26 
THE WILSON BULLETIN— March, 1922 
ralnietto roots or grass stems broken into short pieces or 
shreds or (c) a combination of these different materials. The 
bulk varied considerably from about a pint to more than double 
that ainonnt. The top of the nest cavity in one instance was 
bnt eight inches below the surface of the gronnd and they varied 
from that depth to not exceeding sixteen inches. One burrow 
ill the preceding season had been dug out for its entire length, was 
nine feet long, 12 to 15 inches deep and a biirrow that we opened 
Avas dug at right angles to and passed under this former burrow. 
A })air of owls were seen standing at their doorway on 
April 8th and on digging we found an unfinished tunnel four feet 
long Avhich Avas Avithin 20 yards of where Ave had dug out a biir- 
roAV four days earlier. In neither instance Avere eggs found. 
This Avas the only information obtained regarding the speed of 
the birds at tlieir excavating and is of course indefinite as to 
actual time engaged at the AAmrk. At an isolated occupied 
bniTOAA" a second excavation Avas found about 15 yards from the 
lioiiie site and Avas evidently being used Avhen found, as fresh 
eartli Avas at the entrance and rejected parts of beetles Avere 
about the oiiening. I l)elieved it to be freshly dug bnt after 
tAvo Aveeks observation it Avas found to be but three feet long 
Avith no nest chamber. I Avas iinable to determine Avhether it 
liad been abandoned earlier as a nesting site or if it might have 
been an extra resort for one of the birds when not brooding 
althongh no other such arrangement Avas seen elsewhere. 
On April 1st at the biirroAV most often visited a broken egg 
shell Avas found on the gronnd a few feet outside the entrance 
and I conclnded the chicks had hatched. 
On April 15th this bnrroAV Avas dug out and found to contain 
three eggs, tAvo of which Avere about two-thirds incnbated and the 
other much fresher. 
Under date of April 15th the folloAving is an extract from 
my note book : Both birds Avere at the entrance when I ap- 
proached. The male (?) fleAV as usual at 50 yards or so; the 
female stood her gronnd Avliile I photographed her at about 
five steps. On digging found the tunnel not over six feet long, 
nearly straight, nest entirely of coAv-dnng, about tAvelve inches 
from surface of gronnd to bottom (of nest cavity). . . . Con- 
tents, three eggs . . . took photos of these eggs in situ. The 
female seemed less shy then Avhen I saAV them on April first and 
I photographed her from three places at about 15 feet distance. 
Several times as she tieAV she ^ tAvittered ’ plaintively and ahvays 
