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Dr. Newberry met with it throughout Oregon and California ; Dr. Cooper found it on the Great 

 Spokane Plain, in Washington Territory ; Dr. Heermann observed it abundantly in the Suisun 

 and Napa valleys of California ; and I have received examples from Vancouver's Island. Mr. Dall 

 met with it in the Aleutian islands, and says that it is resident on Unalashka. In South America 

 it is also very widely distributed, and is found as far south as Chili and La Plata ; and Captain 

 Abbott met with it in the Falkland Islands. He writes (Ibis, 1861, p. 152) respecting its 

 occurrence there as follows : — " This is a scarce bird in East Falkland. It breeds in the long 

 grass, as I have been informed ; but I never found a nest. At Port Louis this species comes 

 about near the houses at night in quest of mice ; but I have never seen them near the town of 

 Stanley." Mr. E. C. Reed records it (Ibis, 1874, p. 83) from Juan Fernandez. 



It occurs on the Sandwich Islands ; but the Short-eared Owl of the Galapagos Islands (Asio 

 galapagensis, Gould) is certainly a distinct and fairly separable form, differing in having the 

 upper parts very much more rufous, and the markings darker and larger ; and the underparts are 

 more rufous, darker, and more striped, the legs being conspicuously striped ; and on the lower 

 abdomen are a few cross bars as well as stripes. 



Unlike the Long-eared Owl, the present species frequents the open moors and not the woods, 

 and during passage especially it is often met with in fields, either in stubbles, grass, or in turnip- 

 fields. It appears doubtful if, as a rule, it hunts after its prey during the daytime ; but when 

 flushed it flies off buoyantly, to all appearance in no way incommoded by the glare of the sun. 

 It is said, however, during dull weather to hunt during the day and to catch small birds ; but, as 

 a rule, it is chiefly nocturnal in its habits, during the daytime i-emaining hidden in the open 

 country, and especially in fields where there is cover, either high grass or turnips. Thus it is 

 often flushed and shot by sportsmen when out Partridge-shooting. Its flight is buoyant, and 

 somewhat Gull-like ; and it is said to be one of the swiftest of the Owls on the wing. Its call- 

 note, which it utters when on the wing, is a shrill, clear, not unpleasant cry, like the syllables 

 keaw, Jceaw. 



The food of this Owl consists chiefly of small mammals, especially field-mice, of small birds, 

 coleopterous insects of various kinds ; and it is said occasionally to attack and kill birds almost as 

 large as itself. Indeed Mr. Low, in his ' Fauna Orcadensis,' says that in a nest of the present 

 species found by him at Hoy were the remains of a Red Grouse and two Plovers, besides the feet 

 of several others. In Scandinavia it follows the flocks of Lemmings, and renders good service in 

 thinning their numbers, as it also does with us in keeping down the field-mice, and especially the 

 moles, of which it devours large numbers. 



The nest of the present species is always on the ground, and consists merely of a depression, 

 either without any formal lining, or else lined with a little grass loosely collected together. It 

 is usually placed amongst the grass or reeds, or in the heather on a moor, either under a little 

 bush or else concealed amongst the grass. The eggs, four in number, are white, and smooth 

 in the texture of shell, somewhat elongated in shape, but smaller in size than those of the Long- 

 eared Owl. Specimens in my collection average Iff by 1 J^ inch in size. 



It appears that in seasons when food is very abundant, as for instance when the Lemmings 

 make their periodical irruptions, the present species lays more than the normal number of eggs. 

 Dr. Printz found a nest on the 13th June, 1866, with eight eggs ; and Mr. Wolley obtained seven 



