Jan., 1919 NESTING OF SHORT-EARED OWL 25 
elose either young or old birds, nor did the nest look as if it had been occupied 
for several days. It seemed almost certain that the old birds had carried off the 
young, perhaps on account of my weekly visits, probably to a new hunting 
ground. The only thing I am sure about, however, is that the young birds did 
not fly themselves, as their wings could not have been feathered enough, nor had 
they the strength. This nest was on what was practically an island formed by 
the sloughs so that no passerby could have been within several hundred yards 
of it. 
In summing up briefly the knowledge gained by my visits to this owl’s nur- 
sery, certain items stand out prominently. These are the small sets laid, appar- 
Fig. 9. SECOND NEST FOUND. YOUNG THREE WEEKS OLD. 
Photo by J. H. Bowles. 
ently, by the owls on this side of the mountains, the open sites selected for nest- 
ing, and the fact of the parent birds catching and feeding small birds to their 
young. I hate to accuse them of this, but the truth must come out. Another 
very striking thing was the manner of flight of the parent birds at times after 
the young were hatched. They would fly to a height of perhaps a quarter of a 
mile overhead and then sail about on motionless wings, precisely like a Buteo. A 
casual observer would never have suspected for a moment that they were owls. 
Altogether, while no specimens were added to the collection, a most interesting 
fund of information was gathered for our note books. 
Tacoma, Washington, August 3, 1918. 
