomen; quills pale reddish fulvous, at 
their bases, brown at their ends with wide, irregular bands and 
large spots of reddish fulvous; tail pale reddish fulvous, 
with about five irregular transverse bands of dark-brown, 
which color predominates on the two central feathers; under 
tail coverts usually nearly white; throat white; eyes enclosed 
by large spots of brownish-biack; eartufts brown, edged with 
fulvous; bill and claws dark; irides yellow. 
Length (female), 15; wing, 12; tail, 6. 
Habitat, North America. 
