PYGMY OWL G. PASSERINUM VAR. CALIFOKNICUM. 317 



The food of this interesting little Owl, wliicli is not so large as a Eobin, 

 though it appears bulkier, consists chiefly of insects. Its nesting, ac- 

 cording to Wilson and Audubon, is various: sometimes it builds in the 

 brauiihes of trees, while at other times it will occupy the deserted nests 

 of other birds, or lay in a hollow tree. The eggs are pure white, sub- 

 sphericid, of -crystalline clearness, measuring 1^ inches by 1 J- inches. 



Mr. Gentry informs me of a curious circumstance in regard to this 

 Owl. deferring to the association of the Burrowing Owl of the West 

 with the prairie-dog, ho continues : "In the hollow of an oak-tree, not 

 iiir irom Germantown, lives an individual of the common chickaree 

 nquirrel {Sciurus hudisonius), with a si)ecimen of this little Owl as his 

 sole companion. They occupy the same hole together in perfect har- 

 mony and mutual good-will. It is not an accidental tempoi'ary associa- 

 tion, for the bird and the squirrel have repeatedly been observed to 

 eater the same hole together, as if they had always shared the apart- 

 ment. But what benefit can either derive from the other ? " 



While speaking of this small species, it may not be amiss to mention 

 some other little Owls of this country. Small as it is (the specimen above 

 mentioned measured only 7^ inches long, with an extetit of 19 inches, 

 the wing 5J- inches, the tail 2J inches), it surpasses several pygmies 

 found on the west coast and southward. The Pygmy Owl, Glaiicidium 

 passerinum var. calif or nicum. of the whole Pacitic region, is the most 

 abundant and best known of these. A closely allied Mexican species 

 of the same genus, and of about the same size [G. ferrnyineum), has' 

 lately been detected in Arizona by Lieut. G. Bendire, U. S. Armj'. His 

 specimen gave the first intimation of its presence in the United States, 

 as I stated in the American S"aturalist, vol. vi, p. 370. It will be found 

 fully described iu the "Bley," p. 206. Another, still smaller, and very 

 curious lilliputian Owl, was discovered at Fort Mojave, Arizona, by Dr. 

 J. G. Cooper, and has more recently been observed at Mazatlan and on 

 the island of Socorro, by Col. A. J. Grayson. It is the type of a new 

 genus [ instituted in 1866, calling it Micratliene irJiitncyi. This species 

 is only about six inches long, has the tarsi nearly bare, and isotherwise 

 peculiar. [ have the following accounts to present of these two species 

 from my x^rizona Mss. : 



PYGMY OWL.* — G. passerinum var. californicum, [Sol.) Bidgio. 



* The followiug is the syuouymy of this species : 



a. paaserlnnm. 

 Strix jMs-ierina, LiXN., Svst. Nat. i, 17Gfi, 133. — Eetz., Fii. .Siiec. 88. — Gji., Syst. N,it. i, 



1788, 296.— Latu., lud. Orn. i, 1790, 05.— NiLSS., Oi'u. Suec. i, 69, pi. 3'.— ViBllx., 



Euc. Metb. iii, 1285.- Gould, B. Eur. pi. 50.— Degl., Oru. Euv. i, 136; and of 



authors generally. 

 Glaucidhim passeiiinim, BoiE, Isis, 1820, 976. — Bp., List, 1838, 6; Cat. Ucc. Eur. 22 ; 



Consp. Av. i, 18.50, 36.— Brehm, V6g. Deutschl. 108.— Sn. & Dr., B. Eur. pt. iii. 

 Siirnia pnsscrina, Keys & BL.i.S., Wirb. liur. 1840, 'ii. 

 Mirroptt/iix passeiiiiiim, Kadp, Mon. Strig. Cent. Oru. 1852, 107. 

 Athene passcriria, Ghay, Gen. of B. i, 1845, 35. 

 Nocfna passerUm. Schl., M. P.-B., Strir/es, 1862, 41. 

 Stri.r pusillu, DAun., Tr. Oru. 1800, 20,5 (« Li'VuiUant). 



Str'ix pygmna, Bechst., Nat. Dentschl. iv, 1805, 978, pi. 24.— Meyek, Taschenb. i, 83. 

 Noclua pygmwa, Shaw. Gen. Zool. vii, 63. 

 Strix aeadica, Temji., Man. i, 1820, 96 (not of Gmelin). 

 " Athene africana, Guay," Bp., Consp. Av. i, 1850, 36 (under G. passerinum). 



b. californicum. 

 (?) "Strix elata, N.vrr., Mus. Vindob." apud Bp., Cons],. Av. i, 1850, 36. 

 (?) Glaitcidiiim elata, Bp., Consp. Av. i, 18.50, 36 (" Siniilis S. passerinm, sed canda longiori;" 



most probably this form ; Mexico). 

 Strix passerinoides, AuD., Orn. Biog. v, 1839, 271, pi. 432 (not of Temminck). 



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