SHORT-EARED OWL. 141 



these birds which at that period were to be found in the open prairies of that 

 country, rising from the tall grass in a hurried manner, and zig-zagging for a 

 few yards, as if suddenly wakened from sound sleep, then sailing to some 

 distance in a direct course, and dropping among the thickest herbage. On 

 such an occasion, when I had observed the bird to have thrust itself into a 

 thicket formed of tangled palmettoes, I moved towards it with caution, 

 approached it, and caught it in my hand. I observed, however, that these 

 birds, on being pursued and repeatedly started from the ground, extended 

 their flight so far as to be quite out of sight before alighting. I never started 

 two birds at once, but always found them singly at distances of from twenty 

 to a hundred yards; and although on several occasions as many as three 

 were seen on wing, they having been put up by my companions and myself, 

 they never flew towards each other, but went off in different directions, as if 

 unaware of each other's presence. 



Its predilection for the ground forms a very distinctive peculiarity in the 

 habits of this Owl, as compared with the Long-eared; for although it alights 

 on bushes and trees, this seems more a matter of necessity than of choice; 

 and in this respect it resembles the Barn Owls which I found on Galveston 

 Island. I have never observed it in the act of procuring food, although it 

 appears to see pretty well by da}^, or at least sufficiently to enable it to dis- 

 cover the nature of the spot toward which it removes for security. 



In America, the Short-eared Owl has been observed as far north as lati- 

 tude 67° by Dr. Richardson, who mentions a female having been killed at 

 Fort Franklin, on the 20th of May, containing several pretty large eggs, 

 nearly ready for being laid. It is also an inhabitant of the Rocky Mountains, 

 and of the valley of the Columbia River, from which it has been sent to me 

 by Mr. Townsend; and is by no means scarce in Kentucky, Louisiana, and 

 along the coast as far as the Texas. 



Having so frequently met with many of these birds in an extent of ground 

 not exceeding half a mile, I have been disposed to think, that during the 

 migratory movements of this species, those which follow in the rear of the 

 first, are attracted by their cries, and induced to alight in their vicinity; but 

 of this I have no positive proof, nor have I ever seen them travelling from , 

 one part of the country to another. 



The only nest of this bird that I have found was placed on one of the high 

 mountain ridges of the Great Pine Forest. It contained four eggs, nearly 

 ready to be hatched. They were of a dull bluish-white, covered with excre- 

 ment, of a somewhat elongated or elliptical form, measuring an inch and a 

 half in length, and an inch and an eighth in breadth. The nest, which I met 

 with on the 17th of June, was placed under a low bush, and covered over by 

 tall grass, through which a path had been made by the bird. It was formed 



