SCREECH OWL. 



169 



The low, wailing, moaning notes of this Owl are not loud, but their 

 character enables them to be heard a considerable distance 5 they sug- 

 gest, without resembling, those of the common dove. They may be 

 heard at any time from dusk to dawn, and on rare occasions in the 

 daytime. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Toes more or less distinctly feathered or bristled on upper side. Ear 

 tufts conspicuous. Plumage presenting two totally distinct phases, 

 having no relation to sex, age, or season 5 one grayish, the other bright 

 rufous; though birds from the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Slope, 

 south of the northwest coast region, are known only in the gray plum- 

 age. A more or less conspicuous bright-colored stripe runs along each 

 side of the back, and a blackish line along the shafts of the feathers, 

 sometimes throwing out transverse bars. 



Length: 6.50 to 10 inches (165 to 254 mm ) ; extent, 20 to 24 inches (508 

 to 610 mm ); wing, 5.60 to 7.10 inches (142 to 180 l » m ); tail, 3 to 3.70 

 inches (75 to 94 mm ). 



Table showing the results of examinations of 254 stomachs of the Screech Owl 



(Megasco})s asio). 



Locality. 



Date. 



Poultry 

 or game- 

 birds. 



Other birds. 



Mammals. 



Miscellaneous. 



Sing Sing, X. V 



Atlantic vi lie, X. Y. ... 

 Sin° Sin fr X Y 



Aug. 31. 1885 



Dec. 4. 1885 

 Sept. 25, 1886 

 Xov. — , 1886 

 ....do 



do 









Remains of in- 

 sects. 



Do 











Mouse hair 



Washington, D. C 



Do 



Do 



:::::::::: 















Meadow mouse 

 2 white-footed 

 mice. 



Do. 



Do 



....do 









Do. 



Do 



Do 



Do 



....do 



....do 



do 







Tree sparrow . . . 



Mouse hair 



Do. 



Do 

 uo. 



Do 



Do 



Do 



-—do 



....do 



do 





Feathers 







Mouse hair 



Do 





Xov. 20, 1885 

 Xov. 26,1885 

 Oct. 10,1886 



Sept. 11, 1886 

 July 8. 1SSG 



Mar. 12, 1886 

 June 23, 1886 

 Mar. 12, 1887 



Jan. —,1887 

 ....do 











Bergen Count v. N". J.. 

 Alfred Center" X. Y .. 









House mouse ... 

 White- footed 



mouse. 



do 



Grasshopper, 

 crickets, craw- 

 fish. 



Grasshoppers. 



Peterboro, X. Y 





Sparrow 



Amherst, Mass 





Cleveland, Ohio 



East Hartford. Conn .. 









Meadow mouse. 



insects. 









Grasshoppers, 

 larva; of beetles. 



Washington, D. C 



Do 





White-footed 

 mouse : mead- 

 ow mouse. 



2 meadow mice.. 



Do 



- -do 



....do 



Feb. 15. 1887 

 May 28. 1887 

 ...do 











Screech owl 





Do 



do 







Do 



Rockville, Conn 



Do 





Mouse 



Empty. 



Beetle. 



Portland. Conn 



Oct. 22.1886 

 Deo. 23,1886 

 Jan. 7. 1888 

 May 5.1887 

 Feb. 13, 1887 

 Jnly 16, 1886 









Spider. 



Do 

 Lockport, X. Y 



Pigeon . . 









Portland, Conn 









7 May beetles. 



Washington, D. C 



East Hartford, Conn .. 









2 English spar- 

 rows. 



2 pine mice 



... 









