The Long-eared Owl 
parenthetically, your 
Magpie is evidently ex¬ 
actly up to that game, 
even if the stupid man 
failed to play to his lead. 
The illusion of this 
decoy ruse (whose fur¬ 
ther psychology I leave 
who will to explicate) 
was most complete; and 
even inside knowledge 
of the facts could not 
lessen the wonder how 
the Owl could so per¬ 
fectly reproduce the 
shrieks of former 
victims. 
The Long-eared 
Owl enjoys a high repu¬ 
tation as a mouser, and 
has been passed with 
honor by the examining board of governmental 
experts. He does occasionally prey on birds, but there can be no question 
of his over-balancing services. Most especially this milder-toothed and 
very fascinating fowl deserves to be distinguished from his dread cousin, 
the Great Horned Bubo. 
■m 
ANOTHER ALARMED 
VIEWER 
Taken near 
Photo by D. 
San Diego 
R. Dickey 
No. 212 
Short-eared Owl 
A. O. U. No. 367. Asio flammeus (Pontoppidan). 
Description. — Adults: Ear-tufts very short—scarcely noticeable; entire plumage, 
except facial disc, nearly uniform buff, ochraceous-buff or cream-buff, striped or mottled 
with dark brown,—heavily above and on breast, the stripes becoming more narrow on 
belly and disappearing altogether on legs and crissum; edge of wing white; the wing- 
quills and tail-feathers broadly barred with brownish dusky; the facial disc gray 
centrally, with black around each eye and on the bridge. Bill and toe-nails dusky blue; 
eyes yellow; ear-opening enormous, but fully concealed. Immature: Dark brown with 
ochraceous tips above; brownish-black face, and unstriped underparts. Length 
355.6-406.4 (14.00-16.00); wing 304.8-330.2 (12.00-13.00); tail 139.7-158.8 (5.50-6.25); 
bill from cere 17.2 (.68); tarsus 44.5 (1.75). Adult female larger than male. The 
preceding measurements include both sexes. 
I08 7 
