so great an extent that it is of great service to the agriculturist. Dr. Fisher says: 

 "In summer and fall, when grasshoppers and crickets are exceedingly abundant 

 on the western plaine, the Burrowing Owl feeds almost exclusively on such food. 

 Like the sparrowhawk, this little Owl will chase and devour grasshoppers until 

 its stomach is distended to the utmost." It is rare and only when pressed for 

 food that it attacks and kills other birds. 



Dr. C. S. Canfield gives the following account of its nesting habits : ''I once 

 took pains to dig out a nest of the Burrowing Owl. I found the burrow was 

 about four feet long and the nest was only about two feet from the surface of 

 the ground. The nest was made in a cavity of the ground, of about a foot in 

 diameter, well filled with dry, soft horse-dung, bits of an old blanket and the fur 

 of a coyote that I had killed a few days before. One of the parent birds was on 

 the nest, and I captured it. It had no intention of leaving the nest, even when 

 entirely uncovered with shovel and exposed to the open air. It fought bravely 

 with beak and claws. I found seven young ones, perhaps eight or ten days old, 

 well covered with down, but without any feathers. The whole nest, as well as 

 the birds, swarmed with fleas. It was the filthiest nest I ever saw. There were 

 few birds that carry more rubbish into the nest than the Burrowing Owls, and 

 even the vultures are not more filthy." In this nest Dr. Canfield found scraps of 

 dead animals, both of mammals, snakes and insects. 



Major Bendire believes that when these Owls are once mated they are paired 

 for life. He also likens their love note, which is heard about sundown, to the 

 call of the EngHsh cuckoo. He says that it is "a mellow, sonorous and far-reach- 

 ing 'coo-c-oo,' the last syllables somewhat drawn out, and this concert is kept up 

 for an hour or more. These notes are only uttered when the bird is at rest, sit- 

 ting on the little hillock surrounding the burrow. While flying about a chatter- 

 ing sort of note is used and when alarmed a short shrill 'tzip-tzip.' When 

 wounded and enraged it utters a shrill scream and snaps its mandibles rapidly 

 together, making a sort of rattling noise, throws itself on its back, ruffles its 

 feath.ers and strikes out vigorously with its talons, and with which it can inflict 

 quite a severe wound." 



745 



