16 THE O. & O. SEMI-ANNUAL. 
THE BURROWING OWL. 
Speotyto Cunicularia Hy pog ea. 
BY F. T. PEMBER, GRANVILLE, N. Y. 
Having spent the last four seasons collecting on the Pacific 
coast, I have had abundant opportunity to observe the habits of 
the Burrowing Owl during the breeding season. In parts of Cal- 
MP 
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NOTO “ELECTRIC ENG == 
SYRA. Uy,” 
THE BURROWING OWL, 
ifornia, where I have spent considerable time, these interesting 
little owls are very numerous, and a ride of a few miles over the 
uncultivated plains usually shows them by dozens, sitting, either 
singly or in pairs, at the entrance to their underground homes. 
At such times they are very tame and stare wonderingly until you 
are within a few feet of them, when they either drop into the bur- 
row or fly a few rods away. After these short flights they almost 
invariably alight on the mound in front of another burrow, when 
they turn about so as to face you, and at short intervals make a_ 
sharp, un-owl-like note, at the same time comically bowing them- 
selves almost to the ground. It is quite amusing to those who 
see them for the first time. 
