144 



THE CONDOR 



Vol. IX 



cidedly more elongated than any other eggs of the genus Megascops I have seen." 

 Twenty eggs in the writer's collection average 1.17 by 1.43 inches; the smallest 1.12 

 by 1.35 and the two largest 1.15 by 1.53 and 1.21 by 1.50 inches. A set of four 

 mentioned by Davie in his "Nests and Eggs of North American Birds" averages 

 1.21 by 1.49 and contains one egg which measures 1.26 by 1.54, the largest egg I 

 have known of. 



The eggs are laid every other or every third clay and incubation begins as soon 

 as the first egg is deposited. The young are consequently hatched on successive 

 days and it is rare indeed that a brood of owlets is found which does not contain a 

 weakling bird, smaller, more scrawny, in poorer flesh, and with less animation than 

 his brothers and sisters. 



The newly hatched nestlings are covered with a coat of beautiful fine white 

 down, and with their weak, subdued little "cheep" and queer shaped heads are 

 quite attractive little creatures. As they grow" larger and stronger this baby beauty 

 rapidly leaves them, but they still retain the soft and not unmusical quality of 

 voice until they begin to feather out. The young are among the most helpless of 



nestlings and their development in 

 the nest is exceedingly slow. One 

 nest that contairicd three j'oung 

 on April 28th, still contained two 

 birds on May 26th that were fully 

 fledged but could not fly well. 



As soon as the young leave the 

 nest cavity the\^ take to the cotton- 

 wood trees, doing most of their 

 flying at night and remaining per- 

 fectly quiet during the day, and 

 their resemblance to the branches 

 among which they sit (or to an 

 old Oriole's nest) is remarkable. 



The brooding females are very 

 close sitters and it is very seldom 

 that one will leave the eggs with- 

 out being removed by hand. How- 

 ever, if a bird is disturbed fre- 

 quently, she will soon learn to leave the nest as soon as the tree is struck, and 

 will usually disappear from sight in the dense underbrush. When the bird is re- 

 moved by hand and liberated she will usually fly to a nearby limb and voice her 

 displeasure by sharp snapping of the bill and low moans; and with body thrown 

 forward, ear tufts raised and eyes blazing her attitude is very menacing. On one 

 or two instances where incubation was advanced I have known the female to return 

 directl}' to the nest when liberated from the hand. 



The female performs all the duties of incubation, her food being brought to 

 the nest bj^ the male, who, judging from the remains in and around the nest, is at 

 all times a bountiful provider. This gentleman during the process of incubation 

 can usually be found in another cavity not far distant from the nest, which is usu- 

 ally well filled with provisions. He is very careful, however, that no roving orni- 

 thologist shall lay hands on him , and usually the first rap on the tree will bring his 

 little round head to the cavity entrance, and after surveying the intruder for a 

 moment with a surprised expression, clumsily launches himself on the air and with 

 short awkward wing-beats quickly disappears from sight. 



ADULT MALE ROCKY MOUNTAIN SCREECH OWL 



