No. 516] SHORTER ARTICLES AXD COR li E S POX I) E XC E i"55 



to me to note that the horses were invariably frightened by the 

 "rattle," for in thinking of my own experience I have often 

 considered that perhaps my observations wore somewhat preju- 

 diced that rattlesnakes are so popularly supposed to occupy the 

 holes with the owls. The observations which Loomis records 

 here were for an adult bird, while mine were upon the young. 



A burrow was dug out and a nest of eight young secured. 

 When taken from the burrow, and with great frequency, these 

 young birds— still in the downy condition— made this sound. 

 As 1 remember it. this occurred every time they were disturbed. 

 These birds were taken in Cheyenne or Rawlins County, Kansas, 

 while Loomis 's observations were made in Wyoming. Loomis 

 seems to regard the note as peculiar to the one individual be 

 observed, for he writes: 



of great value will be formed. 



AYhether the prairie-dog owl generally has this note I am quite 

 unprepared to .say. but my observations in northwestern Kansas 

 indicate that it is not an individual peculiarity. It is so easy to 



toward such suggestions should always be very critical; whether 

 the note described is ever of any service to the bird would be a 

 difficult problem for a field ornithologist. It would be interest- 

 ing to know whether notes of this kind are peculiar to the prairie- 

 dog owl, or whether they are also heard in species which have no 

 possible association with the rattlesnake. Some one familiar with 



J. Arthur Harris. 



