BURROWING OWL, 



195 



The eggs are usually five to eight in number, though sets of eleven have 

 been taken. When a nest exists, for the eggs are sometimes placed on 

 thebare earth, it is usually composed of a small quantity of grass or finely 

 broken cow or horse dung, and is situated at the end of the burrow in 

 a somewhat enlarged chamber. The distance from the entrance of 

 course depends on the individual burrows, which vary from 4 to 10 feet 

 in length. A nest which Mr. Kidgway dug out, was situated 8 feet from 

 the entrance and 4 feet below the surface. (U. S. Geol. Explor. of the 

 Fortieth Paral., King, vol. iv, 1877, p. 574.) 



DESOEIPTION. 



Lower leg more than twice as long as middle toe and about half as 

 long as tail. Above, earthy brown, with buff'y spotting and barring. 

 Below, ground color, distinctly bufify, feathers covering base of lower 

 surface of tail unspotted. 



Length: 9 toll inches (228 to 280"'""); extent, 22.50 to 23.50 inches 

 (572 to 597"°'); wing, 5.80 to 7.20 inches (147 to 183'"'"); tail, 3.15 to 

 3.50 inches (80 to 89'"'"k 



Table showing the results of examinations of SZ stomachs of the Burrowing Owl 

 {Speotyto cunicularia hypogwa). 



Locality. 



Date. 



Poultry 



or game 



birds 



other birds. 



Mammals. 



Hiscellaneons. 



Tort Buford, N. Dat . . 



Wayne County, Nebr. 



Do 



Pierce County, Nebr. 

 Do 



Do. 



Wayne County, Nebr. 

 Sydney, Cheyenne 



'County, Nebr. 

 0£alalla,Keilh County, 



Iflebr. 



Do 



Woodland, Cal. 



Pierre, S. Dak. . 

 Do 



Eeeder, Kans . - . 

 Cheyenne, Wyo . 



Do. 

 Do. 



Phoenix, Ariz . 

 Do 



Albuquerque, N". Mex. 



Big Butte, Idaho . 



DelEio, Tex. 



Verde Valley, Ariz. 



Sept. 29, 

 June — , 

 ....do.. 



1887 

 1868 



.do. 

 • do. 

 .do. 



July—, 

 June — , 



Sept. — , 



.. ..do.. 



May 24, 



May 21, 

 May 30, 



1875 

 1876 



1886 



1888 

 1888 



July—, 

 Aug. 21, 



Aug. 23,: 

 ....do... 



May 7, 

 May 9, 



1888 

 1R88 



1889 

 1889 



July 16, 1889 



July 18, 1890 



Jan. 31, 



Aug. 6, 



1890 

 1881 



Prairie dog . 



Mouse'. 

 Mouse . 



Grasshoppers. 

 62 insects. 

 Lizard, 30 in- 

 sects. 



49 locusts, 17 



other insects. 



46 locusts, 10 



other insects. 



54 locusts, 8 



other insects. 



65 insects. 



59 locusts, 3 



other insects. 



51 locusts, 12 



other insects. 



58 locusts, 4 



other insects. 



4 grasshoppers, 



6 other insects. 



Beetle. 



o grasshoppers, 

 7 crickets, 2 

 beetles. 

 Grasshopper, 

 other lnsei.ts. 

 10 grasshoppers, 

 45 beetles, otli- 

 erinsects. 

 35 grasslioppers, 

 20 beetles, etc. 

 15 grasshoppers, 



6 beetles. 

 Insect remains. 

 Scorpion, crick- 

 ets, beetles. 

 20 beetles, 2 

 crickets, Icen- 

 tiped. 

 Insects, scorpi- 



iins. 

 Small insects. 

 Grasslioppers. 



