202 



THE OOLOGIST. 



very common. A nest of the former 

 was discovered the latter part of 

 March. It Avas on a high cliflf and con- 

 tained six eggs. These are all the most 

 common residents that occur here. 



The breeding j^laces are as follows: 

 Flathead Lake and vicinity, the main 

 valley, Stillwater, Ashley, White-tish, 

 Pleasant and Wolf Creeks, Flathead 

 River and its feeders; also Big Fork 

 and Swan Lakes. The latter, I have 

 been told, is the breeding place of 

 Swans, Loons, Sand-hill Cranes and 

 thousands of ducks and water-fowl. 



Island Lake, Loon Lake, Little Bitter 

 Root Lake, McDonald's and White-fish 

 Lakes and many marshes and swamps 

 are famous nesting i)laces. Thus the 

 collector can see what a rich and wide 

 field, that has not been troubled by the 

 "egg-crank" as yet, can be worked 

 over. True, it is a country that is very 

 wild and inhabited by large game and 

 the red man, but there is no fear from 

 either of these, and the country is a 

 beautiful and a healthful one and easily 

 reached; though its trails are, as 

 Horace Greely expressed it, "only 

 known to the trapper and the guide." 

 G. E. Pkingle, 

 Missoula Co., Montana. 



The Owls of the San Bernardino Valley. 



What is the matter with the Owls 

 lately that we don't hear anything of 

 them? Is it because it is not their sea- 

 son? If it is, you will excuse me for 

 these few random notes. 



Well, to begin, there are six species 

 of the "Owl Family" that nest in the 

 San Bernardino Valley, to my knowl- 

 edge. Of these the Western Horned 

 and the Spotted are strangers to me. 

 The other four are enumerated below. 



American Barn Owl, {S. pratincola) 

 tolerably common. This bird is not 

 very particular about its nesting place, 

 but usually selects some hollow tree or 



snag; although I have known them to 

 nest in burrows dug in a sand-bank, 

 occupying the same nest year after 

 year. 



The eggs are betATeen round and 

 oval, i^lain white, usually covered with 

 dirt and stains from the nest as the 

 birds are, ))y no means, cleanly in their 

 habits. 



American Long Eared Owl, {Asio 

 wilsonianus) common. Nests mostly in 

 old crow or rat nests and sometimes in 

 hollow trees. 



This Owl has a rather weird appear- 

 ance, especially so when one is passing 

 through a dark patch of timber, and, 

 on looking up, his eye falls on one of 

 these fellows with long ears and large 

 eyes, staring him full in the face. 



The eggs of the Long Eared are from 

 three to six in number, usually four. 

 As a rule they approach more of an 

 oval shape than those of the Barn Owl; 

 they are also much smoother and 

 cleaner. 



California Screech Owl, {Megascops 

 asio bendirei) rare. Nests in cavities of 

 trees. All the eggs I have taken of this 

 species were from nicely rounded cavi- 

 ties about two feet deep. 



The eggs are white and nearly round. 

 Average size, 1.16 x 1.40 inches. 



Burrowing Owl, {Sjieolyto cunicula- 

 ria hypogoea) abundant. This is a bird 

 that loves the open prairie, I suppo '^ 

 on account of the "fresh air." 



A curious habit of this bird is to sit 

 l)y its hole and watch you as you pass, 

 nearly twisting its head off, rather than 

 to step around; and occasionally giving 

 you a nod but receiving none in return. 



There is one habit of this Owl that I 

 have never seen, and never expect to, 

 and that is their keeping company with 

 rattlesnakes. 



The eggs are nearly round and plain 

 white. Size about 1. x 1.23 inches. 

 Harvey M. Hall, 

 Riverside, Cala. 



