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THE CONDOR 



Vol. XX 



was watching for mice which the dog might scare up from the bunches of stub- 

 bie and trash. 



As nearly as I could tell from pellets found in the fields and about nests, 

 the food consisted solely of mice. Of these there seemed to be enough to last for 

 years to come, for while drilling or discing mice were nearly always in sight, 

 scampering away from in front of the machines for dear life. No signs of birds 

 were found in any of the pellets. 



Until the present season my acquaintance with this owl has been in Illinois, 

 and limited in that state to the brief period during the winter wmen the birds 

 are to be found commonly in clumps of evergreen trees. I was anxious to find 

 a nest and was correspondingly excited when I stumbled on the first one, on 



Fig. 12. Nest and eggs of Short-eared Owl; Saskatchewan, Canada, May 

 19, 1917. 



May 19. It might better be said that I rode over it, for I was discing in a 640- 

 acre field of stubble with a six horse outfit when an owl suddenly flushed just 

 in front of the horses, and I was so interested in watching the bird fly away 

 that I did not notice the nest until it had been run over. Quickly I examined 

 the nine eggs it contained, and found all but one in perfect condition, the one 

 having a slight crack where a disc blade had grazed it. The nest was merely a 

 hollow, lined with grass, stubble and a few downy owl feathers. Incubation in 

 some of the eggs was about two-thirds advanced, while others were nearly 

 fresh. I continued my work, and on the next day, a Sunday, I visited the spot 

 again to take pictures (see fig. 12) and collect the eggs. 



