Pennock, on Burrowing Owl 
25 
hop, S' were resorted to or a combination flying-hop would some- 
times hasten the departure when but a short distance was sought. 
On my second visit to this pair a slender green snake, recently 
killed, was found lying extended on the inclined entrance to 
the burrow with neck and head crushed. This was the only 
evidence 1 ever detected of anv food other than beetles being eaten 
by these owls. 
It may be worth recording that the feathers of two birds 
taken were strongly scented with the oder of skunk and the 
little “Civet Cat” Spotted Skunk (tfpiloqale pvtorins) is said 
to be numerous throughout the region. 
Their stomachs were found to be. filled with the softer parts 
of four beetles and the wings were to be seen discarded about 
the entrance to the burrows and no pellets were ever found. I 
was not able to determine whether or not they fed at night. 
The birds have keen vision in the brightest sunlight and a 
“ wild ” bird when once alarmed will sometimes take flight when 
approached at a distance of 40 or 50 yards. 
The nesting sites as stated were always in the open — entirely 
removed from any trees or bushes, grass and palmetto roots 
serving as an aid to prevent the very sandy soil from caving in 
on the burrows. The burrows descended quickly in an abrupt 
incline, usually from the summit of the mound which in most 
instances was six to eight inches higher than the surrounding 
ground and frequently two feet or more across the base. The 
opening was rather oval in form, seven to eight inches in the 
perpendicular and four to five inches across contracting towards 
the lower end of the incline and becoming more circular with 
a diameter of from four to five inches, the exact size being 
difficult to determine on account of the crumbling nature of the 
soil. From entrance to nesting chamber the burrows we ex- 
cavated varied in length from five and one-half to nine feet and 
the length was usually carried in a rather direct line but two 
at least had decided angles in their courses while another had 
two turns, one of which was almost a right angle. 
The depth of a burrow was greatest so far as could be de- 
termined at or near the foot of the entrance incline, then with 
but little variation until near the nesting chamber when there 
was an appreciable rise. The cavity for the nest was a rather 
spherically formed chamber making the end of the burrow and 
eight to nine inches in diameter. The nest was a bed composed 
(a) of dry cow-dung broken into small pieces or (b) dry grass or 
