22 
THE WILSON BULLETIN—March, 1922 
the rainy season the owls conld not maintain themselves where 
the young- are reared. That some new bnrrows are made in the 
Spring- I have positive evidence bnt this would naturally follow 
any increase in the popnlation of a colony. Fresh digging at 
an old bnrroAv might indicate honse-cleaning which I believe 
was nsnally the case bnt I was not on hand early enough in 
tlie season to determine as to their place of residence in the 
early winter nor where they put np during the rainy season. 
It is declared by a few people that Steotyto does not excavate a 
home for himself bnt makes use of the bnrrow of the so-called 
Gopher {Testudo Carolina), the rather common highland Tor- 
toise. This is without fonndation in fact so far as my experience 
went. The tAvo animals do not frequent the same sort of en- 
vironment and the character and form of their bnrrows differ 
materially. Of course the “ Happy Family ’’ myth is sometimes 
advanced and Avarnings given of the probable presence of rattle- 
snakes as Avell as of the turtles. Needless to state ueither of 
these co-partners Avas ever seen at or in tlie same sort of sur- 
roundings as AA-ere sought by the oavIs. 
The most striking characteristic of these birds Avas extreme, 
gentle fearlessness. With the first pair nnder intimate in- 
spection the bird believed to l)e the female nsnally ])ermitted my 
approach Avithiu four paces. Not infrequently I Avalked rapidly 
Avithin live or six steps of the entrance to the bnrroAV, Avhere 
this bird sat staring at me with her large clear-yelloAV rings, 
then by sloAAdy moving I conld frequently stand Avithin six feet 
of the bird and carry on a somewhat one-sided conservation, bnt 
Avhich at times Avas responded to AAdth a rather musical, throaty, 
rii)pling trill that resembled the melloAV cnh - cnh - cnh - cnh ’’ 
spring call of the Flicker Avhen heard at a considerable dis- 
tance. The mandibles Avere not seen to move Avhen this call 
Avas made bnt a flutter of the feathers of the throat Avas visible. 
The mate of this friendly bird Avonld fly off Avhen I came Avithin 
about 30 yards of the mound Avhereon the pair Avere nsnally to 
be found. In most of the bnrroAvs observed both birds Avere 
seen at the entrance, and generally Avithin a foot or tAVO of 
each other. 
The first birds Avere seen Febrnary 10th and at their burrow 
no fresh earth had then been thrown out. On Febrnary 23rd 
a colony of six or eight pairs Avas visited and here Avas evidence 
of spring honsecleaning. The old mounds Avere well packed 
doAvn by rains and fresh earth throAvn out. At this time and 
