230 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



also. Their hooting is heard occasionally in the daytime and 

 continually at night during the whole year. 



Scops teichopsis, Wagi. Mexican 8creech-0wl. — Since leaving 

 Texas I have received, through the kindness of my friend, Mr. J. 

 D. Tracy, a specimen of this owl. Being unable to decide satis- 

 factorily to which form it belonged, 1 sent the example to Mr. 

 Robert Ridgway, who considers that it approches most nearly to 

 the above species or race. On several occasions I saw small owls flitt- 

 ing about in the gloaming, generally about open giadesin the timber. 



Bubo virginianus (Gmel.) Great Horned Owl. — This fine 

 species is not uncommon, but from its dislike to light, causing it 

 to haunt the most impenetrable thickets of the river bottom, it 

 is far more often heard than seen, so that I shot but one example, 

 and saw very few others. They are accused of being very 

 destructive to poultry on timber farms, their large size and 

 strength enabling them to carry away an ordinary-sized hen 

 with ease. They return night after night to the same roost for 

 this purpose. 



Speotyto cunicularia hypog^a (Bonap.) Burrowing Owl. 

 — Occurs not uncommonly during the winter months, lying 

 concealed during the daytime among weeds in dry upland 

 watercourses upon the prairie, and so closely that one almost 

 treads upon them before they will take wing ; nevertheless, they 

 seem to suffer no inconvenience from even the strongest light 

 Their food consists entirely of large insects, such as beetles and 

 grasshoppers. The tarsi of those which I obtained were fully 

 feathered to the toes anteriorly, though sometimes bare pos- 

 teriorly. I have been told of their breeding in the district, but 

 never came across them in summer. 



HiEROFALCO MEXicANUS POLYAGRUS (Cass.) Prairie Falcon. 

 — This fine species is not uncommon from the middle of October 

 to the end of February, frequenting open districts dotted 

 over with a few scattered trees or old stumps, upon the summit 

 of which they take their stand for the purpose of surveying the 

 surrounding country. When by chance they dispossess a kestrel 

 of its regular seat, a most amusing encounter takes place between 

 the birds, the latter, assisted by any others of its species within 

 hearing distance, swooping down with angry cries towards the 



