SHORT-EARED OWL. 275 



my hand on her before she moved ; and then, instead of flying off, she 

 hopped with great leaps until about ten yards from me, keeping up a 

 constant clicking of her mandibles. Having satisfied myself as to the 

 species, made an outline of two of the eggs, and measured them, I pro- 

 ceeded slowly to a short distance, and watched her movements. Having 

 remained silent and still for about ten minutes, I saw her hop toward 

 the nest, and soon felt assured that she had resumed her task. It was 

 my intention to revisit the spot, and take note of the growth of the 

 young, but letters which came to me from Philadelphia a few days 

 after, induced me to return thither ; and since then I have had no op- 

 portunity of examining either the eggs or young of the Short-eared 

 Owl. 



On examining the pellets disgorged by this bird, I found them to be 

 formed of the remains of bones of small quadrupeds, mixed with hair, 

 and the elytra of various coleopterous insects. In its diurnal flight, the 

 flappings of its wings are noiseless, as in most other species, and it is 

 apt to sail many yards at a time before alighting. Like the rest of the 

 family, when reposing, they stand as if crouched on the full length of 

 their tarsi, and the slight crests or tufts of feathers on their head are, 

 on such occasions, usually so lowered as to be scarcely perceptible. 



Strix brachyotos, Lath. Ind. Omith. vol. i. p. 55. — Gh. Bonaparte, Synopsis of 



Birds of United States, p. 27. 

 Short-eared Owl, Strix brachyotos, Wils. Amer. Omith. vol. iv. p. 64, pi. 33, 



fig. 3, male. 

 Strix brachyota, Short-eared Owl, Svxdns. and Richards. Fauna Bor.-Araer. 



vol. ii. p. 75. 

 Short-eared Owl, NuttaHL, Manual, vol. i. p. 132. 



Adult Male. Plate CCCCXXXII. Fig. 6. 



Bill short, stout, broader than high at the base, compressed toward 

 the end ; upper mandible with its dorsal line slightly curved from the 

 base, towards the end decurved, the ridge broad at the base, narrowed 

 anteriorly, more or less convex in its whole extent, the sides convex 

 toward the tip, the edges soft as far as the nostrils, then sharp and de- 

 curved to the end, the tip acute and descending ; the cere of moderate 

 length, feathered on the sides ; lower mandible straight, its angle very 

 wide, the dorsal line very short, ascending, and slightly convex, the 

 back and sides convex, the edges toward the end sharp and inflected. 



