ISO 



XoKTii American Birds Eggs. 



377a. American Hawk Owl. Siiniiii iituld i a/iKcn ''i. 



Ranne. — Northern North AnuniiM. liroeding from theeeiitnil portions of British 

 Anu'ril-a, iiorthwanl. probrtbly also hrei'ds in the Hoeky :M nmrnins in thenortli- 

 ern tier of states ami easually farther. 





(lead tr 



W'liiti'. 

 ee, 15 feet front 



the ij'r 



This handsome mottled and barred, s'n'.v and 

 hlaek owl might readily be mistaken for a Hawk, 

 beeanse of Ins Hawk-like appearanee and loni; 

 ronnded tails. They are very active birds, especial- 

 ly in the day time, for they are more diurtial than 

 nocturnal: their food is mostly of small rodents, 

 and also small birds. They nest either in the tops 

 of large tir trees, in hollows of stumps, or, in some 

 cases, upon the ground. When in trees their nests 

 are made of twigs, leaves and weeds, and sometimes 

 lined with moss and feathers: they lay from three 

 to eight white eggs, size l.ot> x l.l'O. l^ata. — Lab- 

 rador. May ;i. 18!Ht. 5 eggs. Nest in the top of a 

 unul. Collector. E. H. Montgomery. 





378. Burrowing Owl. Spr ifjito ni iiiciihirid lii/pof/.-Ki. 



Range. — Western North .\merica from the ilississippi 

 \'alley west to California: north to the southern parts of 

 British America and south to Central America. 



These peculiar birds are wholly different in vilumage, 

 form anil habits from any other .Vmerican Owls. They 

 can readily be recognized by their long, slender and 

 scantily feathered legs. Their plumage is brownish, 

 spotted with white above, and white, barred with brown ". 



below: length 1(1 inches. They nest, generally in large 

 communities in burrows in the ground, usually deserted IWliite.l 



Prairie Hog holes. While generally but a single pair occupy one burrow, as 

 many as twenty have been found nesting together. Sometimes the burrows are 

 unlined, and again may have a carpet of grasses ami feathers. Their whiteeggs 

 generally number from six to ten: size l.lT) x l.lUl. Data. — Sterling, Kans., 

 May 7, ISlllt. 5 esrgs. Nest of bits of dry dung at the end of a ileserted I'rairie 

 Dog burrow. Collector, C. C. Cantwell. 



378a. Florida Burrowing Owl. Siiciifi/to cii nii'iilnrin ll(irithi))(i. 



liange. — Local in the interior of Florida. 



Like the last, but slightly smaller and paler, and with the tarsus less feathered 

 Their habits or eggs ilo not differ from the vireceiling. 



