34 
STRIX CUNICULARIA. 
large as those of the dove. When the young are onl? 
covered with down, they frequently ascend to tk 
entrance to enjoy the warmth of the sun, but, as soo 1 ' 
as they are approached, they quickly retire into tk 
burrow. 
The note of our bird is strikingly similar to the orj 
of the marmot, which sounds like cheh, click, pronounce' 1 
several times in rapid succession ; and, were it not th>' 
the burrowing owls of the West Indies, where 
marmots exist, utter the same sound, it might be intern" 
that the marmot was the unintentional tutor to tk 
young- owl : this cry is only uttered as the bird begh 1 ' 
its bight. Vieillot states, that the burrowing o'* 
inhabiting St Domingo sometimes alights on fartf 1 
houses at night, and produces a note which resemble 
that of the syllables huo, hoo, oo, oo; but has he n 0 ’ 
mistaken a nocturnal species for it in this case? 
The food of the bird we are describing appears f 
consist entirely of insects, as, on examination of $ 
stomach, nothing but parts of their hard wing-caSfl 
were found. The authors we have quoted, inform U* 
that, in Chili and St Domingo, the burrowing owls ah 1 ' 
feed on rats, mice, and reptiles, which we cannot suppo^ 
to he the case with the bird found in the United State- 4 
as our explorers never could discover the slightest reask 
for believing that they preyed on the marmots, who** 
dwellings they invade. 
Throughout the region traversed hy the America* 1 
Expedition, the marmot was unquestionably the artific^ 
of the burrow inhabited hy the owl, while the testimoi'/ 
of Vieillot is equally conclusive that the owl digs & 
himself when he finds no burrow to suit his purpose' 
but, preferring one already made, his fondness for tk 
prairie dog villages is readily explained. 
Whether only a single species of burrowing o'*' 
inhabits the vast continent of North and South Ameri$ 
or whether that of Chili mentioned by Molina, that " 
St Domingo described hy Vieillot, and the owl of tk 
western American territory, he distinct, though closed 
allied species, can only be determined by accuf" f ‘ 
