1881.] Votes on the Breeding of a few Western Birds. 209 
still better field. And although not in the field as much as I 
could have desired, the results of my collections amply repaid 
me, and intimated how much more could be developed by con- 
tinuous and extended search. 
The hawks are very numerous in the vicinity of Los Angeles, 
Cal., and are represented by many species, the most common of 
which is the western red-tail hawk (Buteo montanus). This 
large and beautiful hawk is very little different from its eastern 
congener, the B, borealis, being slightly larger and with some dif- 
ferences in markings. Its nests and eggs are scarcely distinguish- 
able from those of the eastern species: the nest in situation, how- 
ever, is more accessible and less concealed, owing to the scant and 
low growth of timber. This consists of sycamore, cottonwood, 
and oak trees of several varieties, and does not offer the protec- 
tion of our eastern and northern forests. Another western 
variety of an eastern species, the western red-shouldered hawk 
( Buteo elegans), is quite common, and several nests were observed, 
one in a willow tree not twenty feet from the ground, was quite 
thickly lined with pappus from the willow, which was likewise 
scattered about the nest generally. The eggs, three in number, 
were similar to those of the Eastern species, being of a dusky 
white ground color, marked with large red blotches. The brown 
hawk (Buteo insignatus), is not rare, although not seen so often 
as either of the former, owing to its frequenting quiet secluded — 
places. A pair of these birds took possession of an old last year’s 
nest which I had examined once and found old and deserted, and, 
after slightly repairing the inside, and lining it with green mistle- 
toe, proceeded to lay their eggs. Riding by the nest shortly after, 
I observed the bird sitting on it and secured both bird and eggs; 
the latter, three in number, of a faint greenish white tinge, and 
marked with a few large, dark red blotches around the larger end. 
Out of the many other varieties of hawks, some of whith I could 
not determine, I did not succeed in finding any breeding, except- 
ing the little sparrow hawk ( 7innunculus sparverius ), which is 
everywhere abundant, and whose eggs are familiar all over the’ 
country. 
Among the owls, the great horned owl (Budo virginianus Vat. 
pacificus ), is quite common and I found several nests rather late, 
and all with young birds in. The barn owl (Si pratincola), 
together with the long-eared owl (Otus wilsonianus), 1 found 
