The Flammulated Screech Owl 
Nesting. — Nest: An old nesting hole of woodpecker, or natural cavity in tree. 
Eggs: 2 or 3; white, subspherical. Av. of 3 eggs from Arizona (Huachuca Mts.— 
Willard): 30.48 x 24.64 (1.20 x .97); index 81. Av. of 2 eggs from Utah (Wahsatch 
Mts.—Treganza): 27.1 x 21.08 (1.065 x .83); index 78. Season: About June 1st. 
General Range. —Mountains of western North America from southern British 
Columbia to Guatemala. 
Occurrence in California. —A little-known resident, reported from the moun¬ 
tains of Shasta County (Fort Crook), south, but chiefly in the San Bernardino Moun¬ 
tains. 
Authorities.—Cooper (Scops flammeola), Orn. Calif., 1870, p. 422 (Ft. Crook); 
Belding, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. v., 1883, p. 549 (Big Trees); Grinnell, Univ. Calif. 
Pub. Zook, vol. v., 1908, p. 59 (San Bernardino Mts.). 
IF A MARTIAN in black livery were to sidle up on the dark side 
of our planet, all on a moonless night, to spy upon us, he could scarcely 
keep his business so well concealed as has this ghoulish avian mystery, 
the Flammulated Owl. Yet the Owl is no interloper, but a native son; for 
his race has probably told off more myriad moons in California than Piute 
or Digger or Hueneme. The first example of this species recognized in the 
United States was taken by Lieut. Feilner, a representative of the Smith¬ 
sonian Institute, at Fort Crook, in this State, in i860. So far as Cali¬ 
fornia is concerned, the record remained unique for a quarter of a century, 
when, in 1885, Mr. Frank Stephens took a second specimen in the foothills 
of the San Bernardino range. Since that date five or six occurrences have 
been recorded,—two in the central and northern Sierras, and the remain¬ 
ing three or four in the San Bernardinos. On the 4th of June, 1894, Mr. 
M. French Gilman took a set of two eggs of this kind, at an elevation of 
7500 feet, on the slopes of San Gorgonio Peak; and it is not improbable 
that the Owl is of regular occurrence throughout the higher ranges of 
California. 
The Flammulated Owl has been found nesting in the mountains of 
Arizona and Colorado, and a dozen sets or such a matter taken; but the 
parent birds have almost invariably been killed at sight after the kindly 
fashion of our cult, and little is known of the life history or psychology 
of this little, silent terror of the night. The eggs, three or four in num¬ 
ber, are deposited in old Woodpecker holes, usually at moderate heights; 
and the female is such a close sitter that she requires to be lifted from 
the nest. 
It was Mr. Frank C. Willard, that veteran oologist and astute student 
of bird ways, who first called our attention to a peculiarity of this owl 
which places it in a class by itself. So far as known, the irides of all 
other Owls are yellow, presumably because this color best promotes the 
light-gathering faculty, which is furthered by the facial disk and other 
mo 
