BIRDS OF PREY 179 



Geographical Distribution : Western North America through the timbered 

 regions, from British Columbia to Mexico ; not in the humid coast 

 district. 



Breeding Range: Throughout its habitat. 



Breeding Season : April 20 to June 15. 



Nest : In deserted woodpeckers' holes. 



Eggs : 4 ; white. 



The Pygmy Owl is a tenant of old woodpeckers' 

 holes all through the San Bernardino Mountains. Early 

 in May it may be seen sitting close beside its mate near 

 the trunk of a pine tree, looking somewhat like a huge 

 pine cone wrong end up. It is a very love-sick wooer, 

 and the indifference of petite Madame Owl is, we are all 

 convinced, only feigned. All the soft, purring love notes 

 may come from the throat of the male, but after lying 

 concealed and listening for hours at different times, I 

 felt certain that it was a conversation in which both took 

 part. The home of this pair was in a charred tree-trunk 

 next to the pine in which they used to sit morning and 

 evening. They were so chubby that it seemed to me the 

 doorway must be too small ; but evidently it suited, for 

 on May 20 there were four white eggs in it, and from 

 that time on Madame Owl was a devoted mother. I 

 watched closely but never saw the male go to the nest 

 between 7 a. m. and 5 p. m. As soon as the sun's 

 brightest rays were gone, he would call softly from the 

 pine, and soon a small brown head appeared in the 

 round doorway. After a moment of sleepy winking and 

 blinking at the great sun sinking behind the trees, the 

 head would come farther out of the nest hole, followed 

 by the plump brown body, and the next instant there 

 were two in that old pine tree. It was comical to watch 



