142 
SHORT-EARED OWL. 
of dry grass, raked together in a slovenly manner, and quite flat, but cover- 
ing a large space, on one side of which were found many pellets, and two 
field-mice, which must have been brought there in the course of the preceding 
night, as they were quite fresh. I should never have discovered' their nest 
had not the sitting bird made a noise by clicking its bill as I was passing 
close by. The poor thing was so intent on her task that I almost put my 
hand on her before she moved ; and then, instead of flying off, she hopped 
with great leaps until about ten yards from me, keeping up a constant click- 
ing of her mandibles. Having satisfied myself as to the species, made an 
outline of two of the eggs, and measured them,' I proceeded slowly to a short 
distance, and watched her movements. Having remained silent and still for 
about ten minutes, I saw her hop toward the. nest, and soon felt assured that 
she had resumed her task. It was my intention to revisit the spot, and take 
note of the growth of the young, but letters which came to me from Phila- 
delphia a few days after, induced me to return thither ; and since then I have 
had no opportunity of examining either the eggs or young of the Short-eared 
Owl. 
On examining the pellets disgorged by this bird, I found them to be formed 
of the remains of bones of small quadrupeds, mixed with hair, and the elytra 
of various coleopterous insects. In its diurnal flight, the flappings of its 
wings are noiseless, as in most other species, and it is apt to sail many yards 
at a time before alighting. Like the rest of the family, when reposing, they 
stand as if crouched on the full length of their tarsi, and the slight crests or 
tufts of feathers on their head are, on such occasions, usually so lowered as 
to be scarcely perceptible. 
Ssort-eared Owl, Strix brachyotos, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. iv. p. 64. 
Strix brachyotos, Bonap. Syn., p. 37. 
Short-eared Owl, Strix brachyotos , Nutt. Man., vol. i. p. 132. 
Short-eared Owl, Strix brachyotos , Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 273. 
Tufts inconspicuous, general colour of plumage buff, variegated with dark 
brown ; eye surrounded by a ring of brownish-black, much broader behind ; 
anterior half of disk white, with the tips black, posterior yellowish ; anterior 
auricular ruff white, posterior yellowish, each feather with an oblong dark 
brown spot ; upper parts buff, longitudinally streaked with dark brown ; 
scapulars and wing-coverts spotted and banded in large patches, many with 
a large yellowish-white spot on the outer web near the end y quills buff, with 
two or three dark brown bands; tail similar, with five broad dark bands, the 
tip yellowish-white ; on the middle feathers the light coloured spaces have a 
brown central patch ; lower parts pale buff, whitish behind, the neck with 
oblong, the breast and sides with linear dark brown streaks; chin, feet, 
abdomen, and lower tail-covcrts unspotted. 
