SHORT- EARED OWL. 171 



attempt to attract our attention in order to lure us away from the spot, it 

 was difficult to determine. The eg^s were extremely conspicuous from 

 one side of the heap of rushes when the bird was oft' the nest; but so long 

 as she sat close it might very easily be passed by without notice. Both 

 birds were quite silent the whole time. Joshua told us that when the 

 nest was first found there were seven eggs in it, but that the man who 

 found it had broken one. The eggs were considerably incubated. There 

 was not much attempt at a nest, not more than the Peewit makes. The 

 ground seemed to be trodden into a hollow^ which was lined with a few 

 dry broken reeds and sedges. The reeds were lying in a heap on the 

 ground ; and in the place selected for the nest the thick cut ends slightly 

 overhung the base of the heap and formed some shelter over the nest on 

 one side. We found a second nest on the following day containing six 

 fresh eggs. It was in a part of the marsh where there were very few reeds^ 

 the ground being covered with Car ex and Juncus. This nest was very 

 similar to the one we found on the previous day, and was lined with flat 

 leaves of Carex, with a feather or two, and was surrounded with a few 

 slender willow bushes. The bird made a harsh scream as she flew up, but 

 went right away, and we saw her no more. 



This species lays from four to seven eggs ; and has been said, on the 

 authority of Hutchins, cited by Richardson in the ' Fur-countries of North 

 America,^ to lay as many as ten or twelve. In shape they are scarcely 

 so round as those of the Tawny Owl, and much smaller, creamy white 

 in colour, and possess but little gloss. The eggs may easily be con- 

 founded with those of the Long-eared Owl; and certain specimens are 

 not easy to distinguish from eggs of the Hawk Owl. They measure from 

 r65 to r5 inch in length, and from TBI to 1'2 inch in breadth. 



The Short-eared Owl, like nearly all other Owls and most other Palse- 

 arctic birds which have a wide range, is subject to considerable variation 

 in colour. Besides the typical plumage there are two " phases " of 

 plumage — a light "phase" and a rufous "phase." The word phase, as 

 restricted to the various plumages of the Owls, is a very objectionable 

 one. These so-called phases are climatic races of exactly the same cha- 

 racter as the climatic races of Tits, Nuthatches, Dippers, or Shrikes, and 

 of the same subspecific value. The typical plumage is that of a temperate 

 climate with a moderate allowance of rain and sunshine. The so-called 

 light " phase " is the Arctic plumage, geographically coexistent with, and 

 in all probability produced, either directly or indirectly, by a large allow- 

 ance of sunshine and a small supply of rain. In this plumage the buff 

 ground-colour of the upper parts and of the lower portions of the under- 

 parts is replaced by almost juire white, whilst the brown spots or streaks 

 are darker and greyer than in the typical form. This subspecies, con- 

 nected with the typical form in intermediate climates by intermediate 



