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AT - is ~ “er » = } Ay q } . ae ‘ = { : } t i Q : j q gi A = @ m4 ww. —_ SS Ne b P 7 t , "a -: ee a a ene 5 er , + | >» . mS 2 Fee F f , “ & he at a a - — ‘ as . | eames > < “ied uy ‘ 1’ eV ARS SAAR . ana | JST 4 tas a ae 7 ; 1 ; ‘ | a ‘ ee oe = & NARA ALANA DBI RARE —— — * Ad - es | > s ° si ae HAWKS AND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY AND MAMMALOGY | oo BULLETIN No. 3 : THE - Aanvoman toe | & - = ae OS ps OFTHE / =S)\ SG @ rem of. peace pues 4 Cy) fei: be ¥ z 7 te y ue ri IN THEIR RELATION TO AGRICULTURE PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF Dr. C. HART MERRIAM, OrNITHOLOGIST BY AS ie FES ELLER, M.D. : ASSISTANT ORNITHOLOGIST PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1893 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY AND MAMMALOGY, Washington, D. C., October 5, 1892. Str: I have the honor to transmit herewith, as Bulletin No. 3 of this Division, a report on the Hawks and Owls of the United States, with special reference to the economic status of the various species, by Dr. A. K. Fisher, assistant ornithologist. This work was written several years ago, but was withheld from publication until provision could be made for suitable reproduction of the colored illustrations, without which the bulletin would have been of comparatively little value to the class of readers for whose benefit it was specially prepared. The statements herein contained respecting the food of the various hawks and owls are based on the critical examination, by scientific experts, of the actual contents of about 2,700 stomachs of these birds, and consequently may be fairly regarded as a truthful showing of the normal food of each species. The result proves that a class of birds commonly looked upon as enemies to the farmer, and indiscriminately destroyed whenever occasion offers, really rank among his best friends, and with few exceptions should be preserved, and encouraged to take up their abode in the neighborhood of his home. Only six of the 73 species and subspecies of hawks and owls of the United States are injurious. Ofthese, three are so extremely rare they need hardly be considered, and another (the Fish Hawk) is only indirectly injurious, leaving but two (the Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks) that really need be taken into account aS enemies to agriculture. Omitting the six species that feed largely on poultry and game, 2,212 stomachs were examined, of which 56 per cent contained mice and other small mammals, 27 per cent insects, and only 34 per cent poultry or game birds. In view of these facts the folly of offering bounties for the destruction of hawks and owls, as has been done by several States, becomes apparent, and the importance of an accurate knowledge of the economic status of our common birds and mammals is overwhelmingly demonstrated. Respectfully, C. HART MERRIAM, Chief of Division. Hon. J. M. Rusk, Secretary of Agriculture. CON tiheN T'S: Page MMR TINT bala. oe wx oe US ae oie a tie Soe ap Gora tae ate 3 MIRCHI CTH S is so is ok LE ole he eine poe pe eo ae mae as amaaaes 5 MEIER TIS OMS 6 02 oe a o* ee ate Te oe os clew ee 7 CSE) 2 LATER TE kein es or eC area eee 9 Biographies of species: Swallow_tailed Kite (Hlanoides forficatus)....:.-.---- 222222 eee ee see se 20 Rimine-taned Kite (Hlanws-leucurus)....---.2--20- -2---. 22s ee nee ee ee 23 Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) ........--.----------+----------- 24 Hverelade Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis)..........-..---------+-+---2--+--2- 25 Roles elena COU CUS MUASOMUS on cst kee aes sate oo voc ene. eae seme 26 Spam shined Hawk (Accipiter velow)... 2.02 222. 2 ee ee ee eee 32 Warmer ce aw k (ACC ptLer COOPE?t):_. 22 2-55 oan oe eee Sse oe bes cin Soe weed 38 Menace CA CCUDIC! ALNICHPILLUS) cc 5.5. 02-52 SA Se ake eee ae ee one sake 43 Harriss Hawk (Parabuteo wnicinctus harrisi).....-.---.-.---026e05-- deen ee AT eet menn rani (bwieo Vorealis): = 325 S520 ob eee see eee eo ee kl ee eee 48 Pedesomamidered Hawk (-Biuteo lineatus) 2.2.0 222s sete enn eS ee SR esos 62 wone-tated Hawk (Buteo abbreviatus) ..0... 226-2 oe eee eee eke ee eee (As Mine -naved Hawk (buteo albicaudatus) -... 2.2 0.-0 522. 22625. 25 Lake ae ange "2, PaeMnonesetiawk (BwleO SWaINSOIL) =... ---2- 22 2o0 so-so} elon Sb ne oe odes 72 Rennes buna. (biteo Coopers)... i s-ceee22. esos os eee eee eka Soles 79 Eeaeemamced: awk (Buteo latissimus)-_-.. 2.0. --2 +22 2-22 222 e es 22 79 pmoraned Hawk (Buteo brachyurus).2.-. 0.252. ..-.05 5002-252 b nd eee es 83 Mexican black Hawk (Urubitinga anthracina)..-. 213-2... .----- 2.25022 84. hremediaGoshawk CAsiurimaplagiata). ..5 22.2.0 022c6 foe bee cae ween 85 Rough-legged Hawk (Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis) ...-.-..--.------ 86 Berrueinous Rough-lep (Archibuteo ferrugineus)....-.---..----..--------- 91 Reem aOlG CAGUIA ChTYSACIOS) Set 2.5 So Sc 05a 2 be ee ee ee ec 2 SSE 93 haomacle,(cHatieetus lewcocephalus)......2- 0. Ses.--- feed ec ce eee 97 Gyrfaleons (Falco islandus et Falco rusticolus) .-..-------.--------- ++. ---- 102 iimlentialeon CRaleo.mexicanus)-... 22.008... ceil oo ee eden chek etek 104 Muaclettawik<( Falco peregrinus anatwm)....--..-.--- 2-2 sons ee bee eon 106 Pr meonslsawie (Kaleo columbarias) . oo... 22-2252 22 ee ee cone see bce ese ek 109 maichardson’s Merlin (Falco-richardsonii)..:...-...--.-2-0--.0 2000+ e eee ee 114 Aplomado Falcon (falco fusco-coerulescens).......---- .-2-+--+++----2--2- 114 Po IeLOnverlaiviI< (VElCo SHarverius) ==. oo. oes. cc Cesc ee eek Loss owe ew ence 115 wuanpens Caracara (Polyborus cheriway) --..2-..------ <-------26----5--- 128 Osprey (Fandion haliacius carolinensis). ....-. .2.2.- ---- 0202.2 e cee aoe e bes ~ “550 Beast OW CSIRI TEM OLINCOVO) hoo ow ooo co hin Pee SS es SR de ee 132 Wons-eared: Owl (Asionwilsonianius) | 322... xs 2S es he kee Le 140 Son earedsOwiCAsia. aeCipiirtNUus) = 90 1 eae eee ee ee 145 Eemcods Ow loCSynnrine Neb wlLosum:. 2c se eee Some i Gah en AN oe 15¢ soned Ov GSymnium Occidentale). 2 305% Seo See ee ee eh 156 Sreat Guay Owl (Scotiapier cinerea) 2s. 22-2 ee i oe ee 157 6 CONTENTS. Biographies of species—Continued. Page. Richardson’s Owl] (Nyctala tengmalmi richardsoni) .......--+++------------ 159 Saw-whet Owl (Nyctala aeadicd) ... -c0-.cece seo 0e wenn e tween ee sees eee 160 Sereech Owl (Megascops a8i0) 24. <- 22 22 een aoe soe ca ee 163 Flammulated Screech Owl (Megascops flammeolus) ....---.---.-------+----- 173 Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus)..-.----.-----2-----+- --.° 4 174 Snowy Owl (Wyctea nycted).-- 2. ac ea te cain ess oe 3 = =~ on er 182 Hawk Owl (Surnia ulutacaparoch).. 2-2 .420.2 «-= <-> sees eee ape 187 Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia hypogawa).......--------------------- 189 Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) 2. 5 cose ss 2c ecw ene 2 ee 196 Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (Glaucidiwm phaloenoides) ...--..---.------.+---- 189 Elf Owl (Micropatlas whitneyi).... 22 2s0 - oan oss os 52 see 2C0 Plate et US TRATIONS. Page. 1. Swallow-tailed Kite (Hlanoides forficatus)........-.---------------- 20 2. Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis).......-..--------.-------- 24 oe viarshe claw <.(Circus hudsonius) 2.0222 ..22 saeco oe ee eee 26 2, Sbarp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter velox) ..::-.--2...-22-26 22 cece tenes 32 me gapews awk: (Accipiler coopert) =. 225.5255 2 .so2- 25. eb ence ee 38 Psa CAccipiier airicapillus) ..2.2os20-.2 02222. 82-222 5 eee es eee 43 faneeo-tailed Hawk (Buteo borealis). ...0 2... .220c25 et ec cee 48 Smed-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) .....0..2022 2-22-40. oon oes 62 Peomausons Lawl: (buteo swaimsont): 2... -.-2 2-22. 22s. ee eee cee 72 10> Broad-winged Hawk (Buieo latissimus)-...-.---.-----------+---2+-2 ee 11. Rough-legged Hawk (Archibuteo 1. sancti-johannis)........----.----- 86 12. Ferruginous Rough-leg (Archibuteo ferrugineus)...--.--------------- 91 iacolden Kagle (Aquila chrysatios) ...-.-...--....2---- -es0--ee ee eee 93 iad Hacle-(Haliwetus lewcocephalus) ...--.. 02-06 [222-2555 -4- 5-22 42- 97 iyaemuck Hawk (falco peregrinus andtumy)......- 2... 225---2s0.2s2eeees 106 fearon Mawk (Paleo columbarius) -...202-2-2---.5-ss2dee 25-2 cee eae 109 MESS VALCO Wi rlawvic (Malco Spanverius) <<. - 25.4.2. .52-+-5- 6s ceca nce- esses 115 isvosprey (Pandion haliadtus carolinensis). .........-.. 0222-02-25 --2-e 180 BECAME SLT PLAVICOUM),. 2 o.oo eke a SEs oS. oe ee Se RE 132 pomeboum-eared. Owl CAsto wilsontanus) ... 020202222222 2. ees be been et 140 meonart-cared. Owl (Asie accipitrinus),. 23.26.22 52.0.22 sce. Sect e ees 145 Peeepuered Owl (Syrnum nebulosum)..<. 205.222. 2 2. 55 Se ee eo eee eee 150 Pe eheEC sO wa (eMEVdacops A810)... 3 00.2 sk. cla he Ue beeen sees ta eee 163 Zi oreat tomed Owl (bubo virginianus) ......2..- .2<.2.2255 225-2328 174 25. Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia hypoge@a) ........ --.---------- 189 26. Dwarf Screech Owl (Megascops flammeolus idahoensis) ..-..---------- 1738 THE HAWKS AND OWES OF THE UNITED STATES. INTRODUCTION. That birds are not only beautiful but that they perform an important economic office is an almost universal belief; and it is also generally admitted that they should be protected by law and their increase en- couraged in every way possible. To the farmer, however, it is well known that certain kinds, as crows, robins, blackbirds, rice birds, and. some others, are more or less injurious, and at times do great damage to the growing or ripened crops. When certain birds are known to be harmful to agricultural interests, the farmer has a right to ask that the protection of law be withdrawn from such species, and even that means be taken to diminish their numbers. At first it might seem an easy matter to class birds into two great groups, the injurious species and the beneficial species; but in reality it is very difficult, for however harmful a species may be at one Season of the year or in a certain region, it may be quite the reverse at another season or in a different region. Thus the bobolink is one of the most highly-prized visitors in the Northern States, and the damage it does to the crops there is so infinitesimal that this weighs nothing against the attractions of its presence and the beauty of its song; in the Southern States this same bobolink, so changed in plumage as to easily pass under an alias, the rice-bird, does immense damage to the rice crop—a damage which amounts to over a million of dollars a year. Another example of the beneficial-injurious species is the crow. What farmer needs to be told of the unprincipled conduct of Jim Crow at and immediately after corn-planting time. The ever-present scare- -erow bears mute witness to the crow’s fondness for corn and his thieving habits. But when the corn is past danger the crow changes from an obnoxious to an exemplary member of bird society, and the war he wages on the cutworm earns him no scanty meed of praise from the grass farmer. Thus it will be seen that the division of our birds into beneficial and harmful kinds is not the easy task it seems, and that even farmers may differ widely as to the status of a certain kind. However they may fail to agree concerning the species just mentioned and others that might be named, there seems to be but one opinion the broad land over as to the status of the hawks and owls; they at least are believed to be 10 | INTRODUCTION. wholly harmful; and not only is the farmer boy encouraged to kill ae every hawk and owl about the farm and to destroy its nest, but the powers of the law are invoked to offer the incentive of hanes for hawks’ and owls’ heads. If this widespread belief in the harmful propencianeal of these birds © is correct, thea their wholesale destruction is laudable. If, however, such belief is erroneous, the consequences are mischievous enough. It is important to observe that all the rapacious birds are slow breed- ers, and, contrary to popular belief, there is no good evidence that any — of them have two broods a year, though of course if the first set of eggs is lost another one will be deposited. There is every reason why they should not raise more than one brood, for notwithstanding the fact that they breed very early in the year, the young grow slowly and remain along time in the nest. Hence the tax upon the parent birds to secure enough food to satisfy the enormous appetites of their slow-growing progeny is very great, probably twice that made upon the members of any other order of land birds. State laws, therefore, passed for the destruction of hawks and owls, and offering a bounty on their heads, are very effective, either for good or evil. One of the counties of Pennsylvania paid out in a year over $5,000 for scalps of birds of prey. In the light of the foregoing facts it | will readily be understood how long a time it will take to replace these birds, whose destruction cust the State of Pennsylvania so much money, in case their services are wanted. There is no doubt that this State and others which have passed similar laws have made a Serious mistake; for it is indisputable that the opinion about hawks and owls, so widespread and popular, is not well founded; and it is the pur- pose of this bulletin to set forth the results of many years’ observations with the view of dispelling the popular illusion regarding the destruce- tiveness of hawks and owls as a class. It may be stated with confi- dence— (1) That owls are among the most beneficial of all birds, inflicting very little damage upon the poulterer and conferring vast benefits upon the farmer. The relations which owls bear to agriculture are peculiar and important. Their eyesight, unlike that of hawks, which hunt by day, is by no means so defective in daylight as popularly sup- posed, but is keenest in the early hours of evening and in early morning. Hunting thus in dim light, their food consists largely of those ani- mals which hawks do not trouble at all, or destroy only in small numbers. The work of owls thus supplements that of hawks and materially assists in preventing an undue increase of many obnoxious rodents. Again, though owls are somewhat migratory they are far less so aS a class than hawks, and hence in winter, when the latter have left the Northern States for warmer climes, they remain at home and carry on their incessant warfare against injurious rodents. (2) That all hawks, with possibly one or two exceptions, are to some extent beneficial to the farmer. INTRODUCTION. 11 Although the facts concerning the food of hawks and owls are set _ forth in detail underthe several species, afew words are here added on this the most important branch of the subject to the farmer. For con- venience of discussion the forty-nine species and twenty-four subspe- cies of rapacious birds may be separated into four classes, as follows: (a) Those wholly beneficial or wholly harmless. (b) Those chiefly beneficial. (ce) Those in which the beneficial and harmful qualities seem to bal- ance each other. (d) Those positively harmful. The first class (a) includes six species: Rough-legged Hawk, Squir- rel Hawk, Swallow-tailed Kite, White-tailed Kite, Mississippi Kite, and Everglade Kite. The Rough-legged Hawk, one of our largest species, seems to feed exclusively upon the smaller rodents, and, as it is found within the United States from October to April, the number of meadow mice it destroys is almost incalculable. It passes under the name of ‘Hen Hawk,’ and many a luckless Rough-leg is shot for the latter, and per- haps a bounty collected on it, when in fact it never destroyed a hen or chicken in its life. The statement of Pennant and some of the earlier writers, that it attacks ducks and other birds, lacks confirmation. The Squirrel Hawk, a near cousin to the Rough-leg, has received its name because of its inordinate fondness for the ground squirrels, which are so terribly destructive to the crops in the far West. The four kites named above, while not so beneficial to the farmer as the two hawks just mentioned, are harmless to poultry, and feed largely upon reptiles, insects, and snails. The second class (6), those mainly beneficial, includes the greater number of species, and to it belong some of the most widely distributed and best known hawks. It includes the following: Marsh Hawk, Harris’ Buzzard, Red-tailed, Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Short-tailed Hawk, White-tailed Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk, Short-winged Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Mexican Black Hawk, Mexican Goshawk, Spar- row Hawk, Audubon’s Caracara, Barn Owl, Long-eared Owl, Short- eared Owl, Great Gray Owl, Barred Owl, Western Barred Owl, Rich- ardson’s Owl, Acadian Owl, Screech Owl, Flammulated Screech Owl, Snowy Owl, Hawk Owl, Burrowing Owl, Pygmy Owl, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, and Elf Owl. The Marsh Hawk, which heads the list, is also one of the first in economic importance. It is distributed over the entire United States, is abundant almost everywhere, and may be easily recognized by its long, slim form and from the manner in which it beats back and forth over the prairies, marshes, and meadows in search of ground squirrels and mice, of which it annually destroys vast numbers. It would have 12 | INTRODUCTION. a secure place in the first class were it not for the fact that occasion- a ally it seizes small birds and, less frequently, a stray chicken. Still the harm it does in this way is inconsiderable compared with the benefits it confers by the destruction of harmful rodents. The Buzzard Hawks, which include the next nine species, are large and sluggish and too slow of wing to secure such agile prey as wild birds or even poultry. Their staple food consists of small mammals, insects, snakes, toads, and frogs. The Red-tailed Hawk, in some respects the representative of the group, is one of the best known hawks, and shares with the Red- shouldered Hawk the odious appellation of ‘Hen Hawk.’ It is not to be denied that both species occasionally attack poultry, but the amount destroyed is so small compared with their other food—mostly noxious animals—that it is scarcely to be considered, except perhaps by the individual farmer whose barnyard happens to be visited by the robber. Moreover, in a large majority of cases the poultry and game | secured by these hawks are the less active individuals, which from age, accident, or disease are unable to escape from their attacks. The Red-shouldered Hawk is probably one of the most omnivorous of our birds of prey—eating with apparent relish the following crea- tures, which represent as many different classes: Mice, birds, snakes, | frogs, fish, grasshoppers, centipedes, spiders, crawfish, earthworms, and snails. At least 65 per cent of its food consists of injurious mammals, and, taking into consideration also the number of insects devoured, the showing is remarkably good for the poor ‘ Hen Hawk,’ especially when less than 2 per cent consists of the food which confers upon it that sobriquet. Both these hawks suffer for the misdeeds of others, and are striking examples of the effects of having a bad name. Swainson’s Hawk is another of the Buteos which is of great service, warring upon creatures which do injury to crops. Its food is much the same as that of the other hawks of this class, except that insects seem to be eaten in larger numbers. Grasshoppers and crickets are particularly sought after, and on the foothills and plains of the West Swainson’s Hawks congregate in large flocks wherever these insects are abundant. Dr. Merriam has estimated that at least 200 grasshop- pers are consumed daily by one hawk; and in the course of a month a flock of about 165 individuals, which is a small estimate of the num- ber actually seen together in various localities feeding upon grasshop- pers, will destroy 1,000,000 adult insects—a benefit to agriculture which no farmer can fail to appreciate. When we consider the enormous amount of damage grasshoppers have inflicted in a single season in some of the Western States—Kansas for instance-—the great benefit that results from the labors of this and other hawks can not be doubted. Many of the game birds—as the tur- key, prairie chicken, sage cock, and quail—devour many grasshoppers; INTRODUCTION. 13 but these birds are valuable as food, and as a consequence have been nearly exterminated in some States, and their numbers are fast being depleted in all. They can no longer be depended upon as allies of the farmer. The same is true of many animals, like the skunks and foxes, and also snakes, all of which, for different reasons, are killed when- ever possible. So itis that their natural enemies having been exter- minated or much reduced in numbers, noxious insects, such as grass- hoppers, have a chance, when favored by exceptionable seasons, to multiply to an astonishing extent; and so it is that having multiplied to a degree impossible to calculate, they suddenly assume the offen- sive, and, like an invading army, take possession of the whole country and strip it of every green thing. Surely no more economical method of holding these hordes in check can be desired than the fostering of means already provided by nature. Apparently quite ignorant of the habits of hawks and owls, the legislature of at least one of the West- ern States—Colorado—some years since passed a bounty act which in- cluded these birds. Asa result thousands of grasshopper-eating hawks were destroyed at the expense of the State—an expense by no means to be estimated by the number of dollars paid out as blood money; for if the destruction be carried far enough and the birds of prey actually exterminated, there is every reason to believe that sooner or later one of the consequences will be another grasshopper plague.* The Broad-winged Hawk is another species which feeds to a consid- erable extent on insects, destroying vast numbers of grasshoppers and crickets. It is especially fond of the larve of the large moths which feed on the leaves of fruit and shade trees, and during the late summer and early autumn it is exceptional to find one that has not been indul- ging in this kind of food. Snakes, toads, frogs, and the smaller rodents also form a considerable portion of its fare. It rarely attacks birds. The little Sparrow Hawk is the only one of the true falcons which can be placed in the present class, and, although at times it follows the example of its larger congeners and attacks small birds and young poultry, these irregularities are so infrequent compared with its con- stant good service in destroying insects and mice that they are hardly to be considered. It is, in fact, too small to cope with any but very small chickens. Grasshoppers and crickets form its principal food during the warmer months, while mice predominate during the rest of the year. | Among the owls of this class which deserve special mention the Barn Owl is probably the most important from an economic point of view, and it is questionable whether it should not have been placed in the previous class, as its food is almost entirely made up of injurious mam- mals. In the West it feeds very largely on pouched gophers, and the * The writer, who passed through the counties of Bent and Logan in July, 1892, saw every indication of the commencement of another grasshopper plague, as myriads of grasshoppers were feeding on the alfalfa and wheat. 14 INTRODUCTION. stomach contents of the individuals examined and the fragments of food found about its nests reveal traces of very little else than the , remains of these rodents. To appreciate properly the services of this — me owl it must be remembered that the pouched gophers are among the oe most, if not the most, destructive mammals which inhabit this country. — In the South this owl lives largely on cotton rats, another very destrue- tive animal, and at various places it has been found to feed extensively on the common rat. The Long-eared and Short-eared Owls feed extensively on mice and ee sparingly on small birds—mostly grain-eating or seed-eating species, 3 which are of slight economic importance. All of the common species of mice are found among the stomach contents, and as both birds are numerous the service done the farmer is correspondingly great. = The Barred Owl, if any reliance may be placed upon the accounts of 3 earlier writers, feeds largely upon poultry and game, though from more recent investigations it would seem that either the bird has modified its habits or that the statements of their destructiveness are very much exaggerated. Our own examinations, so far as they go, prove that less than 3 per cent of the food of this bird consists of poultry, while a large “4 proportion consists of such rodents as rabbits, squirrels, and various e species of rats and mice. It feeds quite extensively also on frogs and erawfish. a The little Screech Owl, so well known in most parts of the country, is indefatigable in its work of destroying mice and insects. It may often be seen at dusk hovering about barns and outhouses watching for mice, or skimming over the fields or along the hedge rows in search of grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles. During the time it is caring for its young it occasionally captures small birds, as well as in winter a when hard pressed for food. As an offset, the individuals inhabiting : the city parks have learned to feed more or less extensively on the English sparrow, for which good service they should be particularly commended, as the English sparrow has become a most destructive nuisance. The Burrowing Owl is the only remaining species of this lage which will be specially mentioned. During the warmer parts of the year it feeds extensively on scorpions, centipedes, grasshoppers, crickets, and various species of beetles, as well aS on mice and ground squirrels. Few birds are destroyed by it. Occasionally when other food is searce, especially in the northern part of its range in winter, it is forced to prey upon small birds, from necessity rather than choice. There is no excuse whatever for destroying this owl and it should be protected by law. ; The third class (c) includes those birds whose beneficial and noxious qualities about balance one another. As was said above of birds gen- erally, so it may be said of hawks and owls, that frequently a species which in one place is properly to be considered noxious from its pred- INTRODUCTION. 15 atory visits to the farmyard or because of attacks on game and song _ birds, in another locality may be of immense value on account of its Service in destroying injurious mammals or insects. For example, the Great Horned Owl, which in the East is persistent in its attacks on poultry and game, in the rabbit-infested portions of the West destroys such immense numbers of these rodents that its assistance is invaluable to the farmer. The above statement applies with greater or less force to the following species, which are included in the third class: Golden Hagle, Bald Eagle, Pigeon Hawk, Richardson’s Hawk, Aplomado Fal- con, Prairie Falcon, and Great Horned Owl. - The Bald Eagle and Golden Eagle may be considered as beneficial to - the agriculturist in parts of the country where rabbits, prairie dogs, or gophers are common, but in sections where sheep are extensively raised they are often very injurious. The latter species, our National Bird, by preference eats fish and isa successful fish-catcher when it can not get the Fish Hawk to do its fish- ing for it. It also feeds extensively on dead fish which have washed ashore. In some localities, especially in the South, it is destructive to waterfowl, killing any and all of the species, from swans and geese down to the smaller ducks and coots. However, as it has been chosen for our national emblem, we should not begrudge it a livelihood and may, perhaps, allow it to choose what it will in the way of wild game. The Prairie Falcon, whose fondness for many of the ground squirrels causes it to follow them relentlessly, in this way nearly, if not quite, balances the harm it does by destroying waterfowl and upland game as well as insectivorous birds. The Pigeon Hawk, Aplomado Falcon, and Richardson’s Merlin aretrue falcons, whose food consists of birds of various kinds, but they consume enough injurious insects and mammals to partially offset the harm done. The fourth and last class (d) includes those species which feed mainly on animals that subserve a useful purpose to man and do not to any appreciable extent destroy noxious animals. The following species are included in this class: Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Goshawk, Duck Hawk, the Gyrfalcons, and Fish Hawk. Fortunately the Goshawk is comparatively rare in most farming dis- tricts of the United States, as it is a bird of the far North; otherwise its destructiveness to poultry would be very great. Few species are more fond of poultry and game, and its large size enables it to carry off with ease a full-grown chicken. Ruffed grouse too often fall a prey to it, and on account of its partiality to this bird itis known as ‘ Par- tridge Hawk’ in some parts of the country. In fall and winter it cap- tures a considerable number of squirrels and rabbits and with ease strikes down a full-grown northern hare. Cooper’s Hawk is a common species in suitable localities throughout the United States and southern Canada. Much of the ill-favor with which birds of prey as a whole are looked upon is due to the depreda- 16 . INTRODUCTION. tions of this, the true ‘Chicken Hawk,’ together with those of its smaller — congener, the Sharp-shinned Hawk. Both species feed almost exclu-_ sively on ane flesh of either domesticated or wild birds. When they find a farm where chickens can be captured with impunity they make — daily excursions to it, and unless killed will sometimes nearly depopu- i late the yard. Dumueieared pigeons are particularly sought after by — Cooper’s Hawk, and when a keen- eyed individual once locates a cote the destruction to the inmates is great. Quails and young grouse are ? also favorite food of both of these hawks. In one direction their fondness for the flesh of birds promises to be of great benefit to the country, namely, in the destruction of English ~ sparrows. Both of these hawks have learned from experience that a _ desirable food and one easy to obtain is to be found in the towne : hence it is not an uncommon sight, even in the streets of our large © cities, to see one of them dash into a flock of sparrows. This, however, — is the only benefit conferred upon mankind by Cooper’s and the Sharp- shinned Hawks, for they very rarely attack mammals and insects. Their small size, daring, and rapid flight render them easily recogniz- able, and they need collet be mistaken for their innocent relations. Unquestionably both species should be destroyed whenever and when- ever possible. < The Gyrfalcons, the largest and most powerful of the true falcons, — are rarely seen within our borders, and then only in winter. ‘They feed largely upon ptarmigan, grouse, waterfowl, hares, and poultry whien the latter is available, and occasionally on small mammals. The Duck Hawk is another powerful falcon, and one closely related to the famous Peregrine Falcon of the Old World, which was used so extensively in falconry in ‘ye olden time’ As its name implies, it is” a persistent follower of waterfowl and, when these are available, it takes little else as food. In default of nano! it will attack poultry, and, in fact, birds of any sort even down to the smallest insectivorous | species. Like others of the class, little can be said in its favor. For- tunately for the poultry yards and game coveys this falcon is rare in most parts of the United States;in fact the Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks are the only two of the destructive species which are, at all common throughout the greater part of the United States and southern Canada. The Fish Hawk, although a magnificent bird and one that lends at tractiveness to many a scene by sea and river, can not be classed as & useful species, from an economic standpoint. It eats fish, and fish onl and is often a nuisance to the fish culturist. Moreover, while unques- tionably its food is largely comprised of the inferior species of fish, some of the most useful kinds, as trout, bass, mullet, and others fall victims to its splendid powers as a fisher. If its fine presence and magnificen flight do not sufficiently plead in its favor, then it must be put on th black list. INTRODUCTION. 1z It will be seen from the above that of the rapacious birds with which our country is so well furnished, there are but few which deserve to be put on the black list and pursued without mercy. The greater number either pass their whole lives in the constant performance of acts of direct benefit to man or else more than make good the harm they do in the destruction of insectivorous birds and poultry by destroying a much greater number of animals well known to be hostile to the farmer. The birds of prey are all peculiarly fitted by nature to play their parts in the maintenance of the balance in the animal world. Possessed of amazingly acute eyesight, strong bills for tearing their prey, sharp talons that lock with a never-failing clutch and insure the speedy death of a victim by piercing its very entrails, added to ample and enduring powers of wing, they must be admitted to be well equipped for their occupation. They are all great eaters, and when the supply of food is unlimited are gorged during most of the time. Their digestion is very rapid and their assimilation perfect; consequently the amount of food a bird consumes each day in relation to its own weight is very great. It is well that it is so, for the habit of taking more food than is necessary for their immediate needs enables them to store up force for future emergencies and preéminently fits them for the work of keeping nature’s balance true. They*are required at times, from inclement . weather or other causes, to withstand great exposure and long pro- tracted fasts, which they do with little inconvenience. In the ease of the birds of prey, as in some of the other orders, the indi- gestible portions of food, such as feathers, hair, bones, and the hard coverings of insects, are formed into balls by the movements of the stomach, after the nutritious portions have been absorbed. These masses, which are known as ‘pellets,’ are regurgitated from the stom- ach before a new supply of food is taken. The movements of the stom- ach so shape these ‘pellets’ that every sharp piece of bone or hard material which might otherwise injure the mucous membrane is care- fully enveloped by a felty covering of hair or feathers. In the case of — some of the owls which have regular roosting places vast numbers of these pellets collect, and an examination of them will give a perfect in- dex to the character of the food devoured. No less than 2,690 stomachs have been examined in the preparation of this bulletin, and the contents are enumerated in the tables accom- panying thespecies. Of these, 169 contained the remains of poultry and game birds; 463, of other birds; 966, of mice; 397, of other mammals; and 623, of insects. If the stomachs of the six species which feed very largely upon game and poultry are eliminated we have a total of 2,212 stomachs. Of these 78, or 34 per cent, contained the remains of poultry - or game; 257, or 11 per cent, of other birds; 945, or 424 per cent, of mice; 309, or 14 per cent, of other mammals; and 599, or 27 per cent, of insects. | 7626—No. 3——2 18 . INTRODUCTION. As this bulletin is intended to be of practical benefit to the farmer — descriptions are given of all our birds of prey by which he may tell his © friends from his foes, that he may preserve the former and destroy the latter. These descriptions have been made as short and as terse as is compatible with clearness and have been stripped of all technicalities. — Some little explanation is needed in reference to measurements: Length means the total length of fresh specimens from end of bill to tip of tail. Extent is also taken from fresh specimens and is measured from the tip of one wing to that of the other, they being moderately stretched. The wing measurement may be from a dried skin and is taken from the ~ bend of the wing to the end of the longest feather. The Tail measure- ment is taken from the tip of the longest feathers to the back part of the eminence of the oil sac. Moreover, to insure the correct iden- tification of the several species, figures of the more important have been added. By means of the descriptions and figures it is believed that the farmer may readily become acquainted with the birds here — treated of. For the benefit of those whose interest in the subject ex- tends beyond its economic side, a short account of each species is added, with some particulars of their nesting habits, etc. The nomenclature adopted is that of the American Ornithologists’ Union. The geo: graphical races, or subspecies, are included under the typical species, since the habits of both are practically identical, the main — Bs between them being color and to a less extent size. In closing, the writer wishes specially to express his indebtedness to Mr. H. W. Henshaw, who has assisted him in various ways in the prep- aration of the present bulletin. He also wishes to acknowledge his obligations to Dr. E. A. Mearns, U.S. Army, who kindly placed in his © hands original data on the food of several hundred hawks and owls. To Dr. W. C. Avery, F. E. L. Beal, C. 8S. Brimley, Amos W. Butler, Charles Dury, R. Elliott, L. S. Foster, Gustave Kohn, Austin F. Park, William Praeger, F. Stephens, and Dr. B. H. Warren, who have fur- nished manuscript data on the food of rapacious birds, thanks are also due. A large majority of the stomachs which furnish data for the tables accompanying this bulletin and lend them their chief value were pre- sented by the following persons, to whom the writer wishes to extend his sincere acknowledgments: Ezra Acker. Capt. Charles Bendire. Howard Acker. H. C. Bennett. Dr. G. S. Agersborg. G. E. Beyer. R. C. Alexander. R. H. Blain. C. K. Averill. C.S. Brimley. Dr. W. C. Avery. H. Broughton, jr. Vernon Bailey. E. L. Brown. A. Baker. Herbert Brown. W. B. Barrows, William Brown. A. R. Bellwood. F. L. Burns. J. E. Byington. J. L. Camp. F. M. Chapman. A. Chichister. Hubert L. Clark. G. A. Coleman. W. C. Colt. William Couper. F. F. Crevecceur. F. T. Cuthbert. E. O. Damon. L. M. Davies. J. L. Davison. Ps. Dixon. William F. Doertenbach. Freeman Douglas. William Dutcher. Jonathan Dwight, jr. L. W. Dykeman. H. N. Edwards. Capt. Jesse Edwards. W. B. Ellis. E. A. Everett. F. D. Figgins. W. K. Fisher. George Flick. A. A. Frazer. J. W. Gardner. Dennis Gale. E. Gerholtz. H. J. Giddings. M. M. Green. C..C. Hanmer. art. W. F. Hendrickson. H. W. Henshaw. Frank H. Hitchcock. A. H. Howell. Walter Hoxie. H. K. James. C. A. Keeler. Noah King. Gustave Kohn. Mrs. F. E. B. Latham. N. T. Lawrence. W.G. W. Leizear. C. J. Lemen. J. B. Lewis. W. A. Lewis. Clifford Libby, William Lloyd. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 19 A. W. Lord. J. Alden Loring. FE: A. Toucas: H. W. McBride. R. C. McGregor. Alf Marshall. Dr. C. Hart Merriam. G. 8. Miller, jr. H. H. Miller. J. Percy Moore. A. H. Norton. R. H. Norton. T. S. Palmer. William Palmer. F. E. Parsons. F. S. Place. i E. A. Preble. Dr. M. W. Raub. C. B. Ressell. C. W. Richmond. Robert Ridgway. C. B. Riker. Dr. William C. Rives. W. FF. Roberts. Thomas Rowland. John H. Sage. , W. E. Saunders. Louis P. Scherrer. Miss Mathilda Schlegel. Robert R. Scorso, J. M. Shaffer. M. Smedley. Dr. Hugh M. Smith. Rk. W. Smith. F. Stephens. Dr. C. W. Stiles. Benjamin Still. F. 8. Stratton. E. E. Thompson. R. J. Thompson. James R. Thurston. W. E. Clyde Todd. Willard EK. Treat. F. C. Trowbridge. B. G. True. Dr. T. S. Turner. Dr. B. H. Warren. F. S. Webster. C. M. Weed. H. G. White. William M. Whitfield. Otto Widmann. F. 8S. Wilder. A. H. Wood. 20 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. -SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. =e Z Elanoides forficatus. : 4 [Plate 1—Two adults.] ‘The Swallow-tailed Kite is an inhabitant of the tropical and warmer portions of America, extending north in the United States regularly to - Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Kentucky, and Virginia, and west to the Great Plains. It has occurred casually in Pennsylvania, New York, southern New England, and Ontario. In the United States the species — is most abundant in the States bordering the Gulf, but becomes more and more uncommon toward the limits of its range at the north. Al- though a few birds may occasionally remain in southern Louisiana and Texas, and regularly in southern Florida, the majority cross our southern border about the 1st of October to spend the winter in Cen- tral and South America, and are not seen again until the 1st of the following April. A most extraordinary exception to this usual migra- tion is given by Dr. C. E. McChesney, who found the species near Fort Sisseton, S. Dak., during nearly the whole winter of 1877—78. (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. m1, 1878, p. 147.) On November 17, 1881, Mr. D. H. Talbot saw a flock of fifty or more between Jamestown and Bismarck, N. Dak. (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. vir, 1882, p. 59.) | The principal food of this Kite is small snakes, lizards, frogs, and ~ : various kinds of insects. It never molests small mammals or birds. Among insects it is especially fond of wasp larve, grasshoppers, and dragon flies; and its power to change the direction of flight is most markedly shown in capturing the latter insects, for in its efforts to se- cure them it is often necessary for it to turn almost completely over in its evolutions. In Florida Dr. C. Hart Merriam often saw these Kites dart down and pick a wasp’s nest from the under side of a leaf of some high palmetto and fly off with it, devouring, while on the wing, the grubs it contained. (Am. Nat., vol. virr, 1874, p. 88.) Mr. H. Nehrling speaks of the birds’ food in Texas as follows: ‘In August and September the birds are often seen in cotton fields, where they feed on cotton worms and other insects. They are particularly fond of small snakes, such as Leptophis, Rhinostoma coccinea, lizards (Anolius carolinensis and Ameiva sex-lineata). I have never seen them take a bird or a small quadruped.” (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. vii, 1882, p. 173.) Audubon speaks of frequently seeing them with long slender snakes hanging from their talons. The following is his account of an examina- tion of two stomachs collected in Texas: ‘In the stomach [of one bird] are six snakes, of a very slender form, and light-green color, one of them 224 inches in length, together with one large larva, 3 inches long, and two coleopterous insects. Some of the snakes have been swallowed whole, ES oO UL a ls A Bull. No ae Ornithology Plate | * ; ; SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. Oa although bruised, the rest broken into large pieces several inches long. * * * Jn another male shot in the same country, on the same day, the stomach contained a slender snake 19 inches long, six lizards, and four beautiful, very large coleopterous insects, with two eggs of rep- tiles 74 twelfths long.” (Ornith. Biography, vol. v, pp. 372-374.) Mr. Henshaw informs me that he found these Kites common on the Miami River, southeast Florida, and frequently saw them in nid air feeding upon snakes, which appeared to be their favorite food in that locality. Glancing over the bill of fare of this Kite, : will at once appear that while there are many of the rapacious birds which perform greater service to the farmers in the destruction of his foes, there are few which are less injurious. The snakes, lizards, and frogs it destroys, though by no means injurious to agriculture, probably will be regretted by few, while the insect food, especially the grasshoppers and cotton worms, not only can be spared, but their destruction may be considered a pos- itive benefit. It probably breeds in suitable localities thr aonoe its range, even to the northern limit. Its nest has been taken in Minnesota, and accord- ing to avery interesting note by Mr. Austin F. Park, it is very probable that a pair bred in Rensselaer County, N. Y., in 1886. (The Auk, vol. 111, p.484.) In the southern part of the United States this species begins to breed about the last of April or first of May, while farther north it is past the middle of the latter month before a full complement of eggs is deposited. The nest is situated in the tops of the tallest trees and is placed among the smaller branches, where it is well hidden by the thick foliage. Occasionally it is pall, toward the end of a large limb, 20 feet or more from the main trunk, the supporting branch usually being not more than a few inches in diameter. The nest often- times is a rude structure, made of sticks only, and resembles closely in appearance that of some of the herons, while others are more substan- tial, from the lining of Spanish moss or soft inner bark of the cotton- wood which they contain; rarely a nest is composed almost entirely of Spanish moss. The number of eggs in a ae is usually two, though three, four, and probably even more are sometimes deposited. Audubon found a nest near the Falls of the Ohio, in 1820, which contained four young. The male is very attentive and assists the female in building the nest and incuba- ting the eggs, as well as in collecting a large proportion of the food for the young. After the breeding season this Kite is more or less gregarious; families of four or five are usually found together and occasionally flocks of fifty or more. This species is quite wary and difficult to ap- proach, but if one of a flock is killed or wounded the others will fly around it, and a puntber may be secured before they take alarm and move off. 22 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. The flight is smooth and protracted, and for grace and elegance is - | not excelled by that of any other species. To fully appreciate its superiority one must see the bird on the wing, for no language can de- scribe the beauty of the ever-varying movements. No matter whether the bird is soaring far above the earth, skimming lightly over its sur- face, or following the different gyrations of some fleeting insect, the — observer is surprised as well as charmed at the wonderful exhibition. Often it will stop in mid air, and with half-closed wings and depressed tail shake itself much after the manner of swallows while bathing. Although it often alights on trees it rarely is seen on the ground, and ~ even when capturing its prey it glides swiftly over the surface, reach- ing down at the proper moment to secure the quarry. It generally, if not always, feeds while in mid air, bending its head downward and toward the talons to tear the object in its grasp. It drinks while skimming rapidly over the surface of the water as do the swifts, swal- lows, and many other birds. DESCRIPTION. Tail deeply forked, the outside feathers being more than twice as long as the middle pair; wings very long, narrow, and acute. Color: Head, neck, lower parts, under wing feathers, and band across rump, pure white; back, wings, and tail glossy blackish. Length: 19.50 to 25.50 inches (495 to 647 ™™); extent 45 to 50 inches (1143 to 1270 ™™); wing 15.50 to 17.75 inches (393 to 451 ™™); outer tail feathers 12.50 to 14.50 inches (317 to 368 ™), Table showing the results of examinations of 6 stomachs of the Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus). Poultry Locality. Date. or game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. Hawkinsville, Fla..... Mair. 847-1885 7 | saosecse oc [Cee aeemccte saoen| = ae cee Lizard, grass- hoppers, tree toad, beetles. Lee SSS See eeee s2scGO). on facclaeskkvece + |ceeccmoceuben a coe > oneal se eee Lizard, grass- hoppers, bee- s tles. Pixon County, Nebr.:|; June; “W865 25232 Sao |e 2 oe ee §9 loeusts, 5other insects. AD O28 ete cate 2 Seis ecle Ssec@O wage kl alhe SES ee we See eee ae 69 locusts, 3 other insects. Sarpy County, Nebr -.-| Sept., 1873 |...-...... ihe eeceae ee le Pee eee 75 insects. Woodville, Minn...... April28 18884) o~ c eee eal Sia Soe ceeceecleee |e See eee Beetle, wasp. SumMARry.—Of 6 stomachs examined all contained insects; 2, lizards; 1, tree-frog. WHITE-TAILED KITE. 25 WHITE-TAILED KITE. Elanus leucurus. The White-tailed Kite inhabits the tropical and subtropical portions of America, except the West Indies, and extends north into the United States regularly to about latitude 38° along the Pacific coast, and to 35° in the central and eastern portions. A few probably winter in Louisiana and Texas, while the species is a regular resident in the southern part of California, though, strange to say, it has never been recorded from Arizona or New Mexico. The food of this Kite, like that of the swallow-tailed, consists of small snakes, lizards, frogs, and such insects as grasshoppers and beetles. Audubon states that he found the remains of birds in two stomachs he examined, which is an experience no other naturalist has shared with him so far as known. About the first of April it begins to remodel its old nest or that of some other bird, or builds a new one. The structure is usually placed among the slender branches in the top of some lofty sycamore or live oak, in the vicinity of water. It is flat, with a very shallow concavity, and is composed of small sticks, with an occasional lining of grass. By the middle of April full complements of eggs are usually to be found; these vary from three to five in number. In the United States it is said to live in pairs or small families but never singly, though in South America Mr. W. B. Barrows informs me he never saw more than one at a time. It frequents the lowlands, where it rapidly beats back and forth over the surface of the ground, ever ready to seize its prey. The species is tame and unsuspicious, and may be approached without difficulty. Its flight is very much like that of the Mississippi Kite, but usually is not so protracted, nor does the bird attain such an elevation as the latter species. DESCRIPTION. Front of bare leg covered with minute roundish scales; claws not grooved beneath. Color: Above, pale bluish gray, becoming gradually white on head and tail; shoulders and a spot in front of the eyes black; below, en- tirely pure white. Length: 15 to 16.75 inches (880 to 425 ™™); extent, 39 to 42 inches (990 to 1066 ™™); wing, 11.50 to 13.50 inches (292 to 342 ™™); tail, 5.90 to 7.40 inches (150 to 188 ™™), Table showing the results of an examination of 1 stomach of the White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus ). p Poultry Locality. Date. Ge pants Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. 1rds. Sole pummawanetee Gril pee ae Seen So. See : eee Caen | Meadow mouse .|.........---e-+-- | | | SS —_— 24 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. MISSISSIPPI KITE. Ictinia mississippiensis. [Plate 2—Adult.] The Mississippi Kite, like the other American species, inhabits the more southern parts of our territory. Itis distributed from Guatemala north through eastern Mexico and the southern United States east of the Rocky Mountains, occurring regularly as far north as Georgia, southern Illinois, Indian Territory, and Kansas, and casually to lowa and Wis- consin. A fewremain in the southern United States all winter, but the greater part pass on to Mexico during October, and return again in the latter part of April. The food of this species, like that of the Swallow-tailed Kite, consists _ of insects, such as the larger beetles, grasshoppers, and locusts, lizards, — small snakes, and frogs. It never has been known to molest birds or — mammals, except to drive the larger species away from the vicinity of its nest. Three specimens which Wilson examined at Natchez, Miss., con: tained the remains of beetles; and hesaw them flying about the trees feed- ing 6n cicadas. Dr. Coues mentions one shot at Bluffton, 8. C., whose stomach was crammed with the same insects, together with a few katy- dids. It is wonderful at what a distance its keen eyes can detect a com- paratively small insect. Mr. E. W. Nelson says: “‘I saw them repeat- edly dart with unerring aim upon some luckless grasshoppers from ani elevation of at least 100 yards.” (Bull. Essex Inst., vol. 1x., 1877, p. 58.) As regards the economic value of this Kite much the samestatement may be made as of the previous species. It does little or no damage, but much good. Soon after arriving in its summer home it begins to remodel its old nest or the deserted nest of some other bird, and more rarely, when these are not available, it builds a new one. The remod- eling consists in patching up the sides with a few sticks and adding a Sparse lining of Spanish moss or green leaves. The nest is usually sit- uated in the tops of the tallest trees, among the smaller branches, where it is well concealed by the foliage. The full complement of eggs, usually two or three in number, is deposited by the middle of May, though in some cases it must be much earlier, for the writer once secured a young bird in southern Louisiana the last of May which already had acquired nearly the adult plumage. This Kite is not at all shy, and may be secured easily as it sits on some tall stub; in fact, Col. N.S. Goss tells of shooting a pair from the same tree, as the second one did not move at the report of the gun, but looked down with surprise on its fallen companion. It is said to be morose and irritable in captivity and very difficult to tame. A specimen which the writer once wounded was the very picture of rage as with flashing eyes and erect crest it threw itself on its back and prepared to repel the aggressor with its talons. an =~ oS a2! Se om fs Bull. No.3. Div. Ornithology Plate 2) MiSstSSile Pr All E- LCUNLA MUSSTSSYYILENS US (Wils.) _ EVERGLADE KITE. 25 ‘This species is fully as gregarious as any of the other Kites, and often times may be seen in flocks of twenty or more circling over a favorite hunting ground. It is observed most frequently around the border of woods in the vicinity of water, and is particularly fond of half-cleared ground where dead trees still stand, these being used for perches. Its flight is as varied and graceful as that of the Swallow-tailed Kite, is long protracted, and the bird often ascends to so great a height as to bebarely visible. While soaring high in the air its flight simulates that of the turkey buzzard very closely, and as the two birds often are seen together the Kite looks like a miniature of the other. DESCRIPTION. Front of bare leg covered with large transverse scales; cutting edge of upper bill notched. Color: Uniform bluish gray or lead color, becoming lighter on head and darker on wing and tail; inner webs of outer wing feathers partly rufous. Length: 13 to 15.50 inches (330 to 393 ™™); extent, 35 to 37 inches (890 to 940 ™™); wing, 10.60 to 12.30 inches (269 to 312™™); tail, 6 to 7 inches (152 to 178 ™™). Table showing the results of examinations of 4 stomachs of the Mississippi Kite (Ictinea Mississippiensis ). Poultry Locality. Date. or game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. Madisonville, La .....- JER SLM Ts oe SAS SE Ss eB Soca Sela Reecae | emeomue meme aaa. t Fragments of in- sects. ere ee cms a WIS SRT? SO Ree ee oy see Sc ce seer cer le GORE S or Cee serio Beetles. aera mee Me ne Mev 2,0 O69) |= 0.0 - am cl ne ce sen ae slew om nse ee scowls Grasshoppers, beetles, other insects. Ponea Agency, Okla ../ Aug. 5,1892|.......... Bese oaeee Pte =| ee, Pe ae ee 5 katydids, 3 grasshoppers, 1 cricket. SumMARY.—Of the 4 stomachs examined all contained insects. EVERGLADE KITE. Rostrhamus sociabilis. This Kite inhabits the whole of tropical America, excepting parts of the West Indies, and passes our southern border ‘nto Florida only. Through many parts of the everglades this bird is common, generally associating in flocks of from five to eight or ten individuals. Its food, as far as known, consists exclusively of fresh-water univalve mollusks, which it finds among the water plants at the edges of shallow lakes and rivers or the overflowed portions of the everglades. The species it feeds on in Florida (Ampullaria depressa) is of moderate size, the shell being 2 or 3 inches in diameter, and is very abundant in suit- 26 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. — able localities through the middle and southern parts of the State. — 7 When the bird has captured one of these mollusks it flies to the nearest perch and removes the meat from the shell with apparent ease and with- out injuring the latter. While collecting food it often secures five or six before returning to the nest, keeping in its gullet the parts it has extracted for the young. 3 So far as at present known the Everglade Kite can not be one to have any economic value, since the mollusk, which appears to consti- tute its sole food, does not seem to be in any way injurious. If not positively beneficial, however, it at least may be claimed for this kite that it does absolutely no injury to man, and consequently should never be wantonly destroyed. By the first of March, or in some cases a little sooner, it begins to build. The nest is usually situated in some low bush or among a dense growth of saw grass, rarely if ever more than a couple of feet above the water. It is a flat structure, often composed of small sticks loosely placed together and sometimes receives an incomplete lining of dry saw erass. The eggs are two or three in number, two being more common. It is a very unsuspicious bird and may be approached easily while on a perch, or may pass within close range of a person as it beats over the meadows. Its flight is said to resemble more closely that of the Marsh Hawk than that of any other of the rapacious birds. DESCRIPTION. Upper part of bill forming a slender lengthened hook. Five outer wing feathers cut out on the inner web. Color: Uniform slate color, becoming nearly black on outer wing feathers and tail; head and neck with more or less of a chalky cast; base of tail and feathers covering it, white. Length: 16 to 18 inches (406 to 457 ™); extent, 44 to 46 inches (1117 to 1168 ™™); wing, 12.90 to 14.25 inches (328 to 362 ™™); tal, 7.20 to 8.50 inches (182 to 216 ™™). MARSH HAWK. Circus hudsonius. [Plate 83—Adult male, immature female.] This well-known hawk inhabits the whole of North America, breed- ing north to Alaska and the fur countries, and wintering from about lati- tude 40° N., southward to Panama and Cuba. A representative species (Circus cyaneus) occurs throughout most of temperate Europe and Asia, wintering in the more southern portions as well as in northern Africa. The Marsh Hawk breeds in suitable localities everywhere from the southern border of the United States to the northern limits of itsrange, but is most common through the prairie country of the West. In the Bult. No.3. Drv. Ornitholo MARSH HAWK. 27 ease of a species of such extended distribution the time of nesting is very variable. Thus while in Texas the eggs are to be found by the latter part of April, in the fur countries it is the middle of June before they are deposited. : The nest is always placed on the ground, usually in a marsh or prairie grown up with tall rushes, grass, or bushes, and not far from water, It is commonly situated at the base of a bush, or, in localities subject to inundation, on the top of a tussock. It is composed chiefly of dry grass loosely thrown together and strengthened by the incorporation of a few dead sticks, and as a finishing touch a sparse lining of feathers is added. When the same site is used for several years in succession the accumulated mass of material often forms a platform of considerable size. The number of eggs in a Set is usually from four to six, though as many as eight have been found. As with most of the hawks, the period of incubation is nearly four weeks. The male assists the female in the construction of the nest, in incubating the eggs, and in procuring food forthe young. During the period in which the young are being fed the male often drops the food to the female from a considerable height, as he passes near the nest, she darting upward and catching it before it reaches the ground. This hawk is very zealous in protecting its young from intruders and has been known to attack persons or dogs who have entered its domain. After the young are reared and leave the nest they remain together, and as fall advances several families unite and migrate southward, Hence it is not unusual to see forty or fifty individuals at one time scat- tered over the more extensive marshes. Though the flight of this hawk lacks the elegance of some of the other species, it is well sustained and often protracted. When the bird is beating back and forth over the meadows in search of food the flight is easy, regular, but not rapid, and resembles closely that of some of the herons. In.the spring the male sometimes goes through a series of aérial evolutions which are highly amusing. While at a considerable altitude it throws its wings over its back, and falling several yards turns over and over much like a tumbler pigeon until near the ground, when it ascends rapidly again to repeat the performance. When prey is discovered the hawk poises for a moment over the Spot and then drops quickly on it, and if unsuccessful is sure to beat over the same place before leaving. It generally devours its quarry on or near the spot where captured, instead of carrying it away. Its food consists largely of small rodents, such as meadow mice, half- grown squirrels, rabbits, and spermophiles or ground squirrels. In fact, so extensively does it feed on the last-named animals that the writer rarely has examined a stomach from the West which did not contain their remains. In addition to the above it preys upon lizards, frogs, snakes, insects, and birds; of the latter, the smaller ground. Ce eet eee wal Kil, + Mi eh = oe) * 28 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED ‘ST dwelling species usually are taken. When hand prestea it i IS 8 feed on offal and carrion; and in spring and fall, when water fowl a abundant, it pavanicnaily preys upon the dead and wounded birds | left by gunners. It seldom chases birds on the wing, though ‘the writer has seen it do so in a few instances. i - In speaking of the food of the Marsh Hawk, Audubon says: “The by food of the Marsh Hawk consists of insects of various kinds, especially — crickets, of small lizards, frogs, snakes, birds, principally the smaller : sorts, although it will attack partridges, plovers, and even green- . winged teals, when urged by excessive hunger.” (Ornith. Biography, : vol. Iv, p. 400.) ‘ Mr. H. W. Henshaw, whose great field experience in the West enables — him to speak Satoribatieely on the subject, says: “They were seen atallhoursoftheday * * * insearch of mice and gophers, which, when obtainable, constitute the major part of its food. When urged by hunger, it may attack birds; and I remember to have been once - robbed of a widgeon I had killed and kept lying in the water, by one of these birds; but generally they confine their attacks to the humblest kind of game, which possess neither the strength to enable them to — resist nor the activity to evade the sudden descent of their winged enemy.” (Ornith. 100 Merid., 1875, p. 416.) Dr. Coues says: “It prdrigely stoops to field mice, small reptiles, | and insects. It is particularly fond of frogs.” (Birds of the North- west, p. 331.) Mr. Ridgway, in the Ornithology of the Fortieth Parallel (p. 580), states that the stomachs and crops of specimens killed at Pyramid — Lake, Nev., were filled to their utmost one with the remains of small lizar eS and nothing else. Dr. B. H. Warren gives the following summary of his investigations on this species: “In fourteen examinations made by myself, seven hawks had only field mice in their stomachs; three, frogs; two, small birds (warblers); one, a few feathers, apparently of a sparrow (Melo- spiza), and fragments of insects; one, a large number of grasshoppers, with a small quantity of hair, undoubtedly that of a young rabbit.” (Birds of Pennsylvania, 1888, p. 75.) There is another way in which it protects crops, albeit unconsciously, as appears from the following: “It is also said to be very serviceable~ in the Southern rice-fields in interrupting the devastationg made by swarms of bobolinks. As it sails low and swiftly over the fields it keeps the flocks in perpetual fluctuation and greatly interrupts their depredations. Wilson states that one marsh hawk was considered by the planters equal to several negroes for alarming the rice- birds. ee (Hist. N. A. Birds, vol. 11, p. 218.) Dr. Merriam bears witness to the truth of the foregoing, for while at Georgetown, S. C., he saw an immense flock of bobolinks driven from a field by one of these hawks, which simply passed over at a considerable height, and made no movement to molest them. oe MARSH HAWK. 29 Although this Hawk occasionally carries off poultry and game birds, _ itS economic value as a destroyer of mammal pests is so great that its Slight irregularities should be pardoned. Unfortunately, however, the farmer and sportsman shoot it down at sight, regardless or ignorant of the fact that it preserves an immense quantity of grain, thousands of fruit trees, and innumerable nests of game birds by destroying the vermin which eat the grain, girdle the trees, and devour the eggs and young of the birds. The Marsh Hawk is unquestionably one of the most beneficial as it is ‘one of our most abundant Hawks, and its presence and increase should be,encouraged in every way possible, not only by protecting it by law, but by disseminating a knowledge of the benefits it confers. It is probably the most active and determined foe of meadow mice and - ground squirrels, destroying greater numbers of these pests than any _ other species, and this fact alone should entitle it to protection, even if it destroyed no other injurious animals. The following species of mammals and birds were positively identified among the stomach contents: “ MAMMALS. Philohela minor. Arvicola riparius. Colinus virginianus. Arvicola pinetorum. Quiscalus quiscula. Thomomys. Poocetes gramineus. Spermophilus 13-lineatus. Ammodramus s. savanna. Spermophilus 13-lineatus pallidus. Ammodranus lecontei. Spermophilus mollis. Ammodramus s. passerinus,. Neosorex, Spizella monticola. Sigmodon. Spizella pusilla, Lepus sylvaticus. Spizella socialis. Tamias minimus. Junco hyemalis. Sorex. Passerina cyanea. Blarina exilipes. Melospiza fasciata. Mephitis. - Melospiza georgiana. Sciurus hudsonicus. Passer domesticus. Perodipus ordi. Merula migratoria. . BIRDS. Mimus polyglottos. Charitonetta albeola. Rallus virginianus. Rallus crepitans. DESCRIPTION. Face encircled by a ruff of short compact feathers, as in the Owls. Adult male.—Mostly of a uniform light bluish gray streaked with white; tail barred with six to eight bands, the one nearest the end being broader and darker; tips of the wings blackish. Female and immature.—Dusky or rusty brown, more or less streaked on head and neck. The Marsh Hawk may be easily distinguished in any plumage by the large white patch on the rump. Aaa TS Sas Ft Ry Sa icseetok fice 016 to 1143") ; wing, 12.90 to 16.00 aches (as to ‘oo tail, 8.80 to 10.50 inches (223 to 267"). Table showing the results of examinations of 124 stomachs of the Marsh Hawk (Circus hudsonius ). Poultry Locality. Date ou eame Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. — irds. Amityville, L. I., IN X= Oct: “7, 1885: Bae sire ctl meters ae cep teeters Meadow mouse - Washington, D Ge OGt« (29, 1886) a aes eee eras eee 3 meadow mice. . Bergen Conuby Ned <<. | Now. 26, 1685 |ar oe ee eS eee Meadow mouse . Washington, D.C ....- SiAN se, PUSS a eters wai eit ee er eer oe dO Jee eee aise Sandy Spring, Mais 2a. Heb. test faa JURCO \- 2... t.2 sn eee ee DOR Meta ce secicies OGt.® 221887 |S see eee ee aes Shee ce Meadow mouse . DORs e ee tie ese ae LO ci eas: Ivel Rotel mel lemeremees eS hander ey ents sea Io G0: eee DOfsesea ete sce: Novels, W887 4 sme cee | eee ne ea te eae ae 2 pine mice, 2 2 meadow mice. DO ats niccwes sla Nov. 18, 1887) o2ces-2 5 Tree sparrow.-.| Pine mouse, _ 2 meadow mice. ND Ouse Soe INGV S23 IBS isles se a ee eee i Meadow mouse - Travare, SS! Dak 2222--- Daly. 6,887: | seen acetals mine ae 2 striped go- phers. Pembina, N. Dak.:.... Jul; a, LOST aon Fea le cee ee aes Striped gopher... DG ee oSeeine ol TO ce eee ee ee ee eee se eer Hair of suaped gopher i NDNG cers tities Slacks Osseo ee Fee ee ee eae eee Striped gopher ae @akdalewNewe. sa28. oe. OCb. A ATSB Tees et aera rae we eis terns Shrew tees eee Long Island City, N.Y -| Oct. 1g 1887, ee ee 2 meadow mice - East Hartford, onn. -| Sept. 17, 188s Dick sos eros 2eet 2 ele See eee ee Cromwell, Coun ess OCG SIS S6F sees ee beeen ee Meadow mouse. Devils Lake, N. Dak. <2) A We eS eee ons aoe eer Striped gopher. - iO Aerie oe Aug. Totes eae eee ee Meadow mouse - Sandy Spring, Md ..--. Och I7aleenia wills Sait alee were wee ae era dO, 2s ee IDG Sas eet ees Feb. 13,9887 02 I A Empty. Sime ome, NOV s- ne. Oct. 1,1881 | Fowl «0... ee ON ree a ck epi 17,1882 2527-6 oa Small bird - => ose ce eee see acto sfeld. Conn. 2 Sep bh Werte Sine Ono ee ll tee Cree are Mices2 ser Shen tee Sept. 24,1887 |o.222.-..\ Small bird =... 2.(co. Goes. eee East Hartford, Conm (22) 2NOve AQ Te eG 6 re Ie ee re 3 meadow mice. . Beis jo cna chara Oct. 17,,1886.). 3.5252 2). ccc ce ae eo] Pe eR Gave rer Paint Rack: exc. ee DOC. nage, Cais oe eet See ae ase Skunke? so eeeae Washington, 3 Ot Onaaee Sept-1154886,) Mowl..22|2. 23 .2ce sees Pee eee Kast Bradford, Pa ...--. PAST ROT RT Gel ecg Merl Soke Serer eae Mice2i<-s eae: Westtown, Pa.......-- AWE SO NSTBileoen <2. 222 2 warblers ..---- - SO See Oxdond Pa oe Nov. 5, TIS AU A SS oie eal ae Ae nc nN ge «3 LORS aca eae ‘Brazile Creek, Nebr - - .| /Octs, 2° 1869) eh ne ceo 69 in- sects. DOs eeee ee cace we: RI an es SNES SE iy FAs 15 locusts, 77 other insects. Otoe-County, Nebr... °:| Sept.j 1864) yen soos Se ee 71 locusts, 10 other insects. Sarpy County, Nebr...|.. 2.d0°e3.cs5|. 25. see es oe eee Lizard, 69 lo- - custs. MOS oss ee ee Be LO Ske Sees ee ee ene aes Or Rp 3 aoe Gopher ..-...... 51 locusts. Douglas County, Nebr:| Oct. °° 1864032 soar oe ee ote ee aoe 43 lo- custs abana, NG Vow clo te = May: 1; 1886 teisee seem toe ere cee ne eee 4 MiCO.co acces oe } JUD ese eeeeecrer dialysis TS8Cs) 3 oe eee Serene” aemeee meee Mousé2¢2=. eee Beetles. Heyrome, (NoYes AUG. TU ASSG cia senate eee ere epee Red squirrel. --. MD OMS 82 Ste cs ol ok Ab SES EAST pep pce apn eet 9) a Field mice...-.-.. Barton, Ne VY v5. 2 Aug. 41,1886) Wo 0d= loo... Ses ee eee eee Beetles. cock Hale County, Ala...... Mar. 17,1888}: Qwail >). |2. 22 2sen eae eer ee ee ee Washington, D.C ..... Mars 28 ABS See sy ee era pee Meadow mouse - Beg AmA700; Mach ss 225 INOV.c28) LSB Gi it eee eel ee ne Field mouse ..-- nadesocdoog sansa ‘Apr: 201886 (oe bo ee es eee eee | MOUSse a eens eee Hollie N. 2 Ee ee ears Se tee et ee CMa ia har se |) Shae. SESE A, @oncord) Mass oo oo coo de ee | ue a ee Ge Do. Montauk Pt. GL NY Sept:.:4,1885 |2 2 oo ee Frogs Sc eedemn ewe sae ept. Tl WS85) |. =. 5222) Robin = ae cee a NOLES (7s) eee HeReran ck. ING a Sepir24 51885 eet le ee ee eee eee Mice. 2. 2s Schraalenburg, INO) ce] Nov. 261885 [2.2 ove ae ee Pe Insects Jackson County, Mo ..| Dec Peag. Wchetay Peerless) la oe Birds 22.5542. 5 2inccs sere ee eee St, Helena Island, S.C.| Jan. 1,1886|........-- Clapper rail 2.27222 = eee Realeroh, N.C c.2 os Oct 291886 eee ea |e ees pene Meadow mouse DORR Ss Setar ook ae OGES aS MSSS4ee Soe: 3 small birds. . oLMICer eee WOE hr a. Och. 22, SSB ees 2 eo: 1 Sparrow 2 cov scl 22 Soe eee eee Brookville, Ind......-. INO 227A Si Soin tees hee ear ape a le eet 2meadow mice Saratoga County, N.Y.' Sept. 1, 1877|.-....... Sparrow ...-..-.-. Mouse 333 saseee Rensselaer County, N.Y| Aug. 9, 1879 eccsceeesece MARSH HAWK. dl Table showing the results of examinations of 124 stomachs of the Marsh Hawk (Circus hudsonius )—Continued. Poultry Locality. Date or eeine Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. Rensselaer County, N.Y| Sept. 10, 1883 |.---.----- 4 sparrows..----- Meadow mouse Lo at Aug. 26, 1885 | “SAREE SUL ide oie net Een ea| Cee ee eee eeE amas Grasshoppers NO ipeneee ee 4 GTS PT Gg tS 5a ee Serer Rha besten Ser shale ers 2 one 2 Sle: eee Aug. sibel laird Meee eek sas oct ea beece Squirrel 22=... LS County, N. Y-.-| Apr. 10, I feteid)y Bee eoeetone escece see orb Srar MOUSO sex. Ssosce i. . {oa Wey 30; 1884) | 02a S eno )aae oa cin Meadow mouse - Tid, SSE INOWer Sh ISRO ee sees se Sisal birds 2 Sse o2 Sa. aoe some ease iNew: Mork =.=. ------=- SOpteyen 1886 qesosescs =: Sparrow, ----2--- IM Ces ssen5 2 oe Oakdale, Suffolk Coun- | Mar. 93, BSS Nese ereeice esc 2 meadow mice - aN ae ee Apt. c4 1868 gasses «| PUrple Crackle |b< 2.556 UR ee sea ee oc ht a ee ee Short tailed spermophile. ment yen Uke. | SCPbr21, 1600. oo case lc ace os cee nine ee elem pe ate oe cess Empty. Drees hs toes: Octet 189 Eac.n wae sala ase s wae eee soe|o Soe e eames ceaeeee Indeterminate matter. Sandy Spring, Md....- OCH GF189 0 se ees See eae ace ase Meadow mouse - Hhembinv aio, taaho-—.| Sept:. 61890) |. -..-.: 22. |5<-5- soe ec sets Chipmunk. ..... Portland, Conn........ Oct reel SOQ uc omee ol o ae csenee Eo s 2 meadow mice.. J Deo e aaa set ee Octo 14 1890) o5- S22 Se 2swamp spar- Ai e= Sece donee rows. Sandy Spring, Md..... Decmray 1 COON ek Se sa eee aces ae moctar 3 meadow mice-. Morristown, N.J-.....- Nepls zoel S00. pee ese se ok am ce seee says 5 meadow mice. Worse Sept. 26, HSOOU Sorc teases ts Bee oe ates 1 meadow mouse Pa ee) eas. Oates 1800 re Field sparrow, | 3 meadow mice.. song sparrow. Union County, Ky ---.| Oct. 11,1890 }.--....... Grasshopper | 1meadow mouse. : sparrow. Amityville, N.Y .:-=-- Mar: 85 1890:\2ssc.5-2 oes Savanna spar- | 2 meadow mice.. row. Sandy Spring, Md..... INOve.2Ds 18 O1E Sao ooo oe ea eS aise ahs 3 meadow mice, shrew. iuttalowNiey. occ. as SEO Pleo LOO eee. soe ee ees ee i1meadow mouse.| 1 beetle. Westbreok, Me........ Aprack AT S90 Seem ees: DEVESMOEL. Sais. ete ce sete os yao - TOWS. Sandy Spring, Md..... Pec L0; Tele eee. English sparrow |......20----cecee0- aa THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. - _ — + Moe - Table showing the results of examinations of 124 stomachs of the Marsh Hawk & } (Circus h udsonius )—Continued. | Re Poultry = oe Locality. Date. oF Zame Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. Harrison, 8. Dak ...... Sept. 2, 1890 oon cues |aec 8 tesco ns sec cee lt a ae ee Empty. [ER EAC ae ple Fis ee er Peres et aren Ree ei 11 crickets, 1 grasshopper. Mowe sees sss es Oct, sIN891 so. 7 ei eses| eee eee ee eee ss Meadow mouse. i Portland, Conn..-..-... Sept. 28; $898 |< <2 Sccece: Field sparrow: NU eee et ae eee eaeeee Byo Camp Verde, Ariz ..--. Octs-10-188h)| Gambel’sl 225265. 2 os. fe Set Sere ote ene quail. | | Op ecaee. s252 Se [ee Ogee as ee Onc hnn te ree aco lwlated Scie mete ae lo ee WEG peo esate cee a5 leQmalls pire: fee oo teen LS es Se ee Jan. 5,1886 | Gambel’ s 22 Dh ech Paiocwee el eee See ore see ese | | quail. | | epee soso == -'- AGT ibe | Joe Sos | epee Hh eevee Stats 2 pancho Serer ea Do. LET Ie) a ore ea SAP I S51 88G or wesc say iUGrissalthrasnern|:.—.-oooescucenene eeeese ao =~ = - - INGweo 1886 | 22s -e2 = [MonrEtne. dOvO:|2: 15> Aate n= s2 al [Oe WGC AO ASBG|2 = ee (eee: sepsis coe. Seas oe ale ueOe 1D ts ae eae S(E] 0) tee BF ROTM fh Lees Sane a ee (Rese ane nel |e ee ee Do. 1 eee oe eee Jan. 17,1888 Bee acce Apertss hOw=-|sos-0s62-4ueccen hee, other | | birds AUT Oe See SD ter I SSS [Saas ts ay ea ee Sa [rocco ccec eee c teens Do. WO sce. = ene Hehoscl Oe S88) ae sO eee ee eae toe ees. See ae ae Do. Payson, Ariz .-----.-- HED. 18; A058 [aoe cee Sendy. Spring, Md..... De Se eee IDO eae ae eae’ IDM) oS S Rae a aane DD Osees See coo cess IDX6) ScSSuE Sa Se See tt) ORs sere kee. Ore ee ee LS JOO cae as as eee Kalamazoo, WOW Ss oe (0) Sates a ae ee East mrndsord IDs ae Ops sete sete Gee Birmingham, Pa ...... Alder Creek, N. AG Re ae Woodland, Cal ........ Fort Hamilton, N.Y .. Bayou La Barre, La ... New Orleans, La ...--. maleigh: N. C2...22.¢.; 5 D YO eae Regatta ee gre Mount Carmel, Ind . Brookville, Ind Pee Oe BIS) pete TN SI ANS a. ae Aa ams elms: = ose Union County, Ind.. Dec. 24, 1888 Jan. 9. Jan. 22, 1889 Feb. 3, 1889 Mar. 12, 1889 Mar. 10, 1888 Apr. 2, 1889 Apr. 4, 1889 Mar. 5, 1889 July 23, 1889 May 28, 1889 Aug. 3, 1889 Aug. 5, 1889 ed O. ho 5.2e% Aug. 6, 1889 Aug. 26, 1889 Sept. 1, 1889 able showing the results of shart hertions of 562 stolid : Gy borealis)—Continued, Poultry or game | Other birds. Se i i i re is ee i i a se eee ec wens oem et eee eet eee Se i i i ii ee ers sneer ee ee ee Se res i ee i a i rd see eees eee eee ew ere ee ee eee ay Se ee es 2-2 - -UU wwe nee nen ne 2 meadow mice - Rabbit, meadow mouse. Meadow mouse, 3 shrews. is 1 Say’s. chip- munk. 1 Rocky Moun- & tain chipmunk. c Empty. Do. 1 Rocky Moun- tain chip- munk, 1 white- footed mouse. eraw- - fish, See pers, beetles. 4 large grass- hoppers. SYS) OLeend Moy pl FSSA aaa) a celta en ois eS A a 1 Say’s chip- munk, 1 Rocky |. *& Mountain chipmunk. te ek SIS] Y a tol a Maree real Re mes i 1 Rocky Moun- | 2 grasshoppers. _ = tain chipmunk. OPA nal S BON So cnn Heese rca ete es) eens eee ere eee dO, ees SOD Ue WS BON Par Ce en oe Eat) ere. pees 2 Rocky Moun- tain chip- munks. OCHS PUS894 Pee eye eos erences ere il a bens squir- rel. NOW 2 OTS BO seecee oe See etait ek myst mera 1 pocket rat ... ING Oivis alu SSO aes heaves crank een a dad ete a Mouse hair..... Eee Oe cater Poultry to. n.2 isa. cai Sheets «lel aoe eee ee MO Gems el oes cele ade eee ia Oa ee Empty. Nov. ge SSO ice ee Se alles ois ee oes | eon ae Do. sie 8K 8 UO ees es ieee ec ey Seu Naam ene nee en Abt Ishrew=ssessene Nov. 93, TUS TSRO NA es es a agtante Allb pees ace a IE 2 meadow mice; 2 shrews. INiOve29 1889" Otanlis cae eee ete Gray squirrel... dB YevePynens hal toto ol ore eae tere Rm EUR ae Bo San Do, DCs eG USSOu aa Berise aoe ose eee i rata eee Meee le, MSC erate er toneesee ose Meadow mouse USSOs Pe ouliny, = eee. = asa ee as | ei ee ESS Gaier seth cw teen lye ty Seaseetae oT Saint pete Gopher ssseseees PES OM etre ete pone eta soe ee oe ee eee 2bdO" Le aes WE hyealy Wels Sy erty Ga Reema ges eoacorsasses355- ANU AS) Meth) | Sa aecoocs Smalling: 36.2 2a se et eee eee NON IA UE SS Gs se oe as Sateen eee se AVM CO Saeceee ee Depts Zee SS Gs eec ees calle eee ences Meadow mouse; | Grasshoppers. porcupine. May 24, 1886 |.......--. Small bird 5-25 -- Rat. eee DEC MS NSS Oise. emer ae Shoresariaeteean= Miole 2. 32ers DCG RaSh SB Sst Soa ayes ee ae Bie te Rab bibas-eere eee deny BOM) le nessa co King ‘Rail. 2. 5se-e50 ee eee ee Deer LB USS Tl eee de PEs My ce Or eens ee Empty. Feb. 14,1888 Poultry.|.... Ra ee ic ee ee oor a wie INF Oiwi38l GRASS Binh se ys aici ores teagan ay ena 2 meadow mice. _| Nov.. 22, ATSB Galicia secs aos Rae py ce AMA igeses SoS DDO Cpl AS BG sya ee aes Sean pees or Ae a Short-tailed shrew. ane 4, 1887 | (Ouail sealer eee ee Rabbit==sssseere -| Jan. Ne RRR 74| ees certs lke 2 ik oe oe OE aan nde W hite-footed mouse. see HO ene Soares ees la Sabi lias Se Ade Mice eases ee Jan. 12, 1887 Meadow mouse - RED-TAILED HAWK. Table showing the resulis of examinations of 562 stomachs of the Red-tailed Hawk : (Buteo borealis )p—Continued. Poultry Locality Date . enue Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. : Adams. Ind =~ .-=3<.- -'- JA AO S8ie lena a eo ee [eee sas ace ces 2 white-footed mice; 1 other mouse. _ die Jan. 27,1887 |-----..---| Sparrow (?).--.-| Meadow mouse -| Crawfish. Decatur County, Ind ..| Feb. fetes PSST comes Soak coe Siemmnike 2 socom: Do. rE errata ree tiania alive oe x] gd ose ce Se moobe tee 4 meadow mice; 1 white-footed mouse. Springfield, Ind .....-.- Marre BESS [a] sie on Sos [ers na Sie See See el ae a a Seescce sss: og. Brookville, nd........ i Te a GS te Sees ets ane eae S 2 white-footed mice. ion: SaaS JUNC Neh nce ote fal eeslen eames (As noe cae CVE ey Oe one te Empty Wipe cones ISR a LB SN al ce nace ee a eer ie pale EAD Dia ee Fairfield, Ind-....-.:.. NN Owens Oe Sits | OMIGKEN: |-eaae an takes sole anise sees a eee Brookville, ind oss: | DGC HANS RTE e 3h Ors Saal ere man Poe elo Se mre eet tees Se ieee Whitcomb, Ind.......- NSS Tete SS. [ee See ce en oeme. Bao oats oe ol res A eae Ry ee ee Garter snake. Springfield, Ind -...... see ZU ISTAG, nee lea seins ete ere er ener EOP 7 makes yee a a | Oe ss. soe |e ce ass ese Hee ates Bieta Ba area se ln ee cn a ee Rensselaer County, | Nov. 23, 1878 |---.-.---- iene eee Mouse hair -.... Fr ee N.Y. WOO ten ce ous. sss iE RS TSS 2M hs rages a Sle Sa ae Map ge Pea Eyes 35 grasshoppers. IDES ae eee OC iNMRORISS hy lee Sect ala an nae ae aren Meadow mice MOUSE os os cas Oc iseae sl S865 he eee ee. Not sein kala Monee cia eee Grasshoppers. Dit ees COX iy PAE TENA eS eis | ate ae ge eee ae Ad Cond ene nem ice ies Se ae Cricket. lit S355 OGTR AZO SBT eee ees sees case eee White-footed mouse, 1 mead- 3 ow mouse. pimmereOaunny, N.Y | Noy. 8, 1879:|--+.......|-2-.-cececeeeee--- Red squirrel. ...| Frog. Sue tne ION,, == ON OV. 3, 1884. |. ose | re ene cede ee nena |- sane = senses areas Grasshoppers, garter snake. 1 DS) EC ae a NOW Sel SSOx Sos Sewer TY 2 ras oe eee _ Oye Oa NOM Rr VB Le Da fe eng cape (oer Si Serie real ie eae ogre A ac Empty lo ESO 5 aS a SIG Pre ase Cape eae ait aR [EER yn MR et A Do. Eee ad ah bey | OCG. 20, 1888) - =~ 6252 -| seen ole ena an a coe ege sain eckson temns Frog, grasshop- a pers, crickets, : other insects. cesta tao =. 2 INOW oy LOGS econ = 5 Pee Beene Meadow mice...} Frogs, grasshop- pers. Jefferson, Md ..-......- Deer 12,1889 | ya een. = -- | eee ae eee 3 meadow mice -| 2 grasshoppers. Peuoraswille, Conn -:/Jan., — 1889 |..-....-..|...--2--2--ceeen-s 2short-tailed shrews; 2 | meadow mice. Jefferson, Md.........-. DCT AS 8 OI IR Ovid ee freee od a as |e eee eae pandy: Spring, Niele WEGs 21, TORO | see cc ata ee oh meetin eis Meadow mouse A LESTE ate 5 TRL (Ee en sole earn ec EE] eee See oe te S Empty. a Ae CBO) sph sees Ke Bat bance pn API Meadow mouse IDG. 22S. e5 Saas C0 OS Sn cal emer oma Heathers 2e2e £21c| ee eee ee Hale County, Ala ..... JEM aA GOON hance sleek ete, ade ee Harvest mouse. . Lockport, N. Y.......- Slane (20S (R 00ers ieee oe oon eee Short-tailed shrew. Amagansett, N. Y..... OMMEAI ISO 9 yee sec ta) creas ote Se ees 2 meadow mice... Greensboro, Ala....... TSU a EA TUT DH ioe Es ea at tas Re ee Cotton rat,2 white - footed mice> Toronto, Canada .....-. Ue yee 9 Os! ects e ate aut cis bey pets nal | reenter ee Offal. Sandy Spring, Md..... PED ECUURON tee tae |e ssa ye a carne hr yam Empty. DO eS Seas ae ENA LOM SOO) Sic osc son See teeter aes 1 short-tailed shrew, 2 meadow mice. LGA aN Mcin= toy 1890)|_7eoee. o.. ZISOUS Sparrows. |= 2 --e oes se see -Toad. {Dt 5 es ee ee MI reat GOO pie crepe Ol CNR Wine Soles re Short-tailed ; shrew. Maer ators eae ts oc Mar. 18, 1890|.......... ae arm esl oe an Sere asa Empty. 10 aoe SES en aS CAT) IS Shei ee gee [er i ae, Ng ae Meadow mouse, pine mouse. IC SENS eeeeereses VARA SOO acces alae eee 2 Pp Rabbits ose WWD ence Sasccusecclocsn ORS eal Sake Semen sa aee eae loc 2 short- tailed shrews, 1 Cooper’s mouse, 1 pine mouse. 10) 2 See seen sear ANI eNO OUe | Me Perc. eee ce ea eset 2 meadow mice-. WOR ocr dneas aces tlic Ses Caetscce soe es IROOM Ne seGc oa 2 meadow mice, 2 shrews. Seo ooo ANTI MOON Sa eter ccs] esecian ube coe cleo Meadow. MlICo.e Bellefontaine OhiGiess io tly 26,1689" Poultry =|s-ceccseccsccess cal oesnescseene ne slen nake, stag beetle, small beetles, craw- fish, two tly. larve. 60 THE HAWKS te 23 eat eo Mt gee, AND OWLS Table showing the results of examinations of 562 OF THE UNITED stomachs of the Red- fanned aanee (Buteo borealis)—Continued., STATES. Poultry Be Locality. Date. pe eum Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. yirds. Marvin, Tex :.+-..-2---- James 2t T8900 tasks aes Aa eee eeepc eee cee eee eee Goat offal TO Y6s pie sie ie sa ae PAC (Ch ea neal ree sang Oe Oe Naa Te eT inging oo Do. DY Oa eeseeents ee eee ‘Ja am: 20,1890) |. eocee tall oe cece see ee Se ee Do. Oe Se eee Jan. 21, MSQON aoe eee eI ere Sie Bae See Rs Do. 9 Yost oe i et a aS eats ae eae Cea Nees aD DiGeee eee Do. IDG) Ree Ses Aa i Beano cle SOMOS Nor ene cees Soe alee Ce eee as ens 22 200.22 alte See SOY Yi Sec ai pene BGO Lee e |. Sica Sa See eae Se eee |; Goat offal DYN See Bag ee ane ‘Jan. 1), UO | ocessceaoe Bindy.-sosas eee Rock squirrel Orance County, No -.| Oct: 11,1873.) Rutfed\ |... 2h 2.23 sien oes ee grouse. ead stals ON, Neo Agr. do Veo 422272) oo Se eet ance aie <= eee ae ee Empty Putnam County, ENS AYS Asp GD IB 79" Soe ck Sues es soe cle ae ee ee ee ee Do. Circleville, Ohio ...-.... AMOI ol MIR STS N= St eae Sees he ee Ae ee ee Do. Camp Verde, PASTA oh Avni s LOTS 84¥ 2 is SS See eel pe Do. Mavapai County, Ariz-|Sept. 25, 1884)... 22. --..|.-----.2-s2-.--0- Arizona rabbit OY Se Geer aeeeae SA CL OMA reste or ial een iar tS UCM art ete os he separa 2 0 2 Sane Morotion Mountains, | Oct: 5, 1884 |... 2. 2 | bee. ee se 2 oe oe Do. Ariz. ‘Binenspmmes; Ariz)... --) Nove (7, 1884 |f. 02.2520) 2222. c eee es Rabbites-cee see Whipple Barracks, | Nov. 25,1884 |........--)..:-.-.....2..---- Arizona rabbit AYiz. Camp:Verde, Ariz. ..--. Ie ae CNC eal en peg | eo ne Oa eas Crs a a oc Do. Yavapai County, Ariz.) Mar. 25,1885 |.....-...-|..........---.---. Arizona rabbit. -} Fort Lowell, Ariz ....- AUT SO TBS ee ike. Wk oe mere ee iets oe ee Do. Red Rock, Ariz.....-.. Ny Ae OIC SOs roe fo Se oe oes he Sle eet ene Small snakes. New apalcounty. Aniz=| May. LO 188ous5 2 oo. 2c (less. at eae ce coe sl aces eee Meee Sere Empty. Camp Verde, Ariz ...-. PRA OR DHS SOS os eae ie eee eas Arizona rabbit - 00a sateen aa PANO re ERS BON Sta ciecarstavass ie bic ie oe occ ats Ae Pocket gophers. eo avapal County eAri7 PAO. 27) W880) a eee eee eee eee Do. Pee Seo See et Sept. 18,1885. }..o.. 2s. cls ck ewe ooo ec bac eee lee oecancee See ee oD er ee snake. Camp Verde, Ariz..... Oct NLOBIR RSH Stes) Wen as rae Cera Pocket gopher OR Sask OCT AIG HBSS so ses. SE. eas es | ae te eee Striped snake. DO eeee eo es DCCHABS ISS steel Aes oe ee a eee Empty. : LOY 0), eee eens ence wie DEC E28 1SS85 fees Se Sa Ee ee a ge Do. DOE ee nS eae JVI A ASS Glee ae | a ee eg ess Arizona rabbit - Upper iertlcn Valley. “SMar:, sO; USS Vi. o.5 5s ese.) are Screens Jack rabbit..... riz. Campmvierde, Ariz... .|Miar. 12,1886 (65.2220 2) pe. 2. ie ee nee eee Do. ONC a ese oe ae epi G 1SS6ie ae = ena. Mourmine dovec|)---.9ss55---sees IDO st eee coe Oct W786 2 I ee ee Dose 0X0) ese an INFO 2OSISSO eon ee ee A CS EOS) lee eee ee Diamond rattle snake. DOR Noe cs sess SD DYSLOR Coa IS SNHIGS | Fe she is ea ame ES Arizona rabbit DOs teen ose (0a ee es Oa ep iran a Pe MOR NER sae lie waco ae 8S lo Snakes. IB ee eee Dee. APPR SG 2 odes UPS Sy Si ee 5 ae ee ee ey ee Empty. IVO SoBe Se aes ee ene NOLO Sse ea | re ee re la enon (ee Se Ee Do. WO ees Secs ce | BC Oasys bape see A aa ee Way ee ee Polke gopher. 1 OG) nee en Nel ae DG CHATS BS 6r Ss See eee Oe et eal ee OMe eee WO scce co See sce SSCS iii UIC) eee ae a ree eon eNES Relate AN amen GG sia a 5 Do. Oak Creek, Ariz.... -. Sra OMS B eee oa ca OR rg 82 eee nee Do. Yavapai County, ANS EIA ALLAH OS Pok Wd USP S1C 5 eer ean cere eet cee ieee | Wood rats...--- Camp Verde. Ariz..... Jam edG Te8c eGampbelWsiaecg eee see een eee quail. DOE era Sear s|s WAL OTe Soe aile 2 Fehr SIE ead erica, Sew yalepes Mexican wood ¢ rat. Pecks Lake, Upper | Jan. 24,1887) Pintail..|.......--..-..--.- [2.2 .0e-2-0--eomnee Verde Valley, Ariz. Camp Verde, Ariz..... Mar. 31,1887 | Teal ....| Mourning dove .|..-........-.-.---- DORE ae eee LON. see Me Wee Se un StS ee ade se A Uae 1s Tabet ae Oe ea Do. Wipper Verde Valley, (| Apr. 16,1887 |\.ocsc 2 ll \occe eee el ee eos. Texas jack rab- Ariz. bit. WOR Soe oes ALO sees Ste ey pe eee Rte SS GO) case ee cae Francisco Mt., June Qe OST enced ce aia cee mre ee ON eS ‘Say’ cS) Chafonnimunls riz. NORE Se enrich SUNG AG; UES Tclan se | oe ee ee Ol ates eo eee eae Do. Mocoltonwts: Ariz: Surly Taeies 7 lek ose 2 pee cL een We eee) Se ee Do. JOR See Sa eee eee ORY Ae SSF ere esl Saas eas Re eae Abert’ ssquirrel. Tonto Basin, Ariz-..-.. PATO PLO SS: ess Caplio era cn ree Arizonasquirrel.; Lizards. Camp Verde, Ariz..... CG Yoy Rayer bho fal epee inl Eat MA aN UIA La Mea so Small snake. 1D) Of eeers oer oa wale Pi G Oem ie epee on ll ae eam RP RENATO NS tats Empty. IONS cease ee eee ENIOWSE WSBT Estes Peles a Sa Sea ie SCO |e se har a Do. ED Oi ee ee in ENO Wns DSSS eae eae SS IL EO no ee a Do. ID One eee oo cS: INGV LO 1SBT lee eye Sco ei DN Oe i Grasshoppers, bull snake. paper Wende..Vialley |) DEC.) BUBB I> (hs sc gt [SS sae ae ete us || ee ee eee Empty. riz. Camp Verde, Ariz..... BIE Y Seana Roche | meee a Sane eee anit a yc C7 ll Fark a Sak aaa ere Frogs. Sea RED-TAILED HAWK. 61 Table showing the results of examinations of 562 stomachs of the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo borealis )—Continued. = ; | Poultry | | A | : Locality. Date. orgame , Otherbirds. | Mammals. | Miscellaneous. | birds. |. | | \ ‘Gaz a; | | \ ~ | eayspn- ATIZ..-....:-. | Feb. 10, 1888 | pons Poe Sees ose | Kangaroo rat...| { quail. { YavapaiCounty,Ariz..| May 8, 1888 | ses Sat eet Bees ae occ 4 Pa aAence: Saeee es | Small st riped | | | snake. Vermillion, Clay | Apr. 1, 1890 | Wet iG) sox cc ctl Sate oe enema eee ee | County, 8. Dak. | duck. | ea Le ee Avni 9; 1800 ee 222. ae See Baa ae ol (SARE ocomercsecs | Empty. LUD 33 sG aaa oS ee ee [Reromacemclee canes eae as oe | Striped gopher..| Sandy Spring, Md....- Oct. GEIS90h| HoWwds 2) nse see see eee [Pasobe Sees Ci 2 ee | Oct. 22, 1890 (222. OMe Sse ane ohic eee 2 Be he Gamstts os sb ar aoe Plover Mills, Ontario-..| May 8, 1884 |.......... [e Setts this ee clenleaeiss | 2 meadow mice -| Keokuk, Iowa.----- -. leecs 225 18805 ae teas ees see “Mice: 2s. 2 sandy. Spring, IMG ==? INO 6; 18907 |. Sse ee eee foe Meadow mouse -| ee Sen (D Saeoee alba b eae eee serene Ieee aeeeecn nee eras | oir Sali aysiiaias - Portland. Conna2 <=. = OCiers SSO ss ee see eats, cto eee esaeee = Red squirrel, | Larva. | | shrew. “3S eee Oct. 22, 1890 [pees © tag ane aat Perrin ee eee Suiits coe Spring, Md..... INO Wau s 1S9OM ase seers: [2 ee ee hee eae Chipmunk .....- | ig sis se ES ee (ee [se eee CoS ee ae ae eine Red squirrel..... Wood frog, spi- | | | der, grasshop- | per, snake. ieee seas. oo| NOV. Lo, 1890}. 22. proccess ccs e cece lee cee eee eee renee Empty. Oye ee eon ekac | Nov. 15, 1890 |......--.- eSee es Seb ao aS Meadow mouse, | Grasshopper. | short-tailed | | | shrew. \DOS ES aSS saan eaaes HEN Owl SOOM Sear coats ieronia csvset aisiee Sta | House mouse .... Dy 2a aa eee Noe Ass 1 S90 ego sce | Sees oe ieee | Meadow mouse -| SS | Nov. 20,1890 |.......-.- aoe cs eae lea Ree Me tags oe | Empty. AD GRE sears at SOs sees leh ere eeu A Na, Soak a vase 2 9 meadow mice, | | 1 jumping | | mouse. UD 2 SO | Nov. 2 A890) Pee sees) pstacen ace eavemens [ies eh aia ce een Do. Union County, Ky ..-- Oct. 22,1890 | Chicken.|......-.-..-...--.|.---------++------ | ree ee os os - TUEGaTis: fi, [SME ON hm Ree gM ae ca ene ee Rian Bays Gee Es Toad. Sandy Spring, Mids a WEG sy TSO ess. & aoe [ee Mohs Nepal ose onaral| oe eh eee oe EE ee | Empty. Le Oct. 18/1890) /2- 227... nce ee Snes r sedate | 1 shor -tailed | 2 grasshoppers. | | shrew. Morristown, N.J..---- INovs, 451890) |5... S220 >: aE NR 5 Stee a 1 small sh¥ew, 1 | | | meadow mouse. | Ee see ee NOV Loy 1890): Chicken.) 2 2=-< o-ce sce esl s-s-esccsuse sores Moe ristown, N.J .....- Nove 17, 1890+|5 5" 2225 =- bs aioe Sa eae eee ae eee eee Empty. Sandy Spring, Md..... WGC= 72918901 eas ees enE sess Sa oeeecrenasauce | Do. Ll) Rebate Oet sole essa sce Pec ie = eters oe oie | [meadow mouse, | | ' 1small short- | | | | tailed shrew. LOMING Yoo ec c 55s Oi e289 Omen Bae ee eco ete ane aac set eee bee ey erin | grasshoppers. emack Pao. --2.. 2. JUN a ED Re ai ee al ie oe Chipmunk ...--- | Frog. Boys Bluff, Va.....| Feb. Oye fo) Bll aan sees |oe ado} Soe oSsceses | Mouse hair ...-.. Washington, D.C ..... EeNov..20; 1891 | Chicken .|-.--<- -.:--<-.-<-- Pine mouse ..--. | Sandy Spring, Md..... Dee sol 1891. |s yee Ses esate piercer IRA NOt see Sse" DT ee ee Piece: 15, 189iel 3 tar Pao teat coe tome cs We ee ate eee | Empty Meme mOmuniye: Pa?) -00 22... 1|.2.-222 02. lo.e een lee vee nwees | Beppe eae one the S [ciA bey: Portland, Conn ..-..... | Je SSRIS CEN Ie Sa te ee ee eer | lmeadow mouse. | Hy eek. KOcie Si aBOl | sea Ses eeecic eh aioane cater eee te. 10 We ae eee Novas lo esol C@hiekenescceeac2 6 sen somee Hee pacers oc area Sandy Spring, Md..-.-. Romani WSO Delete ee ale WE a Ae House mouse --.! Rapes ere ATIZ§ | Ar. 30, ES92) 12 c coo los oes cece nce oo cfe- ces oecsecnceces 1 striped. snake, Sandy Spring, Md..-... Pic fav TEN ISHS) ie esc ses Seerer | | 5 centipeds. gene ses Sali ae pet te A La re AL Ti Empty. 2/1 Sa ee aoe {Peer CLOM eco Wren aceon ete osha esta | Mouse hair ...-. Lt Se esa Saaeee JEDIT 74 USES 2 ee [eas ae ee a | 1 house mouse, | | 1 short-tailed | | shrew. 11D) 2255 Seca ae ee Wear 1491892}. -- 2 oS fo JUMCOS) SONG le 2 72k saeco soe | | | sparrow. 5 DTC ee tes ee hence | Mar. 21, 1892 |..........| 2 song sparrows, | 2 meadow mice, | 1junco. | 1white-footed | mouse. BOG ee oe fat es Minit S18 920 a cena se Pe SA ere ae ec Re Gray squirrel - - . NOM Hac ois Sate ee eS Mar eUTeL S92 |<, See 1 junco, 1 song Mouse hair..... | | sparrow. WOR ese ee Sl VLG esT COO epee area ae eee cae 8 Sled SIE BS ey nes ne | Do. LEE Est ener el Ter payne Oe lec Nae neta a hee Sao ele nines ea eee te pecomee 0 DMs ee ee Su CV eae Bo Hs (ae ees ke i ne ee 2 meadow mice. - LU SEE ae ean Fo ES ced eT CC 1S) Se RO ee ee eee eee J meadowmouse, | eee gray squirrel. 10 aoe eS Cea Bere doeoeee (pe Sabeie 50 [pecs seesoace bac se lrat, 1 house | | | mouse, 2mead- ' ow mice. Table showing the results of examinations of 5 562 stomachs re the Ret (Buteo borealis )—Continued. Poultry , y Sie asd Locality. Date. 3 eae Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. peak. pera. Spring, Md..... Camb, SOU Seco ee | Soe eee ae House mouse -.- SoS ess Feb. 12,189] |. -..------|.....:<..<-.2.2--=|.2 meadow mice ; tae De EME Cet ASSN Jan. 261891): = oo See Sasa eek emereee 3 meadow mice . xt he ae Meee ota we Wear, 2; 1890)\ 22-3507) 5s =sae eae cea See oe ae Empty. eS ae ae Dec.. 13, 1890 |<... 22 -).. ss.--- 2-2. 2-2] Smead Owe cer Panamint Nis. Cal S-- | SOE As, 1SOl (e-em anon ecm eae eee Pouched gopher-| 2 lizards, 5 grass- ericket. SumMMARY.—Of 562 stomachs examined, 54 contained poultry or eae birds; 51, other birds; 278, mice; 131, other mammals; 37, batrachians or reptiles; 47, insects; 8, crawfish; 1, centipeds; 13, offal; and 89 were empty. * RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. Buteo lineatus. [Plate 8—Adult.] The -Red-shouldered Hawk inhabits eastern North America from Nova Scotia and Manitoba ranging south to the Gulf of Mexico and west to the Great Plains. A dark race (Buteo lineatus elegans) inhabits the Pacific slope, north to southern Oregon. A small race (Buteo lineatus allent) occurs from Florida to Texas, and extends south into Mexico. It is well to state here that, although the — Texas and Mexican specimens are of the same size as typical Florida examples, they are much darker, owing to the increase of the rufous pigment in the plumage, thus approaching the elegans type in colora- tion. It will be seen from the above outline of its distribution that a con- siderable portion of the dry interior of the United States, including the Great Plains region, is without a representative of this species. The diet of the Red-shouldered Hawk is probably more varied than that of most other birds of prey. For example, the writer has found in the stomachs of the different individuals which have come under his notice the remains of mammals, birds, snakes, frogs, fish, insects, cen- tipeds, spiders, crawfish, earthworms, and snails, which represent eleven classes of animal life. This Hawk is very fond of frogs, and, although these batrachians are mentioned by Audubon and other writers as forming a very considerable portion of their sustenance, yet mice furnish fully 65 per cent of their food. Besides this very in- jurious group of rodents, other small mammals, such as squirrels, young rabbits, shrews, and moles, are taken. Some authors have stated that Hawks commonly commence on their prey by eating the entrails. The tame Hawk elsewhere mentioned, and others that have come under the writer’s observation, invariably | hoppers, 1 mee ee. Bull. No.3. Div. Ornithology Plates. RED-SHOULDERED HAWK Buteo lineatus (Gmel) RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. | 63 : ate the eyes and brains first, even when the animal’s abdominal cavity was opened, and in most cases discarded the stomach and large intes- - tines altogether. Some authors insist that the Red-shouldered Hawk is destructive to poultry, but the writer in all his field experience has never seen one attack a fowl, nor has he found the remains of one in the stomachs of those examined. In making this statement, he does not include poul- try which is eaten in the form of offal, for in severe weather when the ground is covered with snow and when food is scarce, the Red-shoul- dered Hawk will devour dead chickens which have been thrown out: from the yard, as well as other refuse found on the compost heaps or in the vicinity of slaughterhouses. At such times the writer has often captured specimens of this Hawk, as well as of crows, blue jays, red and flying squirrels, in steel traps set near a piece of chicken, rabbit, or beef fastened in a tree. In a communication received by the U. 8. Department of Agricul- ture from Mr. J. Alden Loring, of Owego, Tioga County, N. Y., in September, 1889, he gives the following testimony in reference to this bird: ‘“‘The pair reared their young for two years in a small swampy piece of woods about 50 rods from a poultry farm containing 800 young chickens and 400 ducks, and the keeper told me he had never seen the hawks attempt to catch one.” It is extremely improbable that this slow-flying Hawk often captures birds, except such as are disabled. Frogs are eagerly sought after. The tame Hawk mentioned below always took them in preference to anything else except a live mouse. Toads also furnish food for it, especially in the spring, when they are in the water spawning. Small and medium sized snakes are often - found among the stomach contents, and occasionally the Hawk is seen flying with one of these reptiles dangling from the talons. Dr. C. Hart _ Merriam says: “ft once took from the stomach of one of these hawks a snake (Hutainia saurita) measuring 22 inches in length.” (Birds of Connecticut, 1877, p.86.) Crawfish, in sections of the country where they abound, are often taken by this Hawk, as by most of the other Buteos. Maynard, after telling how this Hawk has learned to visit the poul- try yard, states: “In Florida I found them feeding upon small mam- mals, reptiles, crabs, and other crustaceans.” (Birds Eastern N. Am., p. 312.) Among the insects which are destroyed in considerable numbers by this bird, may be mentioned grasshoppers, crickets, and various kinds of beetles and caterpillars. Even in December and early Jan- uary, when apparently all insect life is in a dormant state, specimens of the Red-shouldered Hawk are found whose stomachs are filled with one or more species of these insects. Mr. Benjamin Mortimer, whose observations were made in Florida, i makes the following spent as to its food: “ This is the most tr out fi ome of the hawks among young chickens in Orange County. The “Rye i =) see ry. ee eee eee eee ee ae ee ay ee 8 eee ee ow . ribst bales = Re ‘ > 64 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. _ numerous bay-tree swamps are its favorite residence, as they serve as _ a safe stronghold, and also harbor myriads of cotton rats, which area — favorite prey with it. It would appear that this Hawk is not in the habit of molesting the common small birds, as I have observed num- bers of Blackbirds fly into the same tree with one, neither party pay- ing any attention to the other. The bold little Sparrow Hawk has no difficulty in driving this larger species, and I have seen a pair of Quail rout a Red-shoulder that had made a sally upon their brood.” (Auk; vol. vil, 1890, No. 4, p. 339.) The following is a summary of Dr. B. H. Warren’s investigations: ‘‘In my examinations of fifty-seven of these Hawks which have been captured in Pennsylvania, forty-three showed field mice, some few other small quadrupeds, grasshoppers, and insects, mostly beetles; nine revealed frogs and insects; two, small birds, remains of small mammals, and a few beetles; two, snakes and portions of frogs. The gizzard of one bird contained a few hairs of a field mouse and some long black hairs which appeared very much like that of a skunk. The bird on- dissection gave a very decided odor of polecat. In two of these Hawks, shot in Florida, I found in one portions of a small catfish, and in the other remains of a small mammal and some few coleopterous insects.” (Birds of Pennsylvania, 1888, p. 89.) To sum up, the food of this Hawk consists of at least 65 per cent of small rodents, which are very injurious to the farmer, and less than 2 per cent of poultry. It seems hardly necessary to more than mention this fact to intelligent persons to convince them of the folly and short- sightedness of destroying this valuable bird, and of the necessity of fostering and protecting it in the farm lands and orchards. The following species of mammals and birds were positively identi- fied among the stomach contents: MAMMALS. BIRDS. Blarina brevicauda. Porzana carolina. Blarina b. carolinensis. Colinus virginianus. Blarina exilipes. Zenaidura macroura. Evotomys gapperi. Megascops asio. Arvicola riparius. Colaptes auratus. Arvicola pinetorum. Corvus americanus. Mus musculus. Sturnella magna. Sitomys americanus. Ammodramus s. savanna. Didelphis virginianus. Spizella pusilla. Lepus sylvaticus. Junco hyemalis. Scalops aquaticus. Melospiza fasciata. Tamias striatus. Passerella iliaca. Sciurus hudsonicus. Passer domesticus. Sorex. _ Merula migratoria. Fiber zibethicus. Mephitis mephitica. The species seems to berather more hardy than the Red-tail; at least it winters a little farther north, being found more or less commonly as tig os . — "sae ea RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. : 65 far as parallel 43° at that season. According to Mr. MecIlwraith it is not - found in Ontario in winter. It breeds throughout the entirerange. From New England southward it is the most abundant breeder of any of the rapacious birds, and in Connecticut and thesouthern portions of New York it is safe to say that its nests outnumber those of all the other birds of prey combined. Usually by the middle of March it begins to build its nest, there being very little difference in the time of commencing between New England and Texas, though Maynard tells us that in Florida it has -egesin February. It breeds a trifle later than the Red-tail, so full com- plements of eggs are found usually from the middle of April to the first of May. Most collectors give three eggs as the average number for a set, though the writer, from his somewhat limited observations in south- ern New York, does not remember ever finding less than four, and five was not an uncommon number. Dr. William Wood mentions a set con- taining six. Incubation, as with most of the other Hawks, occupies less than twenty-eight days. The nest closely resembles that of the crow, except that it is larger and lacks the compact and neat appearance common to the nest of the latter bird. It is composed of coarse sticks loosely placed together with finer ones toward the central cavity, which is lined with the bark of the grape vine and other fibers, or, in some cases, with pieces of the rough outer bark of the oak and hickory, and not uncommonly, as with many of the other birds of prey, green twigs with the leaves attached are used. Bottom lands grown up with large deciduous trees, or the neighboring hillsides, are the favorite nesting sites of this bird. The nest is placed in one of the larger trees, 40 to 80 feet from the ground, and usually in the fork where the main branches diverge from the trunk. ee LOW tee eran nies A ese Ss IS a ae TOXD USE Se ae ga VEILS, HP TURE AUN a aN pee eas ee ee ea RDO see eae ooo SINE) Oey a IARI NS ica cs a RAs ere a edges ae cee Willistown, Pa...-..-.- TSN aye AAD TSS EM eae UE Tea age acc aa IDX E22 See eee mee BV TR errant ed spilt Giles |p essen lan ll aay ae ennsylvania ..--....- ID reese) SUSI alle aeyeie es wares Mes eter owe eRe iN ate pre West Chester, Pa-..... DGC ee Oa RTO} paueetley eM eis aio SNA. Jone a a Nets Pesipnicclamee ea) oe Ol 2s ee ee she Westtown, Pa........: He oie, AS Shi eee i aay neat ce aust le 1D\0) Seas ete ESS] Orc: Grea SHCA ee ees ED ae aN a capa Willistown, Pa......-. SENT TOG Oi ee iarbe Aa ciirtcll ans eaalie EDh Sa MolusiaCoumby, Mas. Mar. 18) 1986)|. 000-2) oe 2 esc ale. PEaonsabaver sks 5) Mar. 141886). ilo ee MaiGowan eal S222 2. DS CHS ION TIS SAY ieee eR NUE ANC N aad rea Ni a Ng Thornburg, Pa ........ aT BE BR iyi EEN a ne as Na Re Os Westtown, Pa......... UN OMN iON ie ee | are kc a RO TL 100) “je to a ae Ee ath” ACESS Re OU In NE Go SA BW) Ones ears SoG LENS De AU) NCSHP AS) ha er ips SY Na ad oer A Sa lao do grass- salaman- bee- Table showing the neaaith 3 eyarinaterie of 220 stoma to 18 0) are ( Buteo lineatus)—Continued. — mn Poultry Locality. | Date. or ey Other birds. weeeeeeee Tam: Qi 1S79 ln en Bee eee ee NL ee se cec tect eeeeeee Bob. 4, 1879+ coco se elec. bee ees cue lce edge wee eee eee te eee . wert te ee el ew ee ee ee ee ee ee el ee wee ee ww wee ee ° i ee a cm md eee ewww wwe we eee wwe) LAVMI.W Vy AOL | eee ee eee el ee ee ee ee ee ee tee ee le -UU we wwe we Drees Cosy PALS. : ae rent PP nee ee MN rea Pennsylvania -.---.... | AM yO, TBO ess ae dole eee ae eee ee ige?... Seeeeees Barbone Np ese a. 22.1 | lam: SSL WSSC 2 cuk Sede Sy Se 3 oe ee ee SMIGe eee aes Elmina ¥ 22.5.6. Jam. ;21,.1886 |‘ Chicken: |--<<). 2.5. he [egies sac = ee IB Nay Ae 5 CR is, eM Apr. 5, BGS G5) aaa ce | Field mice: -2.=- 1 DD RUSE Fra ecsyaio eras Aug. 13, 1887 |..--.- Pa eee ate te opie cee | Sheumkes 22sec @orning, N.Y :--- 5... Sept. 23,1887 Greepsboro, Ala....-..- 2D MLSS Ss| neck Sandy Spring, Md..... Nore /TBS8 6 oc wos have S| ae ed eee Meadow mouse - Gainesville, Fla -....-.. Sami 4, 1888) oc aes] 2o8 oeee e CaO See Ae eres PALS WS8S ota ossek its Soe Saks Cee ee ee eee oe East Hartford, Conn ..| Sept. 22,1887 |.......... peer geet yates. ioe ee Sei wees? cme aN oto rl tpg | PS ete ea Sy as Mgrs oceskeee iin WHO, 1888.) 02 Stee ee | Shréw 222 ee | Stratford, Conn. --.---- Oct lEelSS8: Ser oes ea eR eee Hair of small ‘Frog. ghae | mammal. ae Sandy Spring, Md ..... Now: 19: A888 ios obin ends os rele Sh grass Bairmont, W. Va -=.--- Bepusel ISOs a eke os We ee ee eee’ ite es. ta Empty Cobham Wales oer eee SP MONS SB. oe ises ny ace ses Si he eee : Sandy Spring, Md..... Dec. 5; 1888} i. ses el ese eee .| 10 grassho DO ee aoe d BY svc ord ai Bt Stom eae eaa Ree eae Meadow mouse - 10a : cri soosoesaus5ssse4 Reed Ul ec tots fa eames ee egret re Te A Shrew. sees : IDG) Seaceseeanusscse DGC 21 1888) Seine ee aece a eo eee ee House mouse - 5 OTS ee Sees DOG A2TISS Br tee awe tedl oe aes ss err | Pine mouse ---.- ; 10 1) ee ee | Dec. QTOLSSS: aes ccs salute oe wera ee et ee | 1 meadow mouse,| 2 peetles, | | | 2 pine mice. manders. Heo ae LLY Ske ae tae PJian. = 4, 1889 | 025s. ai. oe ee .| White grub. TOYO Se (slian: AAOwISSO Naseer [aes Ree RUSE ae. 1 shrew22.e-2-5e 2 bees: werk IDO aoc ocean oes pian (21 E880) 2200 so 2 5: | Meadowlark: 2:2) 92:20: s Gee eeeeee : se hae eee | diam, 24, 1880)) Quail: |. 2 aes see! WOM SSS ee es ily Qi aite Aa sili Wee era Die See ee iccie skeet Micco, Brevard Co., fla. Dec. 10, 1888 |.......-.. Sorasorail>: spars|-:.c. === eee | - LOW. Hale County, Ala....-.. | May 25, 1889) (Chicken.).22- 222 2c Sca2°-! see ee ee GreatiNecka ds... N.Y Apr. S01 88942 ooo seek oo se ee es |S ee Hale County, igs oe Apr 10; ES8Oeo odo ool oes cae eee ea |e kee grassho] | spiders, 1 tle, 3 lepid terous lar we. DO Makavieewec es AMO SRO Ne was iee 2 See ss acinatae es ae Mouse -=eeeraace lcicada, 1 fe | C1 et yateiaee Owego, TiogaCounty, | Sept. 11, 1889 | bot a2 BL eg ees ee ee ripmunk, atydids, EN. V: a : y | shrew. tles, 7 sph larve. DO Sse csosence ss | Sept: 40, 1889:15..Gia2283)|. 50 De denees ese eee Frog, 2 spid 10lepidopterous Jarve, oe 3 1B 0S ea eS eee ATG: IS89 (ees ocak ele dere Se eee ee .---| Frog, toad, b ze | | “sles and apt RED-SHOULDERED HAWK. ae Peaiiteg the results of examinations of 220 stomachs of the Red-shouldered Hawk _ (Buteo lineatus)—Continued. ry | Poultry be Locality. Date. ov game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. a | birds. | _ Owego, Tioga County, | Sept. 24,1889 |.--.----.-)-.........-+------ Meadow mouse -| 1 tree toad, water < Noe snake, 2 rib- bon snakes, 3 katydids, 4 crickets, Fe 16 grasshoppers. - Greensboro, Ala-....--- Bede TI otek! fete sar pops) a aerercenie gee oe ea ie al Poe ime tere te yeeie Sphinx larva. LUE a Sal a Pe Bae Se Pdir Oo SOd owe Sohn adn ee care ais are eer ea tees eee ee eee 30 crickets, 5 grasshoppers, 1 katy did, sphinx larva, 1 lizard. _ Alfred Center, N. Y PAS Ins Ol ER BG cays teas ee ea Bae 3 hee ailed ; snrews. & ay Spring, Md.-...- | Nov. 23, 1889 | EBis tach te mens eee nes E eS | 1 pine mouse... - A | 15/5 Oaearspel tet-\! Peano CUNEO MON Spat (2 sa acc ele eee. Grasshopper. Tow. pai ee ee TES AS Bet |e eh peal ea oe a ep Meadow mouse = Li) Lal ee DEC specs el OOM ete Nemes Spe (seulor= tae ora we ate Se Sere Deine oe eer Se 3 grasshoppers. CANTOR ONG Vor. = 2. 22.2 eb Ore O Gon eee sean cee ee crt ere arore| o scialataeeala Se iat eratae Ribbon — snake, ring-necked | snake. _ Kalamazoo, Mich.....-. ESSOSE, “TUTfe TESST || ake ee eee einer a ge | Bee elas alabe tee eo Striped snake. BeNwiiiwrH, ©ONnN =. -.c2-|.....--2-.---- | Zicceesel tea PN ake pOe ieee Rar ieee cians SONU aR nd ~~ Morristown, N.J-.-..--. ADpE:. 2, 2, 1886 | Si ape Se eaten reg ea yee Meadow mice. - | paveereh snake, rogs. een ed May, i882) |... ...---|.2- 0022.62 een | eee eee ee ace eee Snake, toad. a West Farms, N. Ae = SCOIO Ui: WSR dah eA hai aah a ae ee ae eae es ee a eee Beetles. be ee es... Sept. 22, BSD) eee eet setae ce oo NOTE? Seas Katydid, spider. Cincinnati, hie =...’ TEE Ge IRIE eck seals gs at een ae MAN A Qua MeN gp Grasshoppers. 0.63 See ee BN cOsqew ese S tape =e ee oe alle ave ea Ne coat oles at a eee, Ace Do. LO eee | DEE ACCU eS eee oe ae pene ces sye eee IMT CCL rs 525 rs Do. ume ing |... -. GI ERO LOO Te eee see aie ora ee ee en tabbit, mouse ; ialern IN Oe o.oo 2... SUED 7G By oe ees ny eee Opes eee er 1 toad, 1 spider, 1 | mole-cricket, | | grasshoppers, | beetle. 1S ee err Heb pes P886 lev assee Se [rac Pataiere ee Severe ee eee bee Soar ee Empty. Wome =. 5-5. -<|Mar.-11, 1886 | Gee a A Vea et ROME Ee eee Meadow mouse - Lizaen, 2spiders. Du See ee ee SSVETDEE, ILS STOR ae A pea ee al nee be ee pe meena Cicada. Loi ee SUB YD iy I a ROI hes an Nee ea ee | Secegcaceears eles stearate 2 4 frogs, cicada, katydid, erass- hoppers, le pi- | dopterous lar- & | Ve. Ms Wopecse Soca cce ss. Wele2selSSSi) oo. sees ee a aati) hee Meadow mouse of oe PEPTIC EGO Gu e ere P he Stereo Ney NaS ae Sets cee eee Sc Toad, frog, grass- 356 hoppers. 3335s Coreen | PANT On LOG Gal is a een eam oes fone Oe an so Maat Saris Soa eee ye Frogs. Rensselaer County, | Sept. DMS TOHomea tire .ce onl ocee eere aN sce Mouser =) =k ae | ‘ So al Be | e 10) SS ‘Dee DAS TRH er cies, Ue i ell SR TB lage Meee eer tewe| Why Glee aye ee Waa | LU Aug. ZL TVS sas eS 2 ees a pe ane EAA PARED eer ie Empty. LUG eee itapat OS tSOG Hn alia ai es eS Small mammal... 6a UU cL BRON ese hn Sa esl Meadow mouse - Albany, County, N. Y - Nov. 29, TSP OH Soa oie 8 (rah a ee a pam let | We ae eee hgee Me | 3 frogs. li = ee _| Mar. 30,1883 |.__._..__. eee Bee ie, sue Ste IWBICe RS oF Le pees | Frogs. ie | Nov. 6, FUSS) Se eee ere | Mstegig eter Sd oe NS gs Small mammal..| 2 frogs, striped snake, grass- : | hoppers. Sama nC omHbys N.Y) Noy. 5,1888|..-...22..|..-:.2.....02----- ISIVET COS eee tery oan ee en Ee RORT OOO) an hat ro 2b les ee Sede sees Frogs, insects. Hale County, Ala .-.... TiO RA ET SES Cs a eV Ie —a e | Two house mice.| 1 mantis, 1 grass- | hopper. Spdy Spring, Md..... Dees Fr resg Deere rcensecet Les tps i gees Mt | Lar me ee a 10, Lely Be eaiot eee keepers tata aR” [easy eva Ne ala ease | 1 cricket. De 2G ane eee eer ee na. Vn cet | Neg ence ae [Sacer eet eee eset ie entre Agar A Salamander, 4 | | | larve. Hale County, Ala -..... WWEG a2 1889} eet se ae ee eee emt Ey | House mouse 3 grasshoppers, ; | | 1 cricket. Brevdoun;, Pa <...... ..| Dy dis |e a Aa | rene Nae Tr ea cies seater te era aa Offal, vegetable matter. Sandy Spring, Md..... Heb. Te nsoiiio LRM O OYUSA Ay coca Bo NaN yet a ea 5 beetles. =. 20) ee eee DEKE Sera P12 Sg See ie bem es My a nee Re ene _ 2 meadow mice .| Spider. * IOP i ae Sie ee eee ae Oger res eee oe lle re be ho | Sea gee ae fei col eae 2 beetles, 1 grass- a | hopper, 1 spi- der, 1 larva. (ar init Bends BA oad fitserh prbitetas tba’ Lancaster County, Pa . Farmington, Gonnes. = Oct. 5,1891 | Portland, Conn......-- Apr. 17, 1892 Sandy Spring, Md..... Mar. 25, 1892 | ADD) aeeee Stele iat. Jan. 30, 1892 DOK ae eat een Jan. 11, 1891 | EDOM Ra ee See etl Peer dot: 55: SD OMS rae See ore al ae ACL Oo tes Woe soe eee Jan. 22,1892 | SD Oe ok oi ve Jan. 14, 1891 | 1) OMe ee a ee COD at sees HTD) Oe ee re “Mar. 2, 1892 | ORS Fae eee ees Mar. 14, 1891 Ponca Agency, Okla- | Aug. 5, 1892 | homa. al * ie at et x THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED fe ga de STATES, Table showing the results of examinations of 220 stomachs of the Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)—Continued, Locality. Date. . ; | Greensboro, Ala .....- Jan. 28, 1890 ‘ Morristown, N. J ..-..- Feb. 10, 1890 : Sandy Spring, Md....- Mar. 21, 1890 F DOM eee ee Sept. 24, 1890 4 Plover Mills, Ontario. -| June 25, 1883 ' Portland, Conn....-.-.- Sept. 29, 1890 : BB) ee esis tecess eee be O eee. * Warp eesen gales Oct. 8, 1890 a Hower tease Oct. 11,1890 : De eee Oct. 21,1890 > Sandy Spring, Md..... Nov. 9, 1890 | RS Rael OY 0 nee ene Nov, 13, 1890 | : De BR Saien(e se Stee elo eee “aie amen ; DD Owiacwee acess sets Nov. 15, 1890 3 ID aeta eee Noy. 3, 1890 | OO) 8S aetna eee Noy. 14, 1890 Sandy Spring, Md ..-.| Dec. 1, 1890 | Morristown, N. J ..-..| Sept. 11, 1890 | DOs eee ok Sept. 20, 1890 | Horse Hill, N. J --.-.-- Oct. 29,1890 Morristown, N. J ..... Nov. 1, 1890 | Morris Plains, N.J--.-.| Nov. 11, 1890 | DO fee Sere sc ss Nov. 15, 1890 | DD Xo SRAS eae See ne f dOraee ea: DOS eon eee Noy. 28, 1890 : Sandy Spring, Md..... Jan. 1, 1891 | DON sass ee Jan. 10, He | DOM eae coe eset eee PAG (ee ID Gy. BAe ee eee ree OG) Ss ee ears Dec. 15, 1891 | 1D) Sa eee aes Mar. 15, 1892 Mar. 3, 1892 | Poultry or game birds. Other birds. | “Short- tailed | | Meadow mouse - ee ee ee Mammals. Mouse hair Short-tailed shrew. Short-tailed shrew, 2 mead- ow mice. Meadow mouse, 3 short-tailed shrews. 1 Shortie tailed | shrew. Smal) shrew. See 9 house mice, 1 meadow mouse. Meadow mouse, muskrat. Short-tailed shrew. shrew. dO. ee | Meadow mouse, 2 small shrews. Meadow mouse. Miscellaneous. Lizard, turtle, beetle, grass- hopper, llarva. Beetle remains. Pickerel. Empty. 2 frogs, small snake, cricket, larva, grass- hopper. 2 katydids, 10 tree frogs, 2dung beetles, 1 beetle, 2 red- backed _ sala- manders. 2 leopard frogs. Tree frog. Ants, other in- sects. 2 mole crickets, 25 grasshop- pers, 4 beetles. 2 grasshoppers, 1 spider. Grasshopper. Empty. 5 crickets, 2 dragon flies, 2 beetles. larva, 1 garter snake. Empty. 1 spider, 1 craw: fish. (1 eee 1 frog. 1 frog. May ‘beetle. | Empty. Do. Do. Crawfish. 35 grasshoppers, 4 cicadas, bee- tles. SUMMARY.—Of 220 stomachs examined, 3 contained poultry; 12, other birds; 102, mice; 40, other mammals; 20, reptiles; 39, batrachians; 92, insects; 16, spiders; 7, crawfish; 1, earthworms; 2, offal; 3 fish; and 14 were empty. ZONE-TAILED HAWK. cl ZONE-TAILED HAWK. Buteo abbreviatus. The Zone-tailed Hawk ranges from southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas south to northern South America. The first speci- men taken within our limits was secured by Dr. J. G. Cooper 30 miles north of San Diego, Cal., Febrnary 23, 1862. ittle has been written on the food habits of this Hawk. Dr. H. A. Mearns, in his interesting paper on this species in central Arizona at the northern part of its distribution, gives the following: ‘I frequently observed them throughout the entire year beside the Verde River, where they capture lizards, frogs, fishes, and other desirable articles of rap- torial diet.” (Auk, vol. 111, 1886, p. 66.) Mr. F. Stephens saw one hover over the water and attempt to catch small minnows. (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. vit, 1883, p. 30.) It inhabits the country near the base of mountains in the vicinity of streams, and at no season is it found at a great distance from water. Tt breeds in suitable localities throughout its range. The nest is placed in a cottonwood or other suitable tree, usually in one of the main forks, from 20 to 50 feet from the ground, though sometimes it is saddled on a limb some distance from the trunk. Like other large Hawks, it con- structs its nest of sticks, which are loosely put together, and adds a sparse lining of leaves, dry grass, or Spanish moss. The eggs are deposited early in May, and are usually two in number, though three are occasionally found. Both birds assist in incubation as well as in other duties connected with rearing their young. DESCRIPTION. Plumage uniform black or blackish-brown; tail black, crossed by three broad zones, which are ash-gray on outer webs and pure white on nner. Length: 18.50 to 21.50 inches (470 to 545™™); extent, 49.50 to 53.25 inches (1257 to 1352™"); wing, 15 to 17.40 inches (3880 to 442™»); tail, 8.50 to 10.75 inches (216 to 273"), Table showing the results of examinations of 5 stomachs of the Zone-tailed Hawk ( Buteo abbreviatus ). Poultry | Locality. Date. or game Other birds. Mammals. | Miscellaneous. birds. | | New River, Ariz ..-.-- | May 161885). .222 4. [ae seren See ON ea Bo Le eee Frog, lizards. (Le = Se eS Pee eC Oe eel te see iroe en a Ae ore ees al eetas Wes me Frogs, lizards. Agua Fria, Ariz.....-. WAV ya Teh So eke aE cee CS Se cae 2A raie.c siete are Tree toads, frog. Camp Verde, Ariz..... j ANTE Vin AUS ei aerial oe, tee Se Nee BN a RS Sis Ewpty. Die Haeeer( Kaya cae Gena » i Be ead ae pe ea PN ape eer Hump-backed sacker. — SUMMARY.—Of 5 stomachs examined, 2 contained reptiles; 8, batrachians; 1, fish; and 1 was empty 72 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. WHITE-TAILED HAWKE. Buteo albicaudatus. This Hawk inhabits the territory from eastern South America north to southern Texas. The first specimen taken within our limits was shot by Mr. G. B. Sennett near Corpus Christi, Tex., March 27, 1878, since which time it has been found not uncommon in the lower Rio Grande Valley. Mr. William Lloyd’s records for western Texas in fall and winter undoubtedly refer to the Ferruginous Rough-leg. (Auk, vol. Iv, 1887, pp. 188, 189.) Very little has been written on the food of this Hawk, but presuma- bly it does not differ much from that of the Red-shouldered Hawk. Mr. G. B. Benners says its food consists of snakes, frogs, rabbits, and quails. (Ornithologist and Oologist, vol. x11, 1887, p. 68.) The White-tailed Hawk breeds along the sand ridges near the coast, and usually places its nest in a Spanish bayonet (yucca) or other low plant from 5 to 10 feet from the ground. The nest is a bulky affair, often several feet in diameter, although the cavity is small, and just sufficient to accommodate the bird. The greater mass of the structure is composed of sticks and coarse herbage, while the lining is made up of dry grass and small fibers. The eggs, which are usually two in- i number, rarely three or four, are deposited in the early part of May, and the young are found Dou! the 1st of June. The bird is quite shy and difficult to secure, and when its nest is approached will circle about out of gun range. DESCRIPTION. Tail less than half as long as wing. Three outer wing feathers with inner web distinctly cut out. Tail, and the feathers covering it, white, crossed near the end with a broad band of black, in front of which are numerous narrow broken lines of blackish. Above, blueish-gray or slaty; front of shoulders rufous; rump and lower parts white; throat sometimes dusky. Length: 23 to 24 inches (584 to 609"); extent, 48 to 54 inches (1226 to 1372"); wing, 14.50 to 17.75 inches (368 to oe ; tail, 7.50 to 10.30 inches (190 to 261™™). SWAINSON’S HAWK. Buteo swainsoni. [Plate 9—Adult. ] Swainson’s Hawk inhabits western North America, ranging from Alaska and the Mackenzie River district south through middle Amer- ica and the greater part of South America to the Argentine Republic. In North America it extends east to Hudson Bay, Wisconsin, Mlinois, €i : 1 3 . Oo? fe te, » . RE yee << eee YW) eae © Wiss , me as ee Y) © . saat > On @) ©) ne rs Za c) om | $5) ¥ o ? ~ pe aa =) 5 ‘ Eset OE SWAINSON’S HAWK. ; 13 and Arkansas, and is accidental in New England. ‘Throughout the northern part of its range and as far south as South Dakota and Ne- braska it is a migratory species. A few winter near parallel 43°, but the majority pass south of that latitude by the latter part of October and return the following March or early April. The food of this Hawk, like that of the other Bbuteos, is extremely varied, but generally consists of more insect matter than is usually the case in birds of prey of this group. Besides insects, it feeds exten- Sively on gophers (ground squirrels) and other small rodents, reptiles, batrachians, and occasionally on birds. It very rarely touches poultry, though Mr. H. Nehrling says that in Texas it commits great havoc among this class of birds. (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. vir, 1882, p. 174.) It is probable that this author has been misinformed, as the majority of writers state the contrary. It is quite rare for them to touch small birds, and the following notes will show in what perfect harmony it often lives with other species. Capt. Charles EK, Bendire says: ‘“ Lieut. Benson writes me that after the Arkansas king birds (Tyrannus verticalis Say) began to build he invariably found one of their nests in any tree that contained a Swain- sows hawk’s nest. In one case, a pair of these birds had placed their nest directly under and but 8 or 9 inches from that of the hawk. A pair of white-rumped shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus excubitoroides - Swains.) built also immediately below one of these hawks’ nests.” (Proce. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. x, 1887, p. 553.) Dr. W. J. Hoffman says: “ The only nest with eggs observed was one near Antelope Creek | Nevada], which was built near another of Icterus bullockt. In this instance both were breeding, and the latter evinced no fear of their neighbors, as one would occasionally fly back and forth from the nest immediately over that occupied by the hawk.” (Bull. U. S. Geol. and Geog. Surv. Ter., Hayden, vol. v1, 1881, p. 243.) Among the smaller mammals, spermophiles form a very important item in the bill of fare, and at certain seasons of the year constitute the greater part of the food of this hawk. The following, from the pen of Mr. H. W. Henshaw, bears on the subject: “‘Camping here [San Fer- nando Valley, Cal.] one evening our attention was directed to the great number of gophers (Spermophilus beecheyi) which in large colonies in- habited some barren hills near the station. Toward dusk the place was visited by at least a dozen of these birds, which took up their posi- tions on the hillocks thrown up by the animals in front of their bur- rows, and awaited with patience the moment when a favorable oppor- tunity should occur to snatch a supper. Elsewhere I have frequently Seen them thus employed, and their persistence in destroying these pests should entitle them to due consideration at the hands of the farmer. Large number of insects, particularly grasshoppers, are des- troyed by these birds, whose abilities as purveyors of food are thus of 74 THE ITAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. the lowest order., (Appendix JJ Ann, Kept. of the Chief of Engineers — ; U.S. A. for 1876, pp. 263, 264.) The following by Mr. Robert Ridgway relates to the food of this hawk in Utah: ‘¢ We found it [the nest] so filled with the accumulated remains of animals carried to the young that scarcely any depression was notice- able on the top, the decomposing rubbish consisting of bones and other remnants of small hares (Lepas artemisia), ground squirrels (Spermo- philus lateralis, 8. harrist, and Tamas quadrivittatus), and, strange to say, a full-grown young Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius), * * * In one of these nests, found July 2, was a single young one, which, although yet covered with snow-white cottony down, was savagely tearing at a dead weasel which had been carried to the nest by the old birds, both of which were killed; * * * the food of this Hawk is by no means contined to small mammals and birds, but durimg the flights of the grasshoppers, which so often devastate the fields of Utah and other portions of the West,they keep continually gorged on these insects; and at one season we found them living chiefly on the large cricket so common in Salt Lake Valley. On the 31st of May, 1869, at Salt Lake City, we noticed a number of these hawks on the ground, where they remained most of the time quiet, but every now and then they would raise their wings and hop briskly in pursuit of some object, which at the distance, we could not distinguish. Cautiously approaching them, four were shot during the forenoon; they would not allow us to _ walk to within gunshot, but after flying for a few minutes would some- times return toward us, and, passing by, giveus a fair opportunity for wingshots. Upon dissection, the stomachs of these specimens were found to be filled entirely with the large crickets mentioned above.” (U.S. Geol. Explor. of the 40th Paral., King, vol. Iv, 1877, pp. 585-587.) Mr. E. W. Nelson, speaking of the focd of this hawk in Alaska, says: ‘He [Dr. Dall] found the bones of rabbits, squirrels, mice, and ducks, and even part of a whitefish, in the vicinity of their nests, showing that they are ready to prey upon anything that falls in their way.” (Rept. Nat. Hist. Collections in Alaska, 1887, p. 142.) Dr. Coues gives the following information on the food: “The quarry of Swainson’s buzzard is of a very humble nature. I never saw one stoop upon a water-fowl or grouse, and though they probably strike rabbits, like the red-tails, their prey is ordinarily nothing larger than gophers. * * * I scarcely think they are smart enough to catch birds very often. I saw one make the attempt on a lark-bunting. * * * But I question whether, after all, insects do not furnish their principal subsistence. Those I shot after midsummer all had their craws stuffed with grasshoppers.” (Amer. Nat., vol. VIII, 1874, p. 285, 286.) The benefit it does to the farmer by destroying vast numbers of gophers probably does not exceed that which it does in clearing his fields of noxious insects, notably grasshoppers and crickets, SWAINSON’S HAWK. 15 Mr. H. W. Henshaw gives the following note in reference to the use- fulness of this species: “The crops of all those shot were crammed with erasshoppers; and, as these insects were very abundant, the hawks, as a matter of course, were very fat.” (Explor. West of the 100th Merid., Wheeler, vol. v, 1875, p. 422.) In a communication from Capt. Platte M. Thorne, dated January 3, 1889, from Fort Lyon, Colo., he says: “On July 30, 1887, shot a Swainson’s hawk, which seemed too gorged to fly; stomach contained a great nuin- ber of large grasshoppers. July 31 shot another whose stomach con- tained part of a gopher and a great many grasshoppers. August 30 saw about thirty Swainson’s hawks, which were on the ground and apparently feeding. One shot had about as many grasshoppers in the stomach as would fill a tumbler heaping full.” | Mr. Charles F. Morrison, also writing from Colorado, says: ‘In the fall grasshoppers form the principal diet of this species, although gophers and small birds aiso are fed upon.” (Ornith. and Oologist, vol. XIV, 1889, p. 8.) Dr. C, Hart Merriam, in the Forest and Stream of December 27, 1888, page 459, gives a very interesting account of a flock of these birds which he saw feeding on grasshoppers in Oregon in the summer of 1888, which is here added: “During the evening of August 20, 1888, Mr. H. W. Henshaw and I drove from Pendleton to the Umatilla Indian Agency, in northeastern Oregon, about 50 miles east of the Great Bend of the Columbia. It had been so hot during the day, the thermometer standing at 104° in the shade, that we were unable to go out. Driving long the crest of the plateau just south of the Umatilla River, at about sundown, we were astonished to see a very large number of large hawks hopping about on the ground, catching grasshoppers. We counted about 150 of these hawks, and there must have been at least 200 in the immediate neighborhood. At first we took them to be rough- legs, but later ascertained that nearly if not all were Swainson’s hawks (Buteo swainsoni). The period between sundown and dark in that region is so short that the birds were still catching grasshoppers when overtaken by darkness. ‘* About 6 o’clock the next morning [ visited the same place and was gratified to find the hawks engaged in making their breakfast of grass- hoppers. They were scattered over a larger area than when we saw them the previous evening. Before 8 o’clock most of them had left the hills and settled down for the day in the poplar trees along the river bottom. Here I found the trees literally full of hawks, and counted as Many as thirteen in one tree. Two of the three whose stomachs were examined contained grasshoppers and no other food. The third contained, in addition to grasshoppers, the head of a meadow mouse of the genus Arvicola (subgenus Chilotus). One contained 88 grasshop- pers, another 96, and the third 106. Most of the grasshoppers were a 76 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. _ large species of Gidipoda, though a few belonged to the genus Calop- tenus. “ Assuming that each hawk captured 200 grasshoppers a day and that there were 200 hawks, the daily catch would be 40,000 grasshop- pers. At this rate these hawks would destroy 280,000 grasshoppers in a week and 1,200,000 in a month. I have no means of knowing how long the hawks remained in the neighborhood of Pendleton, but was told that they had been there before our visit. When in southern California about a month later I was told by Mr. Edward Merriam that on three occasions he had noticed similar gatherings of hawks in San Diego County. Once he saw a flock of several hundred large hawks catching crickets in cracked adobe soil in the San Marcos Valley. At night the hawks came into the live oaks at the head of the valley to rest. He shot one and found its stomach packed full of large black crickets. On two other occasions he saw large flocks of these hawks similarly engaged in catching the same species of crickets. The time was during the latter part of September. “Mr. Angel, of San Luis Obispo, Cal., told me that he once saw a large number of large dark-colored hawks flying about over the edge of a prairie fire near Chico, in the Sacramento Valley. The air was full of grasshoppers driven out of the grass by the fire, and the hawks were ~ catching and feeding upon them. “Mr. T.S. Palmer, of Berkeley, Cal., has kindly furnished me with the following an reciine CnHLReALOn on a flock of hawks observed by him at Pomona, Cal.: ‘While spending the summer of 1887 at Pomona, _ Los Angeles County, Cal., I was much interested in a “ flock” of hawks which remained in the vicinity during the month of August. |The fact of their congregating in such numbers nay be attributed to two causes: (1) Exceptional abundance of food in a particular spot; and (2) the fact that most of the birds were buteos (Bb. swaimsoni predominating) which were migrating slowly southward. ‘¢ ee Se ee -ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. 87 Missouri, and Nebraska, and on the Pacific coast as far north as Wash. ington. Generally it is common as late as November and as early as April in the southern portions of the northern tier of States. The Rough-leg is one of the most nocturnal of our hawks, and may be seer in the fading twilight watching from some low perch, or beat- ing with measured, noiseless flight, over its hunting ground. It fol- lows two very different methods in securing its food, one by sitting on some stub or low tree and watching the ground for the appearance of its prey, as the Red-tail does; the other by beating back and forth just above the tops of the grass or bushes, and dropping upon its victim, after the manner of the Marsh Hawk. Its food consists prin- cipally, if not almost exclusively, of the smaller rodents, and most prominent among these are the arvicoline mice and lemmings. As is well known, the meadow mice (Arvicole) are widely distributed over the north temperate zone, and often occur in immense numbers, over- running certain sections of country, and doimg irreparable damage to erops as well as to fruit and ornamental trees. Repeatedly young orchards, consisting of hundreds of trees, and representing great money value, have been totally destroyed by these pests. The damage is done in winter, under the snow, where the mice eat the bark from the trees, often completely girdling them and causing their death. Usually meadow mice are fairly common if not abundant over a large part of the meadow and marsh lands of the central and northern United States and temperate Canada. To show how important meadow mice are to the Rough-leg as an article of food, it may be stated in general terms that the southern limit of its wandering in winter is nearly coincident with the southern boundary of the region inhabited by meadow mice. In the north lemmings are abundant over the country in which the Rough-leg makes its summer home, and furnish a never-failing supply of food for old and young. The following statements indicate to what extent the Rough-leg feeds on meadow mice: Mr. E. O. Damon, of Northampton, Mass., informs the writer that he has killed hundreds of these hawks on the low meadows bordering the Connecticut River, and of the many stomachs he examined all contained the remains of meadow mice. He further states that he never found even a frog in its stomach or saw it attack anything larger than a rat or meadow mouse. Dr. Michener (in U.S. Agr. Rept., 1863, p. 291) says of the Rough-leg: “The number of meadow mice which this species destroys ought, one would think, to insure it the protection of every husbandman.” Dr. J.C. Merrill states that the stomachs of those killed at Fort Klamath, Oregon, usually contained field mice. (Auk, vol. v, p.145.) Mr. A. Hall, writing of this hawk in Nebraska, says: “This species is very abundant in winter, and subsists entirely upon mice, frogs, and small rodents. It seldom if ever preys upon birds.” (Forest and Stream, vol. xx, May 10, 1883, p. 284.) — 8§ THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. Mr. H. W. Henshaw gives the following relative to the food of this : species: ‘Utah Lake and the surrounding marshes attract multitudes | of water fowl; and this undoubtedly explains in part the abundance of hawks at this season, since wounded and disabled ducks must form no inconsiderable part of their food. In its manner of hunting it much resembles the foregoing species [Squirrel Hawk], and it subsists to a great extent upon mice, which are very numerous in the rushes. In the stomachs of every individual captured [eleven in number] were found the remains of these little animals.” (Explor. West of the 100th Merid., Wheeler, vol. V, 1875, p. 426.) . The examination of such a considerable number of specimens from a locality in which multitudes of ducks occur, and the finding of nothing but the remains of mice is quite conclusive evidence that the former is not their favorite food. Recently Mr. Henshaw informed the writer that the above statement relative to this hawk feeding on water fowl was based on reports of gunners, which he now believes to be incorrect. Besides lemmings and meadow mice the Rough-leg feeds at times quite extensively on other species of mice, ground squirrels, moles, shrews, andevenrabbits. Capt. Bendire states that while it remains at Camp Harney, Oregon, its principal food consists of cotton-tail rabbits. Among the earlier writers, Wilson gives the following about its food: “This handsome species notwithstanding its formidable size and ap- pearance, spends the chief part of the winter among our low swamps and meadows, watching for mice, frogs, lame ducks, and other inglori- ous game.” Audubon says: ‘ It feeds principally on moles, mice, and other small quadrupeds, and never attacks ducks on the wing, although now and then it pursues a wounded one.” Nuttall gives mice, moles, and frogs as its food and quotes Pennant as authority for the statement that it feeds on ducks. We find very little information as to whether the Rough-leg feeds extensively on insects, or of the kinds which it devours. Prof. Samuel Aughey found the remains of seventy insects besides other food in the stomach of a specimen shot in Nebraska in September. It is presumable that like the buteos it at times feeds extensively on grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles. It is credited with feeding on snakes, lizards, frogs, and toads, though the writer has never found the remains of any of these animals in the stomachs examined, and finds buta few general _ remarks on the subject in the books. Although one of the largest hawks, the Rough-leg is undoubtedly one of the most harmless, so far as molesting poultry and game is concerned. Pennant is chiefly accountable for any preiudice that may be felt against the bird, for he asserted that it fed largely on ducks, and re- marked that it “sits on a rock and watching their rising, when it instantly strikes at them.” This statement has been copied by various authors, especially the earlier ones, until now there are many people who really believe it. The writer has vet te meet anvone who has ee ee mee eg an 5 gia ‘ ts | a ee { ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. 89 seen it attack water fowl, or in fact any other bird. Among those | questioned on the subject are a number of eminent ornithologists, some r of whom have published the statement that the Rough-leg feeds on I | wounded ducks. The error arose from their taking information second- hand from gunners who probably mistook either the Duck Hawk or i Prairie Falcon for the bird under consideration When hard pressed by | : hunger it may feed on dead water fowl as well as the carcasses of other | animals. Those Hawks that remain farthest north in winter are more often — forced by circumstances to feed on refuse. Maynard says that in Mas- sachusetts they feed upon fish and the dead animals cast up by the sea, and Mr. Vernon Bailey, writing from Elk River, Minnesota, says: “A few years ago, probably in 1883, I was trapping for muskrats and minks i late in the fall. As the place was over a mile from home, and I was | eatching a good many rats, [ skinned them and left the carcasses where caught. Soon I noticed that these were often eaten or gone. Rough- legged Hawks were unusually numerous that fall, and stayed nearly all winter. One morning I came suddenly to the top of a hill and saw a hawk fly away from a half-eaten rat on the other side. It was promptly shot, and proved to be a fine dark Rough-leg. This was the only time that I caught the hawk in the act, but from the manner in which the rats were eaten, the number of hawks present, and after snow came the tracks seen around the remains of the rats, I had no doubt that the hawks had eaten them.” The few specimens which have been secured in summer south of the northern boundary of the United States are those which have failed to migrate, presumably on account of disease or from inability or indis- position to make long flights after the receipt and healing of gunshot wounds. In all these cases the genitalia are undeveloped. The nest and eggs mentioned in the History of North American Birds as coming from Wiscasset, Me., near the mouth of the Kennebec River, if not an error in identification, is probably the only record of the breeding of this species in eastern United States. Dr. Warren informs the writer that the instance mentioned in his ‘Birds of Pennsylvania” of the Rough-leg breeding in Pennsylvania was a case of misidentification. Dr. G. S. Agersborg gives it as breeding once in southeastern Dakota (Auk, vol. If, p. 285), but does not inform us whether it was found nest- ing or merely that the presence of the bird in summer was taken as evidence. It breeds sparingly in Labrador and the southern portions of Canada west of Manitoba. In the vicinity of Winnipeg, Seton gives it asa migrant only. (Auk, vol. 111, 1886, p. 154.) Farther north, even far within the Arctic circle, it is an abundant breeder. Although common in the Hudson Bay and Anderson River regions in northern Alaska, the Old World form seems to replace it not only on the seacoast, but along the entire length of the Yukon. The nesting site is more or less varied, most of the nests being ake 9() THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED. STATES. placed im trees, while others ave situated on rocky ledges or on top of shaly cliffs. Outofthe fifty-eight nests found by Mr. Maciarlane forty- six were placed in trees, while the remaining twelve were built along the edge of steep cliffs. Those in the former site were found usually in — pines [spruces] and were built in a crotch near the top. The nest is formed of dry sticks and small twigs, lined with fine grass and feathers. It is stated that those built on cliffs usually contain more soft material for lining, giving them a compact appearance. The eggs in a set vary from three to five in number. They are deposited as early as the middle of May, and in thehigher latitudes fresh eggs have been secured as late as the last of June. The Rough-legged Hawk is one of the largest, as well as one of the most striking of American Hawks. It is mild and gentle in disposi- tion, and even when adult may be tamed in the course of a few days so that it will take food from the hand and allow its head and back to be stroked. When caged with other species of hawks it does not as a rule fight for the food, but waits until the others have finished, before it begins to eat. The most wonderful exception to this, however, and one hard to credit, is related by Mr. EH. W. Nelson, as follows: “A friend of the writev’s, living on a farm in Northeastern Ilmois amused himself one spring by trapping various birds of prey as they passed north, using his empty cornerib as a bird-house. Into this, in rapid succession, were introduced Red-tailed, Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, Broad-winged, and Rough-legged Hawks, with a single Horned Owl. As might be ex- pected, the family was by no means a happy one, and as my friend ‘failed to provide a sufficient supply of food, the owl made use of his fellow prisoners, and in a very few days the owl and a black Rough- legged Hawk-—the handsomest specimen I ever saw—were the only occupants of the crib. The next act in the tragedy closed with the Rough-legged Hawk perching quietly in his usual corner, while the badly used-up form of Bubo lay among the bones of its victims.” (Report Nat. Hist. Collections in Alaska, 1887 p. 143.) The flight of the Rough-leg is seldom rapid and often appears labored and when on the wing, this hawk resembles the Osprey more than any other bird of prey. DESCRIPTION. Legs densely feathered in front and on sides down to base of toes. Width of bill at corners of mouth 1.35 to 1.45 inches (33 to 36™™), Head and neck whitish, streaked with dusky. Above, irregularly varied with white, grayish, dusky, or rusty; base of tail and feathers covering its upper surface, white; broad band near end of tail, grayish or dusky. Below, whitish, usually with a band of dusky across front. Specimens are sometimes nearly uniform black. Length: 19.50 to 23.50 inches (495 to 597™™); extent, 50 to 54 inches (1270 to 1870"); wing, 15.75 to 18 inches (400 to 457™™); tail, 9 to 11 inches (228 to 280™"), — a oe a Bull No 3 Viv. Ornitholosay , Bu No.3. Div. Ornitt ology Plate (2 ‘ FERRUGINOUS ROUGH-LEG. 91 Table showing the results of examinations of 49 stomachs of the Rough-legged Hawk (Archibuteo lagopus sancti-johannis). Poultry Locality. Date. or game} Other birds. Mammals, Miscellaneous. birds. Chester County, Pa...| Dec. 9,1886|.......... bie eer ay riots Small short- | tailed shrew. Q IDO See SO pare Oita ere Verseaecpshclaa Ste aeeraras Meadow mouse. 110 eee ree MaMa 2S el Sion ae eee: IbesPog Des tee Ai. ernest UVLIGGS: So oie apt LOS See ee MOOR cece lsitene = cr tae «ts gy epiemtar a (eee OUR sree plata es JOG) BR AAS es eee Dec. PAT ric bor ec nt meee ea aes (a ER 5g el a 2 ae hOt ase. Ma ciee 1D 22S aoe Yas yee OCT Ol |e Se Ie nee Es ae ae I: se COP tela pap sate Ripe so Wisr COMICSUN eo AIL inl, eee eee Mowe = ee | Beatrice, Nebr ........ Getmerteigo tcl. et eae re “Gopher Ba irene Lizard; 70 in- sects, Melamed Neves. kl INIOWARRO WSS eee a= RSE Sy ee re Raita Sessa! 120). 2 ee er Jailer to, Ase oausn esa enous Sea eae Wieasele. 2232227 Sandy Spring, Md.....! Migr seh 771888 eee. ye ea eee Ee ep pene | 2meadow mice. . South Windsor, Conn s|-Mar. 29; 488% |22. .-= seo. eet ERS SR Zoe | Meadow mouse. Portland, Coun .....: Mia oOP ISS eis se ee se IaMGdH Oe Cotes eres 6 meadow mice. . Northampton, Nia ssi-bel = N@v:, 30; 1SB87-}< 2s. 5 .e5.- Ve ctieercisnie as eee 5 meadow mice. - IDO 2a IB SLO Ketel ial tapers mee ete SN PS oie Meadow mouse, | | house mouse. WD OM eee soit Ls WecwaslSSiiiseeae esse. io te ea ae | 6 meadow mice. - Lak ae eee eee: 20 Lek inl tree - Person tas ttc ae s | 3 house mice.... 0 ee ee IND Sith sge So eae ee i ae eeee ; Meadow mice... IDO Se Rese eee ONS AT USO ie pee Se Be eee ree setae Cl Oars Saretaelainis IU Beet Selene eee Dee. TiGroh eS ea oe a pe ite Olen wane anes Oe ae see gine ee nee se el. a, oe Sew | 2 meadow mice: NON enters arciais a=. d'- SHS SaGHNGS aie meses EE Se Scere bes cisleicieiei 7 meadow mice. LOD Soa eae Apr. FR ee as ates ee ne Me One seass ste ora 1070) i ae a ae PANG OT BR I.E TST heh ie ce ieee ee ea en 8 meadow mice.. IDX) Sea ah Caen eee [SOO SSH Sell Sec eee eae eae ae ae ee 2 meadow mice. . jot et Ur |Site. 1p TU ioe Le ce let a Me] | Mee UM oe eet a | Empty. 1D ag eiee ae ee eee i AS ee a bee es ces tata One ee Re 2 meadow mice... Ni teperree ese mts cars O.cascals|s cseeancosliaSctaccescsences © 3 meadow mice. - | Adams, Decatur Coun-| Jan. “15, SSA eestor ||| sactee serene ees 3 white-footed ty, Ind. mice. eam Tipann ng ono H Or. 1. L887 | pce icc |nrie ese esses sees es lene dine Mose seedless Do. IDG) Eee te ee BID kate esl Ps eer eel ee arene gees MR Bete Nab bite sass o- 10)0) (SS Se Sen Se ares eee Cl Oeil Se eereiemiatcre crore csiate/e mee wtsererers cn | Sere rete alee Do. Springfield, Ind .....-- TULST, 21 co ae ne oe ETS aa am White-footed mouse. HeewoEOoulny, end.) Mar’ 22,1887.|-..-225.-.|-20-c+---s-cen--s 3 mice ..... Sees Teupaulper County, GDS OMT SOO ace cee cece mse ela ee Meadow mice... Northampton, Mass -.-..} Apr. ae ISTO genset = eto IB ok eee Uae MHCe eos shee Cicinnati, Ohio....... te as GCE RS bean 6p eens seeeesseaeees 4 meadow mice TOD ccs SRS SR eS SEE 0 Kea ee ei ey IMU COLE a eee eee Long Is- Feb. oye PSS Ae ere ce prete | Pe OE Eee eee Meadow mice... an Suffolk County, N. Y ..; Nov. 22, 1884 | SA AO Se aay ne 4 meadow mice . J een SUT NO Ra Clete ne 7a ot ee a ee ee Meatow mice... NEE eel) CL Obs. eseiailice cwssiale icici oe eee wie ciseinite wee |s oo doe eee Amagansett, N. Y ..... Mian A SGOn Seb onc pews when se. sbaioee at Mi Gers ee ee PMB COUMGVE Ne Woon OCt, 29-1888 |>.... 22.5]. ...5 22sec ese ceed 2 meadow mice . Kast Hartford, Conn ..| Feb. 9,1887!.......... | gone So. dete S52 Meadow mouse . Orange County, ues coeaTine OOS fio) cena tains: tof eo chee guaees bales oboe Do. Lancaster County, Pa .| Feb. BN STOR Fes aS ie SLD 2 tn aes lmeadow mouse. DOK eo eS JU ETE. SS ky a WSIS pee se a as Pe 2 ee 2 meadow mice . TOE) eS Rg (BLO ee ae eae rages Essa a> Au aia 4 meadow mice - SUMMARY.-—Of 49 stomachs examined, 40 contained mice; 5, other mammals; 1, lizards; 1, insects; and 4 were empty. The Ferruginous Rough-ieg, ‘anging to the eastern border of the Great Plains, United States ‘to the Saskatchewan River, and south into Mexico. the northern part of its range before the advent of cold weather. FERRUGINOUS ROUGH-LEG. Archibuteo ferrugineus. [Plate 12—Adult.] or Squirrel Hawk, inhabits the western north It migrates from It 92 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. breeds regularly from Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska northward; south of this region there seems to be no positive record of its nesting. The food of this Hawk consists almost exclusively of small mammals and reptiles, and, like the Rough-leg, never attacks birds. Dr. J. G. Cooper, as quoted in History of North American Birds (vol. m1, p. 303), says: ‘It rarely, if ever, attacks poultry, and limits its prey to wild animals, and is therefore a decided friend to the farmer.” Mr. H. W. Henshaw says of its food: “ Their prey consists princi pally of the small mammals—mice and ground squirrels—to secure which they fly a few feet from the ground.” (Explor. West of the 100th Merid., Wheeler, vol. v, 1875, p. 425.) Dr. Coues gives the following: “In the stomachs of those examined I found the remains of burrowing pouched rats (Thomomys fulwus, Woodh.), the western wood mouse (Hesperomys leucopus var. sonoriensis), kangaroo-mice (Dipodomys ordi), and some Arvicole I could not iden- tify. I was never before aware of the latter in this locality [Ft. Whipple, Ariz.|, and would remark, in passing, how often small mammals, rep- tiles, and insects, which might long remain undetected, owing to their rarity or insignificance, are found in the stomachs of rapacious birds. * * * This bird is known as the ‘ California Squirrel Hawk’ in some localities, but it is not to be inferred that they often capture the agile arboreal Sciwri. The name is gained from their feeding extensively, in California, upon the ‘ ground squirrels’ (Spermophilus beecheyt), which abound in many parts of that State. The Hawks are almost always, . too, observed in the vicinity of the settlements of the Spermophil, standing on the ground where there are no trees, or flying low over the surface, in either case on the alert to seize any unlucky animal that may venture too far from home.” (Birds of the Northwest, 1874, p. 366.) Thus it will be seen that this species is harmless and very beneficial and hence should be protected by all agriculturists throughout the country it inhabits. The nest is usually built in a tree at no great distance above the ground, but when trees are not available it is placed on the shelves of some of the earth cliffs which abound in certain parts of the West. Like that of the other larger hawks, it is composed of good-sized Sticks and coarse herbage of one kind or another, and is lined with softer material than the bulk of the structure is composed of. When such things existed on the plains, the ribs and smaller bones of the buffalo were used in the construction of the nest, often forming a larg. part of it. The eggs, which are usually three or four in number, are deposited early in May, and by the middle of July the young are ready to leave the nest. The Squirrel Hawk is preéminently a bird of the prairie, and, unlike the common Kough-leg, shows little partiality to the vicinity of water, though in other respects it closely resembles the latter bird in habits. When this hawk is hunting its flight appears labored and heavy, but GOLDEN EAGLE. 93 when circling high in the air its flight is graceful and resembles closely that of the Golden Eagle. In fact, in parts of the West it is known by the name Eagle. DESCRIPTION. Legs densely feathered in front and on sides down to base of toes. Width of bill at corners, 1.70 to 1.90 inches (42 to 48™™). Upper parts, generally, and thighs rusty; the former streaked longitudinally and the latter transversely; tail white, washed with ashy gray or rusty; lower parts pure white. Length: 22.59 to 25 inches (572 to 635™™); extent, 54 to 56.50 inches (1370 to 1435™™); wing, 15.90 to 18.80 inches (404 to 477"™); tail, 9.50 to 11 inches (242 to 280™™). Table showing the results of an examination of 1 stomach of the Squirrel Hawk (Archibuteo ferrugineus). Poultry Locality. Date. or game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. : Camp Verde, Ariz..... 3 DEY e oi laa Wetet rel Mees See oe | Be Be oe as wns metes Arizona rabbit- | GOLDEN EAGLE. Aquila chrysaétos, [Plate 13—Adult.] The Golden Eagle inhabits thenorthern portions of the northern hemi- sphere ranging south in North America to southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Georgia. It seems to be nowhere a common species in the East, but it is much more numerous in the mountainous parts of the far West. Itis confined chiefly to the mountains and more northern latitudes, where it breeds. It is able to endure intense cold, and sometimes remains far north in winter. In fact, its movements at that season are more in the form of wandering for food than regular migration to the south. The food consists mainly of mammals and birds, of which spermophiles, rabbits, fawns, lambs, turkeys, grouse, water fowl and other large birds form the principal part, though offal and carriou are sometimes taken. Audubon speaks of the food as follows: “ Young fawns, raccoons, hares, wild turkeys and other large birds are their usual food, and they devour putrid flesh only when hard pressed.” (Ornith. Biography, vol. 11, p. 467.) Inthe north, Mr. MacFarlane states that they feed on ducks, mice, and other small animals, partridges, and the fawn of the reindeer. (Hist. North Am. Birds, vol. 111, p. 318.) Capt. Charles EH. Bendire, speaking of them in Oregon, says: ‘¢ They a ae Sy sis . es 4 ee ae Nae ee 94. THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED “STATES. | a a ae vichinae ec are generally seen hunting in pairs in the early spring, chasing ducks, to geese, and sage hens, and mostly successfully. I came within a fe as feet of one gorging itself on a yellow-footed marmot [ Arctomys] it had a just captured.” (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. x1x, 1877, p. 137.) 4 Dr. E. A. Mearns, U. S. Army, in a note = the Gulden Eagle, says: = “‘ Several years ago a Golden Eagle was shot opposite those cliffs by a a : farmer at Cold Spring [New York] while in the act of destroying a goose belonging to the farmer.” (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. | III, 1878, p. 100.) = Mr. George A. Boardman captured a Golden Eagle under the alee? ing cireumstances: “¢ When out snipe shooting October 16 (1880),abig Blue Heron flew up and almost immediately dropped to the ground. Instantly a large bird came like a meteor and struck the Heron with full force, and in their excitement I got a fine specimen of the Golden — Eagle.” (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. v1, 1881, p. 58.) Although this eagle usually attacks quarry which is easy to secure, Mr. Robert Ridgway shows that it is capable of capturing agile game: “At Camp 19, on the last-named mountains, [East Hum- boldt, Nev.,| on the 29th of July, we were so fortunate as to witness the chase and capture of a Sage-Hen (Centrocercus urophasianus) by a pair of these Eagles. We were standing a few yards in the rear of a tent when our attention was arrested by a rushing noise, and upon looking up the slope of the mountain we saw flying down its wooded side with the rapidity of an arrow a Sage-Hen pursued by two ~ Eagles. The Hen was about 20 yards in advance of her pursuers, ex- erting herself to the utmost to escape; her wings, from their rapid motion, being scarcely visible. The Eagles in hot pursuit (the larger of the two leading), followed every undulation of the fugitive’s course, steadily lessening the distance between them and the object of their pursuit; their wings not moving, except when a slight inclination was necessary to enable them to follow a curve in the course of the fugitive. So intent were they in the chase that they passed within 20 yards of us. They had scarcely gone by, however, when the Sage Hen, wearied by her continued exertion, and hoping, probably, to conceal herself among the bushes, dropped to the ground; but no sooner had she touched it than she was immediately snatched up by the foremost of her relentless pursuers, who, not stopping in its flight, bore the prize rapidly toward the rocky summits of the higher peaks, accompanied by its mate.” (U.S. Geol. Expl. of the Fortieth Parallel, King, vol. Iv, 1877, p. 591.) | Numerous sensational stories have appeared from time to time relating to the carrying off of children by Eagies, the great majority of which have originated in the fertile brains of their versatile reporters. There is little doubt thatif a hungry Eagle found a young baby unpro- tected it would carry it off. The statements that babies have been car- ried away by Eagles and later recovered from the nest uninjured are as ridiculous as they are untrue. 2 ¢ ey , ; iy / , TAN iN ded AK Tie aM aed ya Fe eee rT { t t f sein png Pg EEE EIT EIT ’ ee Ne. oT him 4s te a grrr GOLDEN EAGLE. _ 95 Birds of prey always strike their talons deeply into their quarry before carrying it off, unless they are interrupted at the moment they strike. It is possible that some of the stories found in the older books, _ especially those relating to Europe, may be true, but we know of no authentic instance within the past fifty years of Eagles attacking children. Occasionally when this bird is interrupted while feeding it will attack even a man, as the following from Mr. E. W. Nelson shows: “On one occasion a pair was disturbed by a friend of mine while they were feeding upon the remains of a hog in northern Illinois. As my friend approached the birds arose and swooped fiercely at him. Both birds were shot almost at the muzzle of the gun; the first fell dead almost at his feet, but this apparently seemed only to increase the rage of the survivor, which renewed the attack until it, too, was disabled.” (Nat. Hist. Coll, Alaska, 1887, p. 144.) At certain seasons of the year or in sections where its natural food, wild game, is scarce this bird often becomes very troublesome by at- tacking the young of domesticated animals. Mr. Oliver Davie speaks of one of these Eagles which was killed near Columbus, Ohio, Decem- ber 13,1881. It was alleged that it had killed several young calves, ~_and he ascertained that the bird had been observed feeding upon two of them, but it was not seen in the act of killing them. (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. v11, 1882, p. 123.) The following letter to Col. Alexander Macbeth, of Georgetown, 8. C., shows how destructive Hagles may occasionally become, but may refer in part to the Bald Eagle: RUEMS, GEORGETOWN County, S&S. C., May 30, 1889. DEAR Sir: Yours, 22d instant, at hand, and in reply will say that the eagles are more destructive to the sheep-growing industry in this section than dogs. On one ranch this spring one shepherd alone killed over forty himself, principally by using strychnine. ‘They were worse than we ever knew of before. We lost fully 400 or 500 lambs, as they devour them as fast as they drop from the old sheep. * * #* We frequently see during eagle or lambing season, fifteen to twenty eagles in a covey (or bunch), which shows at a glance that they are destructive. Wehave alsoa few wildcats that devour the young sheep, but can manage them better than eagles. Yours very truly. T. RHEM AND SONS. Mr. ALEX. MACBETH, Georgetown, S.C. Mr. Henry Seebohm says of its food in Europe: “The Golden Kagle has been known on one highland sheep farm alone, in the course of a single season, to carry off as many as thirty-five lambs. « * * In deer forests, eagles are of the greatest service; for although they sometimes take a sickly deer calf, they live almost entirely on the blue hares, so troublesome to the deer stalker; and most certainly the deer are the better for the removal of the weak and sickly ones, which would only possibly live to transmit their dis- 96 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. eases to posterity. * * * The Golden Eagle (noble as he is thought to be) will eat carrion when pressed for food. * * * The Golden Eagle also preys upon various species of birds, notably the blackeock and red grouse, ptarmigan, curlews, and plovers, dropping upon them 3 unawares or simply taking the young and weakly ones; for neverdoes the bird pursue and strike them like the true falcon.” (Hist. of Brit- ish Birds, vol. 1, 1883, pp. 98, 99.) Occasionally it will attack large animals, as the following from Mr. Charles F. Morrison shows: “The bird had captured and killed a good sized black-tailed deer, and was shot while sitting upon its body.” (Or- - nithologist and Oologist, vol. xIv, 1889, p. 25.) To sum up, it may be stated that in sections of the country where rabbits, prairie dogs, or gophers are abundant the Golden Hagle is very beneficial, confining its attention mainly to these noxious animals; but in places where wild game is scarce it is often very destructive to the young of domesticated animals, and hence in such places has to be kept in check. The nest usually is placed on a shelf or ledge on the face of a rocky cliff, or, in some sections of the country, among the branches of large trees. This latter site seems to be more common along the west coast than in other parts of the country. The structure is nothing more than a platform of dry sticks, some of which are several inches in diameter; and as the same place is used for a series of years and new material added each year, the mass acquires very large dimensions, often meas- . uring from 6 to 8 feet in diameter. The cavity is shallow and is lined - with dry straw, grass or moss, green leaves, or in the north, the fur and feathers of mammals and birds which have served as food. The full complement of eggs is from one to four, two or three being the common number. In California the first half of March appears to be the time when most of the eggs are deposited. Occasionally an early set may be found in February or a late one in April. In the far north sets are not completed before the last of April or the first of May. Some writers allege that this Eagle remains mated throughout life, which is not at allimprobable, for generally two birds are seen together at all seasons. The female sits closely during incubation and is attentively cared for and assisted by the male, which, in case the female is killed, takes full charge of the brood. The maleis more shy than the female, and hence is less often killed. A great deal of nonsense has been written about the valor displayed by this bird in protecting its nest and in attacking persons who attempt to rob it of the eggs or young. Interesting as these accounts may be, they have. but little foundation in fact, so far at least as this country is concerned, for the birds are arrant cowards, and as soon as the nest is approached leave the neighborhood and do not return, even when there are young in the nest, until after the foragers have passed out of - gun range. |) a? ee 2) 14 Ptate are Pet ee ee ee eet ee yom eee bar ie | BALD EAGLE. 97 This bird when kept in confinement is thought by many to be fierce and untamable, but there are many exceptions, for in certain sections of the West there are few towns which can not boast of a live Eagle, which is oftentimes tame and gentle. When this bird is soaring in the higher air, its flight is truly grand, being equaled in grace by that of few other species. Like many, if not all, of the birds of prey, the Golden Eagle is fond of bathing. DESCRIPTION. Legs densely feathered down to base of toes. This character will separate it, in any plumage, from the White-headed Eagle, which is the only other Eagle in the United States. Length: 30 to 40 inches (760 to 1015™™); extent, 75 to 90 inches (1900 to 2280™"); wing, 23 to 27 inches (580 to 685™™); tail, 14 to 16 inches (355 to 405 ™™). Table showing the results of examinations of 6 stomachs of the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaétos). Poultry Locality, Date. or game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. Gaithersburg, Md ..... WBE SelBOr | se ssis sa eae Fe hacia ov See Bie eine | Paes ae eae ee Carrion. San Francisco Moun- | Aug. 27,1889 |.....-.... So dab wong pes sees Abert’s squirrel. tain, Ariz. Gams ln osc sece ssc aN eo SOla|ecrsciee = i a GeaRR ciNS Ss oie oll hse armas marae e erates Empty. wae Pn ictes. | Dec. 14,1885). ~ 2... | onsale wee ne en a|renecswecenm acces. Pig carrion. TZ. Vermillion, Clay Coun- | Jan. 13,1890 |.....--.-- Weathers ?=c.css- lt sce os oe ees ese ty, S. Dak. BORE Baer oes cee Rabbit-cstce ses Keokuls, lowa.-..:..-- ‘Oct. 31,1889 sores SummAry.—Of 6 stomachs examined, 1 contained feathers; 2, mammals; 2, carrion; and 1 was - empty. BALD EAGLE. Halizetus leucocephalus. [Plate 14—Adult.] The Bald Eagle inhabits North America, ranging south into Mexico, as well as into the northeastern part of Siberia. It occurs along the Arctic Ocean as a summer resident only, though in the greater part of Alaska and southward it is found throughout the year, merely wander- ing whenever food becomes scarce. It breeds in suitable localities throughout its range. The favorite food of the Bald Eagle is fish, and when this vertebrate can be procured the bird will touch little else. Of the hundreds of these Eagles which the writer has watched, none were observed ever to touch anything except fish or offal picked up from rivers or along their shores. What proportion of the fish consumed is taken from the Osprey is hard to estimate, but the number must be very great. 7626—No. 3——7 wa. a 4." eS ee ES eer ‘ ; 4 - Y fete ieee 98 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. 8 Nuttall, in speaking of the food of this bird, says: ‘“ Besides fish, he ‘ preys upon Ducks, Geese, Gulls, and other seafowl, and when the re- sources of the ocean diminish, or fail from any cause, particularly onthe southern migration of the Osprey, his inland depredations are soon noto- — rious, young lambs, pigs, fawns, and even deer often becoming his prey” — (Land Birds, 1832, p. 75). Mr. H. W. Henshaw, speaking of the food of this bird on the west coast, says: ‘“‘ They are said to annually destroy many of the lambs. I am informed by Lieut. Carpenter that this Eagle at the mouth of the Columbia River is exceedingly numerous, and that here its habits of 4 feeding upon carrion are as regular and fixed as those of the true Buz- zards. Its chief dependence is on fish, more particularly Salmon, of — which vast numbers are cast up by the waves.” (App. JJ, Rept. of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. A., for 1876, pp. 264, 265.) Speaking of the food of the Bald Eagle in Alaska, Mr. BE, W. Nelson says: ‘“‘In summer they feed upon fish and the numerous wild-fowl which breed among these islands. In winter they feed upon Ptarmi- 4 gan and the seafowl which reside there during this season. Whenat — the salmon run, in Sanborn Harbor, Nagai, Mr. Dall saw seventeen eagles within 100 yards. During winter he found many eagles dead, but they were too fat to have starved, and he was unable to account for the mystery.” (Report Nat. Hist., Collections in Alaska, 1887, p. 144.) Mr. L. M. Turner, speaking of the same general country, says: “The | 3 ‘ food of this eagle is rather mixed, consisting of ptarmigans, ducks, and an occasional fish. Any fish or bird that may be thrown dead on the beach is eagerly eaten by this eagle.” (Contrib. Nat. Hist. Alaska, 1886, p. 159.) : In parts of the West and Southwest this bird often does considerable ‘good in destroying noxious mammals. Dr. J. G. Cooper says: “The — Spanish inhabitants rather encourage its presence, on account of the great number of squirrels it kills; and I have been told of instances where young ones raised from the nest have been kept for several years in a domestic state, going out daily to kill squirrels, and returning to the house at night.” (Ornith. Cal., Land Birds, 1870. p. 452.) Mr. Wm. Lloyd, in a letter dated February 18, 1887, says: “I went to a Bald Eagle’s nest on January 28, and though disappointed at find- ing young just ready to fly, yet I watched the parents bring two prairie dogs to the nest, and skins of this mammal were mixed up in the débris of the nest.” | A very interesting instance is mentioned by Mr. Thomas MelIlraith of an eagle, which was shot on the shore of Hamilton Bay, Lake Ontario, that had the bleached skull of a weasel dangling from its neck. The teeth were firmly set in the skin of the throat. (Birds of Ontario, 1886, p. 147.) In certain sections of the country the Bald Eagle appears to be as destructive to domesticated animals as the Golden Eagle is, and un- { o ; : A ry i J oe % wee. ee Aer ey Ve eer ts mt ee bh toca eel ays eh ee a Oe ee Cn Pe Oe ee en a SS ee ieee, oe Ra rerrey oF i bi) ~ _" a PM ts F : ee ae ge TT BALD EAGLE. 99 doubtedly the depredations that are mentioned in the letter to Col. Alexander Macbeth (p. 95), refer as well to the present species. The following notes from Forest and Stream bear on this phase of the subject: ‘‘A number of eagles have recently been shot in various parts of Pennsylvania. One, shot by John Hodman in North Coventry, Chester County, had carried off bodily a large lamb and returned the following day after another.” (Vol. v, 1875,p.195.) “A large white- headed eagle swooped down on a flock of sheep here [Hornellsville, N. Y.j and made a breakfast on lamb chops before he could be driven off.” (J. Otis Fellows, vol. x, 1878, p. 319.) “It [the Bald Hagle] was killed by a Mr. Towry, near Smithsville, Miss. When found by Mr. Towry it had killed two of his hogs and was dining on one of them.” (G. C. Be vel. Vit, 1877, p. 17.) Mr. J. EK. West mentions a neighbor who, while watching for geese on the river opposite Wilkinsons Point, near the mouth of Neuces River, North Carolina, saw an Kagle having something in its talons and flying across the river in his direction. As the river at this point is about five miles wide, the bird was evidently becoming very tired and kept flying lower and lower, but finally alighted on the shore within twenty steps of the gunner, who shot it. The object it carried was a little live lamb which was unhurt. (bid., vol. Iv, 1875, p. 166.) This note shows to what a great distance an Eagle is capable of carrying a burden fully equal to its own weight. Along the coast of the South Atlantic States and on the lower Mis- Sissippl, this Kagle appears to feed more on waterfowl! than in any other section ofthe country. The following note from Mr. William Brewster refers to the vicinity of Cobbs Island, Virginia: ‘Inthe winter the Eagles are much more numerous than at any other time of the year, and my informant has, on several occasions, seen aS many as eight at once. At this season the neighboring bays and creeks swarm with Wild-fowl, and upon these the Eagles principally live. He has never known them to catch fish of any kind, although they not unfrequently rob the Fish- Hawk. Geese and Brant form their favorite food, and the address dis- played in their capture is very remarkable. The poor victim has ap- parently not the slightest chance for escape. The Eagle’s ilight, ordinarily slow and somewhat heavy, becomes in the excitement of pursuit, exceedingly swift and graceful, and the fugitive is quickly overtaken. When close upon its quarry the Eagle suddenly sweeps be- neath it, and, turning back downwards, thrusts its powerful talons up into its breast. A Brant or Duck is carried off bodily to the nearest marsh or sand-bar, but a Canada Goose is too heavy to be thus easily disposed of. The two great birds fall together to the water beneath, while the Hagle literally tows his prize along the surface until the shore is reached. In this way one has been known to drag a large Goose for nearly half a mile.” (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. v, 1880, pp. 57-58.) Mr. Charles F. Batchelder, quoting Mr. John W. Baker, mentions an Y f 100 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. _ Eagle on the St. Johns River, Florida, which for a period of four or five s 4 months made two trips a day to the river for the purpose of obtaining coots (Fulica), which it always captured with little difficulty. (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. v1, 1881, pp. 58-60.) ee Considerable i been aitton by the earlier writers about Bald Eagles attacking and carrying off children. We can find no recent record of such an occurrence—except newspaper trash—so give the fol- lowing from Wilson, which seems trustworthy: ‘“‘A woman who hap- pened 10 be weeding in the garden had set her child down near, to. - amuse itself, while she was at work, when a sudden and extraordinary — rushing sound, and a scream from her child, alarmed her, and, starting up, She beheld the infant thrown and dragged some few feet, and a large bald eagle bearing off a fragment of its frock, which being the — 4 only part seized, and giving away, providentially saved the life of the infant.” ale Ornithology, vol, 1, 1831, pp. 26-27.) What we have said in reference to the Golden Eagle applies equally “ well to the bird under consideration, namely, that over the greater part of the country where the natural food, fish in the present case, is abundant it is a harmless bird and should be protected; while in sec- tions where it is injurious to sheep or other domesticated animals it should not be allowed to become numerous. The nest, if this rude structure is entitled to such a name, is a eee ee mass of material in the shape of a platform, often 6 feet across and 3 or 4feet in depth. It is composed of large sticks with more or less rubbish added in the shape of plant stalks, seaweed, rushes, pieces of turf, vines, — - and the like. The great majority of nests are placed in large trees, though occasionally a shelf or projecting crag from the steep mountain side is used for a site. The trees chosen are generally live ones of large size, and the nest unlike that of the osprey is placed in a crotch some distance from the top of the tree, from 50 to 60 feet above the ground. The eggs, which are usually two in number, though occasionally three are found, are deposited at widely different times depending on lati- tude. In Florida the birds begin to lay in November or early in December, while in Alaska it is often April before full comple- ments of eggs are found. In the same locality there is considerable variation in the time at which different pairs breed. In proof of this Dr. William L. Ralph, during two seasons, found twenty-six sets of eggs of this bird along the Indian River, Florida, between November 25 and February 1. The period of incubation is thirty-six days. Although in Florida the young often leave the nest by the first of April, in Lab- rador and the mountains of Washington it is nearly July before they _dothesame. Like the Golden Eagle, the Bald Eagle makes no pretense at guarding its eggs or young against intruders, but leaves the vicinity at the first appearance of the collector and does not return until all danger to itself is over. It is stated that a pair remain united through life, always keeping in the general neighborhood and sharing the prod- ucts of the chase together. BALD EAGLE. 101 In the spring when the ice in the rivers and bays is breaking up, the Bald HKagle often becomes very abundant and may be seen on a cake of ice floating back and forth with the tide or perched on some tree near the shore. On the Hudson River Dr. E. A. Mearns states that he has seen twenty-five in sight at once, and the writer, on the border of the same river, has observed nine individuals in one tree. Like most other birds of prey, this Eagle makes a gentle and inter- esting pet when taken young, though there is always some danger of it being vicious towards strangers. In localities where the bird is little molested it is not at all shy, but in other sections where war is continu- ally waged against it, it is very difficult to approach. | The flight is strong, although having the appearance of being labored at times, and the bird is capable of carrying a weight exceeding its own. Ata distance the note of the Bald Eagle is not altogether un- pleasant, resembling somewhat that of the sea gulls, but near by it is erating and suggests a maniacal laugh. Audubon states thatthe flesh of the young eagles is very good and resembles veal in taste. - DESCRIPTION. Lower third of leg naked all around. This character will separate it in any plumage from the Golden Eagle, which is the only other Eagle in the United States. : Length: 30 to 43 inches (760 to 1090™™) ; extent, 80 to 96 inches (2030 to 2440™™); wing, 20 to 28 inches (510 to 710™™); tail, 11 to 16 inches (280 to 405™™). Table showing the results of examinations of 21 stomachs of the Bald Eagle (Havieetus leucocephalus). Poultry | ~ Locality. Date. op eau Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. Sandy Spring, Md..... Pam 28, VEST on on | a nee en ne (one msee en accasaee Carrion. ieee m TIC Ee ase eA TO 01S OO | siccicisistisfelels cto cie ess tideciedons|Sccandececctecewas Sunfish ee acisiat a/ Rae = te PRAIRIE FALCON. Falco mexicanus. The Prairie Falcon inhabits the western United States from the eastern border of the Great Plains to the Pacific, and from the northern boundary southward into Mexico. It winters from Kansas, Colorado, southern Idaho, and southern Washington southward, and breeds in suitable localities throughout its range. The food of this Falcon consists of birds, mammals, reptiles, and the larger insects. Among birds it is partial to prairie hens, doves, black- birds, and in fact any species whose size furnishes atempting lure. In the destruction of injurious rodents it is of considerable service. Gophers, prairie dogs, rabbits, and mice are greedily devoured, and often in localities where colonies of the first two animals occur it is seen flying over or sitting near the ‘towns’ on the lookout for the ap- pearance of its prey. Lizards are occasionally taken, and, among the insects, the large crickets and grasshoppers which are so abundant in some sections of the West are also eaten. The following is what Mr. Robert Ridgway says of the food of the species: ‘‘This daring Falcon was a rather common species throughout theGreat Basin. Itwasfirstobserved on the 31st of October, 1867, atthe Humboldt Marshes [Nev.], where we saw one swoop upon a flock of tame pigeons at the stage station. Late in November, ofthe same year, it was noticed again among the marshes along the Carson River, near Genoa, where it was observed to watch and follow the Marsh Hawks (Circus hudsonius), compelling them to give up their game, which was caught by the Falcon before it reached the ground; this piracy being not an occasional, but asystematic habit. In the Truckee Valley we Saw one snatch a young chicken from a dooryard, in the presence of several spectators. The quarry of this Falcon is by no means confined to animals smaller than itself, however, for the specimen in our collec- tion was killed while leisurely eating a Jackass Rabbit (Lepus callotis), an animal of nearly twice his weight, and which he had carried to the top of a fence post by the roadside. He exhibited no alarm at the ap- proach of our buggy, but continued tearing and devouring his prey. We had even passed by him, without seeing him, when the quick eye of Mr. Parker detected him in time for a shot.” (U.S. Geol. Explor. of the Fortieth Parallel, King, vol. Iv, 1877, p.577.) Dr.Coues reported finding one of these birds feeding on an allied species of hare which is fully as large as the above-mentioned one. Dr. George Bird Grinnell says of this Falcon: “It was seen daily pursuing the blackbirds about the station, and at Medicine Bow one of these birds had almost depopulated the only dove-cote in the town.” (Forest and Stream, vol. x11, 1879, p. 365.) PRAIRIE FALCON. 105 At present the data we have on the food of this Hawk is not enough to decide whether the species should be protected or persecuted. The following species of mammals and birds were positively identi- fied among the stomach contents: MAMMALS. BIRDS. Spermophilus tridecemlineatus pallidus. Lophodytes cucullatus. Spermophilus richardsont. Callipepla gambeli. Tympanuchus americanus. Zenaidura macroura. Otocoris alpestris arenicola. Harporhynchus crissalis. The nest is placed usually on a shelf or in a niche on the perpen- dicular surface of a ‘cut bank,’ so common in parts of the West, or among the crevices of rocky cliffs. It is probable that this Falcon also builds in hollows of trees, as the Duck Hawk sometimes does. The eges, which are usually three in number, though sets of four occasion- ally have been found, are deposited early in May, and by the latter part of July the young are able to leave the nest. The Prairie Falcon, as the name implies, is a typical plains bird and inhabitsthe dryinterior. In this respect it differs from the Duck Hawk, for the latter bird is not commonly met with away from tide water or the vicinity of the larger lakes, while the former is just as rare in such localities, the exception being in autumn when it is attracted to the sloughs and lake marshes by the abundance of food, at which time the two species associate. The flight of this Hawk is swiftand graceful, though in most eases it is carried on at no great distance from the ground. Itis notashy bird, except im sections where it has been persecuted and has learned that man is itS worst enemy. DESCRIPTION. Lower leg feathered for not more than upper half, posterior side al- most wholly naked. Top of head grayish brown, streaked with dusky. Above, pale grayish brown indistinctly but broadly barred with pale clay color or bluish gray. Below, white, the flanks heavily spotted or blotched with dusky. Length : 17 to 20 inches (431 to 509™™); extent, 40 to 43 inches (1015 to 1092™™); wing, 11.60 to 14.30 inches (294 to 363™™); tail, 6.40 to 9 inches (162 to 228™™), -—_---—_—--s eer t 106 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. Table showing the results of examinations of 11 stomachs of the Prairie Falcon (alco mexicanus). ‘ Poultry Locality. Date. or same Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. Sarpy County, Nebr..-| Sept. 1874 a AVTIC jo okesase sense \ see on saceaes see 16 locusts. en. Cheyenne, Wyo....---| Aug. 3,1888 |.-.--....-|.---.-eec.ccss0ee- Striped gopher. . pasaniie Monn rani | AIC A, 1888) |e cnmtaln nl eee oem meie aeeeee hic go-| 6 grasshoppers. yo. er. St. Thomas, Nev ..---- Jan 24 SSO) ea se Horned lark....|.. P Mischa Camp Verde, Ariz..-.- June 6, 1885 Saubals Mourning dove :.|-2-2- 3. =-eeeeee quail. DOwceesesiccsewas Jian.» (9, 1886.22 >-do.- -.|\Crissal thrasher'|:-.22. sees see OR Re SHEG OSes inse Maite TOAST | ce Seni ceic emia nsiece oa Aa aloee ee |e eee a Empty. 10) es Ge eee OCTLZEMIS8 Toles ees Sal So SEE Sooo pal eee Do. ID ee Dee. T6pes7 | Hooded. .c.. 0h. caceecealcee ee eee . mer ganser DO Mere See oe eels Heb. 9888")... sss oss kee eee ee Do. Birch Creek, Idaho....| Aug. 7,1890|.......... Horned lark. 522 |4252.2e eee eee SumMARyY.—Of 11 stomachs examined, 3 contained, game birds; 5, other birds; 2, mammals; 2, in- sects; and 3 were empty. DUCK HAWK. Falco peregrinus anatum, [Plate 15—Adult. ] The Duck Hawk inhabits all of America north of Chile. The Peregrine Falcon, of which the Duck Hawk is a geographical race, inhabits Europe and parts of Asia, and appears as a migrant in north- ern Africa in winter. Another race, Peale’s Falcon (Falco p. pealet), is restricted to the northwest coast region from Oregon north to the Aleutian and Commander Islands. The Duck Hawk is migratory in the northern part of its range, consequently in fallit becomes more nu- merous in favorite localities in the United States. On the Atlantic coast it is comparatively rare in winter north of Long Island. It breeds in the eastern United States as far south, at least, as the moun- tains of North Carolina and Tennessee. The food of this Hawk consists almost exclusively of birds, of which water-fowl and shore birds form the greater part. In sections of the | country where its nesting site is surrounded by cultivated lands, the bird is complained of bitterly by the farmers on account of the inroads it makes on the poultry. Speaking of a pair that had nested near Bran- don, Vt., for over twenty years, Mr. F. H. Knowlton says: “They were very destructive to poultry in the vicinity, and many unsuccessful at- tempts were made to shoot them, until Mr. Winslow, remaining conceal- ed near the nest for an entire day, shot both male and female as they returned about dusk.” (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. v, 1880, p. 57.) The stomachs of two specimens secured by Mr. John Krider, not far from Philadelphia, contained the remains of poultry. Mr. Henry Seebohm, speaking of the food of the European bird, says: “Most species of water-fowl are preyed upon, as well as Grouse and Par- — oe * 7 a Se cate . Re bai ost i: a, sign eS Oe ae oer il Nl eatin Ree tt No 3. Div Ornithology . 7 ee ee See a) Rely sey bee Re en he eal DUCK HAWK. 107 tridges; but perhaps his favorite food is the Rock-Doves which nestle on the ocean cliffs around him, and the Stock-Doves in the more inland districts.” (Hist. British Birds, vol. 1, 1883, p. 25.) In America it often attacks pigeons, and the following note from Mr. George Boudin shows that sometimes it will take up quarters in a large city for that purpose: ‘On the 13th of September, 1868, I shot a fine specimen (male) at the corner of Fifth and Girard avenue, Phila- delphia. For nearly three weeks this bird of prey had made its home in St. Peter’s steeple, and lived on pet pigeons. Every day he would come from his hiding place and soar into the air, and start his victims into flight; after they had made two or three circles he would make a dart at the frightened birds, and never missed his prey; he would then seek his hiding place in the cupola and dine on his feathered booty.” (Forest and Stream, vol. viII, 1877, p. 161.) It has been known also to feed on petrels, small gulls, and terns. Col. A. J. Grayson mentions one which remained near a vessel for two days and captured at least a dozen dusky petrels. (Proc. Bost. Soe. Nat. Hist., vol. x1v, 1872, p. 269.) Dr. C. Hart Merriam, speaking of a Duck Hawk which was shot on Falkner Island, Connecticut, says: ‘During her brief visit she had made sad havoc among the Terns, and her crop was greatly distended with their remains, which had been swallowed in incredibly large pieces; whole legs, and the long bones of the wings were found entire and unbroken. Indeed she was perfectly gorged, and contained the remains of at least two adult Terns, besides a mass of newly-hatched young.” (Birds of Conn., 1877, p. 82.) At Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York, Hon. Theodore Roosevelt states that “a pair appeared in September, 1875, and worked great havoc among the night herons. Ihave seen one fly into a flock of young and kill three without picking up any.” It sometimes takes comparatively small birds. Dr. E. A. Mearns found in the stomach and crop of one he secured at Sayville, Long Is- land, the remains of a robin, gray-checked thrush, catbirds, and warb- lers; and Dr. J. G. Cooper says: ‘“‘I have seen one pursue a swallow, and turning feet upwards seize it flying, with perfect ease. I have also seen them pursue quail near the coast; but their chief prey con- sists of ducks and other water-birds, which they seize on the wing or on the water, frequently carrying off birds heavier than themselves.” (Ornith. Cala., Land Birds, 1870, p. 456.) It will attack some of the smaller birds of prey, as the following will show: ‘‘An individual of this bird was taken by Col. Grayson at the Tres Marias Islands [Mexico]. When shot, it was endeavoring to capture a Sparrow Hawk, indicating its indifference as to the game it pursues. He adds that this bird attacks with vigor everything it sees, from the size of a Mallard Duck down, and is the terror of all small birds.” (Hist. North A. Birds, vol. 111, 1874, p. 138.) pe eee St 108 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. Speaking of the food of this bird in Florida, Mr. W. E. D. Scott says: ‘As observed here, this Hawk preys almost exclusively on the Coot (Fulica Americana) which occurred in enormous flocks on both lake and river.” (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. v1, 1881, p. 17.) The Duck Hawk is one of the few birds of prey in whose favor little can be said. It is fortunate for the poultry-raisers that the species is — comparatively rare throughout our country, and that it is restricted to a large extent to the shores of the ocean and inland bodies of water. The following species of birds were positively identified among the stomach contents: Anas cyanoptera, Callipepla gambeli, Zenaidura ma- croura, Harporhynchus crissalis, Turdus alicia, Galeoscoptes carolinensis, and Merula migratoria. Its flight is marvelously rapid, and it is able to overtake the swift- winged ducks with comparative ease. At times it is difficult to follow with the eye its various movements while in pursuit of its prey. The nest is placed on some ledge or crag which projects from the surface of a rocky wall or cliff, in one of the clefts on the face of a ‘cut bank,’ or more rarely in the eroded cavities in the tops of tall trees. The nesting site on the cliffs is often inaccessible, being on a ledge far above the base and under an overhanging portion which prevents ap- proach from above. Liven in the far north the eggs are deposited quite commonly on the bare rocks, while in other instances a rude nest is formed of sticks and accidental material which has collected on the shelf, mixed with the fur and feathers of the victims. The holes in the giant sycamores in which Col. Goss and Mr. Ridgway found eggs, con- tained no nesting material except pieces of rotten wood which had fallen from the sides of the cavities. The Duck Hawk mates in February in - most parts of the United States, and at such times is noisy, uttering at short intervals its peculiar note. The eggs, which are from two to four in number, are deposited early in April, except in the far north, where their deposition is three weeks or a month later. The young are nearly fully fledged in Connecticut by the middle of June, and from Labrador northward not until a month later. 3 A pair of birds become very much attached to a locality and rear their young in the same place for a long series of years. This Falcon is an inhabitant of the more open country in the vicinity of the sea, the larger rivers, and inland bodies of water, and in such localities extends its range northward to beyond the limit of trees. It is rare on the dry plains of the West, which is the chosen home of the Prairie Falcon. When taken young it, like the Old World representative, can be easily tamed and becomes muchattached toits keeper. In the time of falconry the Peregrine Falcon was highly prized and was considered inferior to none except the White Gyrfalcon. Itisa solitary speeies except during the breeding season, though in a rich hunting ground two or more may be found together, drawn there by the abundance of food. It is a bold, yet RY Baie iett a Denby: Bz Re acute _: ees 16. 1D) a o oO | es SIA oe wt : Se ie ye mI 4 é ‘4 = PIGEON HAWK. 109 audacious bird, attacking and killing prey twice its own weight. Nev- ertheless in some cases it seems to be tyrannized over by the much weaker Marsh Hawk, as several writers have witnessed the latter bird drive it from recently killed quarry. DESCRIPTION. First and second wing feathers equal and longest. Adult.—Top of head black, decidedly darker than back; chest creamy buff, buffy white, or pure white, often unspotted, never very heavily spotted with blackish. Immature.—Lower parts streaked with dusky. In Peale’s falcon the top of the head is dark slaty, uniform with back; chest heavily spotted with blackish. Length: 15.50 to 20 inches (393 to 508™™); extent, 38.50 to 42 inches (978 to 1068™™); wing, 11.30 to 14.75 inches (286 to 374™™); tail, 6 to 9 inches (152 to 228™™). Table showing the results of examinations of 20 stomachs of the Duck Hawk (Falco peregrinus anatum). Poultry Locality. Date. or game | Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. Portland, Conn...-...-- EP E2O LOC ON CROUGIE cr aly eect ac cere ivis'y| mam Slt = Sse serene ee Beetles. East Bradford, Pa-..... eps 14 1886) Paseo. on INGaAbNeRStacceecs|o se nesses eres Wit ce ae eee Mars2ralssouiehowlece laste coectee soc le cosine arse eines Wiatkins, Ni. Yo....... Ot 28 SETA lees asiere Meadowlark Sele lS phen oe eee OES eee Gee eee IDG. SU so eacso ss] pops eeHee oS Sseeo eee AMO Shere ooses Dayville. Y...--...- Weta. 61880) soccer Gran checked oo ccc -o-sssceere Re thrush, ‘war- bler, robin, eatbird. Brookhaven, N. Y...--.| Oct. 1,1884|........-. Smrallibird sien ce esc ean ceeeeas Dragon-flies. MNO sce cc. ne OG Tee AUS BAG PN rr C kee eS ee ae ee Plymouth, Mass .....- Sept. 28, 1887 |....-..--- Spaltowsec ws sa: |se8 co aoe wees Stratford, Conn ....... OCG MISS IE ae seers sce seine wise! anit See isbete pe sat or Empty, Camp Verde, APIZ) =.=.) ANS. 13) 1884.) 25. =. Smallibirds: 2 23) 3 secs -ee ee eee 100) Baecsao couse Sept. 15, 1884 ).......--- Mourne doves |*2.-¥: secs ecce ens crissal thrasher. Tucson, Ariz....--.---- IGN oi, Sse es Sec Selleene cer Somne nae Saeliosebe. Babe ee see oe Empty. Camp Verde, Ariz ....| July 10, US IS le Sie eae ee pe me (gee er Si ee ep Do. DORs ee ieaeas-\: onlivenO PlSsontGamibel’s | ssaocs sane ee ae Sle oe atiee cece sive ae quail HD cere Spa Seseeee IMAL ISOUN earful a eae ena SoMIE Sw olealge Sue emens Empty. WOR ees ciwsis sone: Atuora2 lesen (Cima | Other birds. s..)22s2-- +. 2s2ssesse. monteal. 1D ee eee Misty 11s 188 Tee. = = 2 Mommminic dove Joe. a0 sence eee ee sacte County, Pa-| Dec. 9, 1891 ee BE ree rire tates ee ali erat My 8 oe Ba erecta clas came O) oe ce oereilcicas Oya a esis Sec Seale ce serek aioe oapanice coic omieihee SumMARyY.—Of 20 stomachs examined, 7 contained poultry or game birds; 9, other birds; 1, mice; 2, insects, and 4 were empty. PIGEON HAWK. Falco columbarius. [Plate 16—Immature. ] The Pigeon Hawk inhabits the whole of North America from the Arctic Ocean southward to the West Indies, Central America, and northern South America. It breeds chiefly north of parallel 43°, though in the mountains it extends south of this latitude, and in the mountains of 110 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. _ some of the West Indian Islands it is a summer resident. It winters _ sparingly from the more southern portions of its breeding range through the intermediate country to South America. The Black Merlin (Falco ce. suckleyi), a dark race of the Pigeon Hawk, inhabits the northwest coast from northern California to Sitka, The food of the Pigeon Hawk consists mainly of small and medium- sized birds, especially the gregarious species, insects, and occasionally — smallmammais. Pigeons, flickers, and grackles are about as large birds as it usually attacks, though Dr. Dall in one instance saw it kill a ptarmigan and Dr. EK. A. Mearns speaks of a specimen shot in the act of destroying a hen. Among insects the dragon flies are favorite mor- sels for this Hawk, and the apparent ease with which it captures these nimble-winged insects demonstrates better than anything else its re- markable power of flight. The writer has also found grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles among the stomach contents. Like the Duck Hawk, the species under consideration occasionally captures small mammals when its ordinary food is scarce, though aec- cording to Dr. J. G. Cooper, it sometimes feeds quite extensively on them. Hesays: “Though small, the pigeon hawk has all the fierce- ness and courage of a true falcon, and captures birds fully as large as itself. It, however, chiefly follows the flocks of gregarious birds, such as blackbirds, doves, ete., and preys much on mice, gophers, and squirrels. I have not heard of its attacking domestic poultry, and those farmers who shoot every ‘chicken hawk’ that comes around the © house would do well to observe them more closely, and will discover that these small species are not the young of the larger ones, and should rather be encouraged than destroyed.” (Ornith. Cala., Land Birds, 1870, p. 461.) Wilson sums up its food as follows: ‘When the reedbirds, grakles, — and red-winged blackbirds congregate in large flights, he is often ob- served hovering in their rear, or on their flanks, picking up the weak, the wounded, or stragglers, and frequently making a sudden and fatal sweep into the very midst of their multitudes. The flocks of robins and pigeons are honored with the same attentions from this marauder.” (Am. Ornithology, vol I, 1831, pp. 61, 62.) Audubon speaks of its food as follows: “It seizes the Red-breasted Thrush, the Wild Pigeon, and even the Golden-winged Woodpecker, on land; whilst along the shores it chases several species cf snipes, as well as the Green-winged Teal.” (Ornith. Biography, vol. I, p. 467.) Mr. John Murdoch mentions four Pigeon Hawks which, on September 5, came out to the vessel as it was crossing the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and says: ‘The first that appeared hal a Leach’s Petrel, dead, in his talons. He alighted with this, on the fore crosstrees, and proceeded to eat it.” (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. 11, 1877, p. 79.) Dr. Coues, speaking of the species in Labrador, says: ‘‘On the 25th of the same month [August], at Henley Harbor, another individual was A ke 7 re A el i Ae hie A rR Bit hacia i vetlel, PIGEON HAWK. 111 seen foraging among the immense flocks of Curlews (Numenius borealis) which then covered the hills in the vicinity.” (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci., Phila., 1861, p. 216.) In Texas, Mr. George B. Sennett secured a bird whose crop contained nearly the whole of a ground dove. Mr. Thomas Mellraith mentions © Seeing one of these Falcons dive into a flock of blackbirds on one ot the marshes of Ontario, and says: ‘I once saw him ‘stoop’ on a flock as they hurried toward the marsh for shelter. How closely they hud- dled together, as if seeking mutual protection, but he went right through the flock and came out on the other side with one in each fist,” (Birds of Ontario, 1886, p. 149.) Occasionally the Pigeon Hawk is quite destructive to young chickens, as the following from the pen of the late Dr. William Wood will show: ‘In May, 1860, a gentleman who resides some five miles distant, informed me that a small hawk came almost every day and carried off a chicken forhim. * * * The next day the same little hawk returned and was shot, and is now in my collection, a beautiful representative of the pigeon hawk.” (Am. Nat., vol. Vil, 1873, p. 342.) The following from Dr. B. H. Warren shows it is also injurious to domesticated birds other than chickens: “Two Pigeon Hawks during the late fall lurked about the southern suburbs of the borough of West Chester, preying at regular intervals on the pigeons of a black- smith. In one week the hawks killed or drove away fifty of the birds. The hawks would enter the boxes and take from them the pigeons.” (Birds of Pennsylvania, 1888, p. 100.) The following species of birds were positively identified among the stomach contents; Colaptes auratus. Melospiza georgiana. Chetura pelagica. Passerina cyanea. Dolichonyx oryzivorus. Tachycineta bicolor, Spinus tristis. Passer domesticus. Certhia familiaris. Dendroica palmarum. Junco hyemalis. Vireo olivaceus. Spizella pusilla. Vireo solitarius. Spizella socialis. Turdus. Melospiza faciata. The nesting site of the Pigeon Hawk is very varied. In some in- stances the bird deposits its eggs on a ledge or in a cavity on the face of a cliff, in others in the hollows of trees or in nests made among their branches, and occasionally in the deserted nests of other birds. The eggs, deposited on the ledges or in the cavities of cliffs, like those of the Duck Hawk, rarely have much nesting material surrounding them, while those in trees are placed in quite bulky nests. These latter nests, which are found generally in evergreens from 8 to 15 feet from the ground, are composed of twigs, dry grass, and moss, lined with feathers, inner bark, or other soft material. 112 In California the Pigeon Hawk generally has a full compa ‘ eggs by the middle of April, while in the mountains of Colorado, i in ok. Labrador, and farther north, the eggs are not usually all deposited before thelst of June. The oomplerene of eggs varies from four to six; 2 five being the most common, and six the rarest number. Often when the nest is approached both birds will dart at the intruder, circling — | within a few feet of his head, at the same time uttering shrill, chatter- ing screams. This Falcon, with the exception possibly of the Broad-winged Hawk, is the least shy of all of our diurnal birds of prey, and often may be ap- proached within a few rods. It frequents the more open country and edges of woods and is common along the shores of large bodies of water. In September and October during the fall migrations large numbers pass along certain of the sea beaches. The writer was once informed by his lamented friend William L. Breese that on several occasions he had seen hundreds of these httle Hawks during the course of aday migrating along the meadows and outer beaches on the south side of — 4 Long Island and New Jersey coast. The flight is very rapid, and resembles that of the wild pigeon quite closely; nor does the similarity end here, for while sitting on a tree the general poise is that of a pigeon in repose, and specimens have been mistaken and shot for the latter bird. | DESCRIPTION. Middle tail feathers crossed by not more than four blackish or five light bands. Above, bluish gray or brownish; below, whitish, buffy, or _ light rusty, streaked with brownish or dusky. The Black Merlin is — much darker: Above, plain brown; below, heavily marked withdusky. Length: 10 to 13.25 inches (254 to 336™™); extent, 23.75 to 26.50 ~ inches (604 to 673™™); wing, 7.40 to 8.60 inches (188 to 218™™); | tail, 4.65 to 5.50 inches (118 to 189™™). Table showing the results of examinations of 56 stomachs of the Pigeon Hawk (Falco columbarius). Poultry Locality. Date. or cui Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. Shelter Island, N. Y..-| Sept. 11,1886 |.......... Smialiltbird::< c.. ieee eee Portland, Conn ....--- May 16,1886) |52 7-2-2. Sh Ce eRe eee llecis deco eres An ont Lockport, N. Y...----- May 14,1886)..-....... Sone sparrow..2o\¢--= eee ee eee Rockville, Coim .....-- SEOs AU) WD paso oosaans|loossce Sosounnogond|lsaveosscscconsees: 25 crickets, 6 | grasshoppers. Long Island City, N.Y.) May 3,1886]|...-...... English sparrow) -5------2+ sess Sayville, DNS MOEN ai ate pote) Ocal het Val ee Shes Maem nAM MEME Rae eyes sey. Dragon-flies, other insects. East Hartford, Conn --| Sept. 10, 1887 |..-.--.--- Small bird s2e02 G22 eee een “ Sing Sing, N. Vite eae Mae SLSS0s\ see Reathers 2.2 ac sles2 4 ee mee eee Kast Hartford, Conn -.| Sept. 24, 1886 |...-.-..-- Endicosbind:saea|eeee ee eee eee eee West Chester, Page. eb 20 SiS \seseseee oe Feathers’e\).) 022i S258 ese > Barton Neeson cee AGO 2 aS SON ee eee Blickér ss2.24 2 ale See WO abe es BF ipa ae ae EI ROEM A Cie Field mice...-.- Insects. DD) Open ey “Aug. aa Hotel Cale eer NE A Rene et 22 1 eotcen€ lO) cetera Do. ID Ni Twig BONE earn Aa June 4 1886: soe cesta English sparrow, - Sag cits okie elena DD OW eis atest rcwellncmts COseeiee aloes cece Jos flO-ye Soe eee Seren Coe eee e PIGEON HAWK. 113 Table showing the results of examinations of 56 stomachs of the Pigeon Hawk (Falco columbarius )—Continued. Poultry Locality. Date. oy game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. priming, NW - ie. ence. Ui Sh lea seers se cl CeeGe Bbbas soars (Gneneer anc ss ae baer Grasshoppers, small beetles. Horseheads, N. Y.----- PACD eel S OO) Sage taro; ataies [e's srais aaa ep ajale ater [eres ens ccs akaieine Small insects. Poitiers NG Ne se ac cena ANTS ORGS Gil eaves arotayerel| Seteisj= ini icmre nic clases [emietae See ome eee Grasshoppers, beetles. Gainesville, Fla ....--- Jan. 4, 1888.25... ieldsparrowes lesceee eee eeee eee warbler. Sing Sing, N. Y......- Sept. 26, 1888 |.---..-.-. Swamp sparrow, |-.--.-.-.-.------- chipping spar- row. Oakdale, eapolle Coun- | Sept. 6,1888]|.....-.... BoboWnlee ssc sl Sesee dee soso Dragon-fly. BeN Ge Nos @ ASSseeoneneeee Sept. 20; 1888 |-....-.--- Warbleri( Via). /siccene sees sae Dragon-fly. Queens County, N. Y..| Sept. 24, 1888 |........-- Warblers: oeril sone loe Daron aioe aa grasshoppers. Oakdale, Suffolk Coun-| Oct. 12,1888 |....-.-... Zehipping: Spar=|e-a4s 4 esceessse = ty, N. Y. rows. Fairfax County, Va ..-| Oct. 18,1889 /....-.-... Wan blenen a 7.8 Slaas oases ge eee INyaekeN. Yoo... Je 90) Se) Sp eedoaee imaliowdes foe eee cae ates West Goshen, Pa...... Sept. 29, 1879 |.-.......-. SDPALLOW Si DIG |e aoe eee ese eon. Good Ground, Long Js- | Sept. 19, 1882 |--...-.... Small birds .552|2 esses aleceeeee land, N. Y. Komp OMnbeNE eae! SCPtaLl, 1885 | acc e coc cl cca ne cceeee seen aa|ceecn-cnecteacest = Grasshoppers, dragon-flies, other insects. Hunnewells Point, Me.) Sept. 23, 1886 |.----..... Sparrows) cssclpaenae ae cee eee New Orleans, La ..-...- Sept. 24, 1888 |.......... Werhiterbelliede|22e=ssceeacee eee Dragon-flies, swallow. caterpillar. DO Aese me eaiacae's= Oyen, | CIEE Sanpoceose English sparrow]......-----.....-- Dragon-flies, beetles. GMMOr GAR = eceaeles ess Nov. 14, 1888 |.........- SVAN) SWARNOW, seo eseine ences oe EPIGVORING (he ciaic so. o0 ANT A oagoonsose 2; SPALLOWStisecee lessen ee ete cere ae ERE eee en's PAS ose oa SS Syl sensins sel ein cieies acme eee sla saeiae Seo eae Empty. Albany County, N.Y .| Dec. 1,1881]--........ Spanroweiascacs eee seen lO? a aa S@Oue GF EY A=Se5oseer Me athersiye Sse: sees eee Rensselaer County, N.| Sept. 10, 1885 |......-... RS mallibind! osetia eee a ony MODE coeisce cesic es OGin ay IR Beaceacoce English sparrow, |.......---------«- small bird. Anglesea, N. J.......- Oct: 6) 1889))---.-5-..- MeathOrss ease eee ee eee Montauk Point, N. Y..| Sept. 19, 1889 |........-. 2 Red-eyed vireos|........---------- 3 dragon-flies. Lawrence, N. Y...-.... Sept. 23, 1889 |..-....... Valrico br Owais oon eases creeper. Oakdale, N. Y......... Sept. 25, 1889 |.......... Red-eyed wireo; |.2.-2-----.522---< other small bird. Rockaway Beach, N.Y.| Oct. 5,1889].........- AsmalligparvrOwsi|) soos ses sess eens 3 large dragon- flies. — Lockport, N. Y........ Mave 9 Woun | Shrush 2). 32 Sse o Se saeco come chicken Poehland Halis; N. Y..; Sept. 16,1880 | Poultry |...-.2--.-ce.eceen). 2 ee eee cece ee Mipeotion Mts. ATIZ..|\Oct. —, 1885 |... .-5.--)2-s cee cence cenece [eee eee ee eben cee Empty. Per mIELUC API oe | NOV. <3; 1887 | cance s cine |s--nr wee cee cece sel esse ee coe ce de meee Do Keokuk, Iowa ........ PASH 216 1S89! le ociccn sce Smale bird Siew aalo eee ee eee ee Portland, Conn........ Sept. 10, 1890 |.......... Goldaneh SNOWelosaee ese eee ird. eUMLONe der aacccess.| Oct. 14,1891 |.....0....|2 English spar |..-- 22... 20.02.2- rows, 1 other bird. Washington, D. C.....| Apr. 19, 1892 ].......... Swap, Sparrow: |22- 2222 ssseesecee Portland, Conn........ CIV MES UND Seno et si| fois dieten cca cen aes Aeon aaneaee Do M90} wea cm enone SOM ice ela ee er cis ertal sonnei a oace ccc noe SMe see are Lee 3 dragon-flies. MD Odereee tate sicic siecle: = OCCrre 2 Malls Ole Perea ee atl ais GM ae elas eae elke ey ls oes Empty. Shrewsbury, Mass.....| Sept. 17,1891 ieoldtineh Sones ecsscacose eek sea sparrow. SuMMARY.—Of 56 stomachs examined, 2 contained poultry; 41, small birds; 2, mice; 16, insects; and 5 were empty. 7626—No. 3——8 114. © THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. RICHARDSON’S MERLIN. Falco richardsonii. Richardson’s Merlin inhabits the interior of North America, breed- ing from Colorado and western Kansas northward, and wintering in Texas, Arizona, and probably Mexico. Stragglers are found westward as far as the Pacific coast. This Falcon is so closely related to the Pigeon Hawk, the main difference being its lighter color, that it is with the greatest hesitation that the writer treats of it separately, es- — pecially as intermediate specimens are at hand. So far as known there is nothing in the food, nesting, or other habits in which it differs in the least respect from the Pigeon Hawk, and what is said under the latter bird applies equally well to the former. A specimen shot by Dr. Coues, at the headwaters of the Mouse River, North Dakota, Sep- tember 8, 1873, was found to contain the remains of a sparrow. The only stomach the writer has examined personally contained the remains of a Lincoln’s sparrow, and was collected by Mr, Charles W. Richmond, in Gallatin County, Montana. DESCRIPTION. Middle tail feathers crossed by 5 dark and 6 light bands. : Size and color much the same as the Pigeon Hawk, but averaging — lighter. Table showing the results of examinations of 4 stomachs of Richardson's Falcon (Falco richardsonii). Poultry Locality. Date. oy eame Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous, irds. Madison River, Mont.-| Sept. 23, 1888 |.-.......- incolnts (spar--|aeeee eee ee eeeee row. Camp Verde, Ariz.-..| Dec. 9, 1887 |.....-----|---------------2+-)--- 222 - eee ence eee Empty. Vermillion, Clay Co., | Mar. 12,1890 |.-......--- Goldfinch) io.322|2 2222 eee eee S. Dak. Harrison, 8. Dak...... Sid) Oa Wen Goo e eae oils e Sse ess Se Sees S5 poses 5 sscess ss: 10 crickets, 1 caterpillar. SummMary.—Of 4 stomachs examined, 2 contained birds and 1 insecis, and 1 was empty. APLOMADO FALCON. Falco fusco-ccerulescens. The Aplomado Falcon is a tropical species inhabiting the greater part of South America, Central America, Mexico, and extending northward into southern Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. The plains, which bear a scattered growth of yucca, mesquit, and cactus, are the home of this bird; and in portions of Arizona and New Mexico, where this character of country exists, itis not an uncommon sp cies. iy, Plate || Bull. No.3. Div. Ornithology SPARROW HAWK Falco Linw. SPATVETLUS SPARROW HAWK. 115 Its food, probably like that of the Pigeon Hawk, consists largely of small birds, insects, and mammals, though little is known positively in reference to it. lts flight is light and easy. While hunting for food it often hovers over certain spots after the manner of the Sparrow Hawk, and when alighting it generally chooses the bare ground to rest on. Some ob- servers report the bird as being very shy, while others state it is quite tame and unsuspicious. The nesting site 1s as variable as the surroundings will allow; some- times the structure is placed in a yucca or cactus 10 or 15 feet from the ground; while at other times it may be found in a mesquit or other bush a few feet above the surface of the plain. The nest is com- posed of small twigs and plant stalks and usually has a lining of grass. When the abandoned nests of other birds are available, they are used. The eggs, which are generally three in number, are deposited at any time between the first of April and the middle of May, according to the inclination of the bird. Captain Bendire mentions three young which were found in southern Arizona on April 25, and sets of eggs have been found as late as the middle of June, which shows how variable is the time of nesting. DESCRIPTION. Wing more than 9 inches (228 mm.). Above, plain bluish gray; tail darker toward end, tipped with white, and crossed by about eight narrow bands of the same; broad stripes behind eye; chin, throat, and chest, white; the stripe back of the eye changing to orange-rufous on back of head where the two of opposite sides unite. Sides and flanks slaty blackish, narrowly barred with white. Length: 15 to 18 inches (380 to 457™™); wing, 9.25 to 11.50 inches (234 to 291™™); tail, 6.25 to 8.75 inches (159 to 222™™), SPARROW HAWK. Falco sparverius. [Plate 17 — Adult male and female.] The Sparrow Hawk is probably the best known as well as the smallest and one of the handsomest of American Hawks. It ranges over the entire continent of temperate North America, breeding in suitable localities from Maine to California, and from the fur countries southward into Mexico. Its nest has been taken as far north as Fort Resolution (latitude 62°), on Great Slave Lake, which probably is near the most northern limit of its distribution. It is reported as rare In most parts of New England, theugh there are certain sec- tions where it is fairly common. In the mountains of the west and in most parts of the south it is abundant, and at certain times of the 116 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. _ M4 Se a oe ee a ee re EN ye Ee ay Ce ep eiey F- ‘ : : F : ~ S8ieg 7 = a = an q _ n> year is common on the Great Plains. In winter a few hardy indi- ae viduals remain in southern New England and New York, but the species is not common as a winter resident until the latitude of Mary- land and Virginia is reached; thence southward it becomes more and more plentiful. In the Mississippi Valley it does not range quite so far north in winter as along the Atlantic, for few are found above the thirty-eighth parallel. Along the Pacific coast it winters considerably further north than in the East. The subject of the food of this Hawk is one of great interest, and con- sidered in its economic bearings is one that should be carefully studied. The Sparrow Hawk is almost exclusively insectivorous except when insect food is difficult to obtain. In localities where grasshoppers and crickets are abundant these hawks congregate, often in moderate-sized flocks, and gorge themselves continuously. Rarely do they touch any other form of food until, either by the advancing season or other natu- ral causes, the grasshopper crop is so lessened that their hunger can not be appeased without undue exertion. Then other kinds of insects and other forms of life contribute to their fare; and beetles, spiders, mice, shrews, small snakes, lizards, or even birds may be required to bring up the balance. In some places in the West and South telegraph lines pass for miles through treeless plains and savannas. For lack of better perches the Sparrow Hawks often use these poles for resting places, from which they make short trips to pick up a grasshopper or mouse which they carry back to their perch. At times, when grass- . hoppers are abundant, such a line of poles is pretty well occupied by these hawks. A dozen or more stomachs collected by Mr. Charles W. Richmond, in Gallatin County, Mont., during the latter part of August and early part of September, 1888, were kindly turned over to this Division for examination. They contained little else than grasshoppers and crickets. Mr. W. B. Hall, of Wakeman, Ohio, writes to us on the subject as follows: “The Sparrow Hawk is a most persistent enemy of the grass- hopper tribe. While the so-called Hawk law was in force in Ohio I was township clerk in my native village and issued certificates to the number of eighty-six, forty-six being for the Sparrow Hawk. I exam- ined the stomachs and found forty-five of them to contain the remains of grasshoppers and the elytra of beetles, while the remaining one con- tained the fur and bones of a meadow mouse (Arvicola riparws).” Mr. W. E. Saunders writes from London, Canada: “Sparrow Hawks are one of our best grasshopper destroyers; four out of every five I have killed contained grasshoppers alone.” The following from the pen of Mr. H. W. Henshaw substantiates what we have said in regard to its fondness for grasshoppers: “It finds * * * an abundant sup- ply of game in the shape of small insectivorous birds; but more especially does its food consist of the various kinds of coleopterous insects and grasshoppers, of which it destroys multitudes. In fact, this last item ' ‘ , oa basis " 4 en eal a oy 4 Ba ee es e A } ai ee ee Sa Ea a aS as cael a ad Fy Niele al Re PE Sey ee OU RAs 2 eng Be Nd tall bi : as io he or ee ee a eee Pee ORs a Coe : 7 Wn gna ~~ ve 1x rae ? = 7] TS NS, ty, PO TOE ete g Bs SPARROW HAWKE. LEZ _ is the most important one of all, and where these insects are abundant ‘I have never seen them have recourse to any other kind of food.” (Explor. West of 100th Merid., Wheeler, vol. Vv, 1875, p. 414.) And subsequently the same author writes: “The west side of Che- waucan Valley has suffered severely from a visitation of that scourge of the western farmer, the grasshoppers. Here in August the spar- row hawks had assembled in hundreds and were holding high carnival, and although in instances like the present their numbers proved wholly insufficient to cope against the vast myriads of these destructive in- sects, yet the work of the sparrow hawk is by no means so insignifi- cant that it should not be remembered to his credit and earn him well- merited protection. His food consists almost entirely of grasshoppers, when they are to be had, and as his appetite appears never to become satiated, the aggregate in numbers which are annually destroyed by him must be enormous.” (Appendix O O of the Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. A., for 1879, p. 314.) The late Townend Glover, formerly entomologist of the United States Department of Agriculture, states that the beneficial traits of this hawk more than counterbalance any harm it may do, and says: ‘In _ proof of this, a Sparrow Hawk, shot in October among a flock of reed or rice birds, was found to be filled with grasshoppers, and contained not the slightest vestige of feathers or bones of birds. This bird was remarkably fat.” (U.S. Agric. Report, 1865, p. 37.) Mr. C. J. Maynard, writing on the food of the Sparrow Hawk at Miami, Fla., says: “They have nothing to do but to pick up grasshop- pers, of which they appear never to tire. It is true that they can find ereen grasshoppers and brown grasshoppers, grasshoppers with wings and wingless grasshoppers, but still, as far as any distinctive taste is - concerned, there must be but little variation. Yet, to all appearances, the Hawks are satisfied, for I never saw one take any other kind of food.” (Birds of Eastern North America, 1881, p. 297.) Dr. J. G. Cooper says: ‘‘This little hawk resides constantly in Cali- fornia, frequenting chiefly the plains, and feeding on grasshoppers, mice, gophers, etc. It must be considered one of the farmers’ best friends, and is seldom killed by observing persons.” (Ornith. Cal., Land Birds, 1870, p. 463.) In the vicinity of Washington, D. C., remarkable as it may appear to those who have not interested themselves specially in the matter, it is the exception not to find grasshoppers or crickets in the stomachs of Sparrow Hawks, even when killed during the months of January and February, unless the ground is covered with snow. Jt is wonderful how the birds can discover the half-concealed, semi- - dormant insects, which in color so closely resemble the ground or dry grass. Whether they are attracted by a slight movement, or distin- guish the form of their prey as it sits motionless, is difficult to prove, but in any case the acuteness of their vision is of a character which 118 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. we are unable to appreciate. Feeding on insects so exclusively as they do, it is to be presumed that they destroy a considerable number of beneficial kinds, aS well as spiders, which they find in the same localities as the grasshoppers. However, examination of their stomach contents shows the number to be so small, compared with that of the noxious species, that itis hardly worth considering. After the severe frosts of autumn and in winter, when insect life is at its lowest ebb, the Sparrow Hawks devote more time to the capture of mice and small birds. As a rule, the birds which they capture at this time are ground-dwelling species, which simulate the movements of mice by running in or about the dry grass and weeds. They are mostly sparrows, more or less seed-eating, and hence not among the species most beneficial to the agriculturist. At this season it is com- mon to see Sparrow Hawks sitting on the poles over hay stacks, or sta- tioned where they can command a good view of the surroundings of a hay mow or grain crib, ready at any moment to drop upon the mouse which is unfortunate enough to show itself. In this way they manage to destroy a vast number of mice during the colder months. In the spring, when new ground or meadow is broken by the plow, they often become very tame if not molested. They fly down, even alighting under the very horses for an instant in their endeavor to cap- ture an unearthed mouse or insect. The following extract from a letter from W. P.McGlothlin, of Davtotl Columbia County, Wash., dated February 12, 1887, contains some inter- - esting facts on this particular subject: ‘There is a small hawk here called the Sparrow Hawk. It comes about the 1st of March and leaves with its young about August 1st. On their arrival they are in large flocks and seem very hungry. I have had a number follow my team all day long and even alight for a moment on the plow beam. When a mouse was unearthed it was captured in an instant and quickly killed. The hawks seem to know just when their victims are dead. They settle on something suitable to their fancy and commence eating the eyes, and then soon finish. For two weeks this mouse catching goes on. I have sometimes seen them chase and catch small birds. They pair off and drive some woodpecker from his cozy nest in an old tree, where they lay from four to six eggs. When they have young, the small chickens © must suffer. - About two each day for every nest seems to satisfy them.” Mr. Thomas MclIlwraith, in his ‘Birds of Ontario, gives the follow- ing on the food of this Hawk: “Though sometimes seen near the farm- house it does not bear the stigma of having felonious intentions toward the occupants of the poultry yard, but is credited with the destruction of large numbers of mice. * * * It also feeds freely on snakes, lizards, grasshoppers, etc., but has the true falcon etiquette of taking only what is newly killed” (p. 150). In the opinion of many people, unaccountable as it may appear, the benefit accruing from the destruction of a great number of mice or other SPARROW HAWK. 119 injurious mammals or insects by hawks does not offset the damage done by the capture of one bird or chicken. This, of course, is not the case with those intelligent farmers who recognize the benefit done by this little hawk, and are not prejudiced against it if it exacts a moderate interest now and then in the shape of a young chicken or bird. In May and June, when the hawks are busy hatching their eggs and rear- ing their young, thereis less time for them to procure their favorite food. It is during this period, as we might expect, that a very large pro- portion of the birds which they capture in the course of the year is taken. It is also at this time that we hear complaints of their depre- dations in the poultry yard. From the following note it may be seen that occasionally they take also old birds from the nests: ‘In Elizabeth, N.J., several years ago, I saw a pair of Sparrow Hawks fly up under the eaves of an old barn and drag a couple of swallows out of their nests.” (Merriam, Review of the Birds of Connecticut, 1877, p. 85.) That the Sparrow Hawk at times attacks and kills comparatively large birds is vouched for by Mr. C.S. Brimley, of Raleigh, N. C., and Mr. W. G. W. Leizear, of Sandy Spring, Md., both of whom have sur- prised it while feeding on full-grown quail. And we have found remains of the meadowlark in the stomachs examined. The following species of mammals and birds were positively identi- fied among the stomach contents: MAMMALS, Sturnella magna neglecta. Arvicola riparius. Agelaius pheniceus. Arvicola austerus. Tunco hyemalis. ’ Was anusculus. Poocetes gramineus. Sitomys americanus. Spizella monticola. Sitomys a. michiganensis. Spizella pusilla. Blarina exilipes. Melospiza fasciata. Blarina brevicauda. Passer domesticus. Sigmodon hispidus. Vireo solitarius. BIRDS. Zonotrichia coronata. Zonotrichia l. intermedia. Columbigallina passerina. te Thryothorus ludovicianus. Sturnella magna. This little Hawk guards the vicinity of its home or hunting ground with zealous care, resenting the invasions of the larger species. The writer has often seen a Red-tailed or Red-shouldered Hawk enter a locality in which a Sparrow Hawk was perched on the top of some tall tree, evidently thinking he had a prior right to the whole region. As soon as the large hawk approached near enough the Sparrow Hawk launched out in pursuit, and in a very short time the intruder was con- vineed that hunting could be carried on to better advantage in other places. In making an attack the Sparrow Hawk always rises above its enemy and darts down, striking with bill and talons. In a locality where it is very little molested it is quite tame and un- suspecting, often allowing a person to approach as near as 20 yards 120 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. before taking wing, and when flushed it flies but a short distance. It is quite another matter to advance upon one in places where it is more or less hunted. Experience seems to have taught it just how far a gun will carry, and generally it will leave the perch just before an effective point is reached. After following it for an hour or more and taking a — few chance shots, the collector usually gives up in disgust and leaves the Hawk in as good spirits as when first seen. The Sparrow Hawk builds its nest in hollows of trees, either in natu- ral excavations which are formed by erosion of the dead wood by the elements, or in holes made by the larger woodpeckers. If the flicker (Colaptes) is the bird imposed upon, which is most often the case, it never openly battles with the Hawk for the retention of its home, but Sometimes annoys the latter by removing the nesting material as fast as it is deposited, making it finally necessary for one of the Hawks to remain near to guard the nest. The cavity chosen is usually a considerable distance from the ground, rarely under 20 feet and often in the tops of the highest trees. In the West, on account of its mode of nesting, the species is more or less re- stricted in the breeding season to the vicinity of timber, though in some localities it nests in cavities in limestone cliffs or in holes made by kingfishers in the sand banks. It has been stated that occasionally the deserted nests of crows or other birds are made use of, but this habit must be extremely rare. Capt. Charles E. Bendire, whose field experience in the West has been extensive and varied, and often in places where birds by force of circumstances are not able to follow a — fixed habit, informed the writer that on one occasion only did he sus- pect this hawk of breeding in an open nest. In the case in point the evidence was anything but satisfactory, for although the birds were seen near the nest, which was situated in a very large tree, he thought there might have been a cavity which was not visible from the ground. In California, Prof. B. W. Evermann has found it using the deserted nestof themagpie. (Auk, vol. 111, 1886, p. 93.) This isnotsostrange, for we might expect the entrance in the side of the canopied nest of the magpie, simulating an opening in the side of a tree, would attract the hawk, especially in a locality where desirable hollows are scarce. Dr. William Wood mentions the following interesting instance of departure from its usual nesting habit: ‘“‘ A farmer made a dove house inside of his barn with holes through the sides of the building commu- nicating with it. A pair of doves that had nested there were attacked and killed by a pair of sparrow hawks, who took possession of their nest, laid four eggs, and commenced to sit.” (American Naturalist, vol. VIII, 1874, p. 268.) | Mr. John H. Sage (Ornithologist and Odlogist, v1, 1881, 6), reports a similar occurrence at Portland, Conn., where a pair of Sparrow Hawks occupied a pigeon box, but unlike in the preceding case they were in perfect harmony with the pigeons, as the latter occupied three of the SPARROW HAWK. a : 121 other nests at the same time the Hawks were endeavoring to raise their brood. In Florida it begins to breed early in March; in the latitude of New York about the middle of May, and in the nee part of its range it is probably June before the eggs are deposited. The number of eggs in one nest is usually five, rarely more. Its ordinary flight is irregular and not long continued. Even in migration it often stops to rest on a tree top or fence post, where it may remain.a considerable time. Still it is capable of very rapid flight. It rarely if ever soars as do most of the other Hawks. Sometimes it makes a Succession of rapid beats with its wings and sails for a short distance, but usually, when in search of food, instead of circling it hovers, remain- ing stationary with rapid-moving wings. If it perceives its quarry 1t ‘drops to the ground to seize it, and, if successful, bears it away to a neighboring stub or fence pole to devour. DESCRIPTION. Small, wings narrow and pointed; top of head bluish gray or dark Slate, the crown with or without a rufous patch. Male.—Tail chestnut rufous, crossed by a broad black band near end; wings grayish blue, more or less spotted with black. Above: Rufous, with or without black bars or spots. Below: Varying from white to deep rufous, with or without black spots. Female.—Tail, wings, and back crossed by numerous narrow bands of dusky. Length: 8.75 to 12 inches (222 to 305™™); extent, 20.75 to 22.75 inches (527 to 577™™); wing, 6.55 to 8.15 inches (166 ‘3 207"); tail, 4.20 to 5.60 inches (105 to 142™™), Table showing the results of examinations of 320 stomachs of the Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius). 4 ES EE ES Poultry Locality. Date. or eae Other birds Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds ie merewore, N.Y. | AIG. 18,1885: |... ce in cn| cence ccneee entree |ezecnce ac ailetstom ciate Spider, grass- hoppers. mune Sing, Ni. Y..-...- SOD eee CSO Geen seilemcnsem ass haw see | Gl ele cent men an Insect remains. Washington, 10 EOE sae PNG opleson eset ac scons oot ke ya clana awe coer ie a Grasshoppers, crickets. Alfred Centre, N. Y . i] SSIS «ZY MENS es ed lem Re aed Pee Ve pecan mam NaN Larve. Volusia County, Fla ..| Mar. el S Soy epee ie er atti ia Senior ais yall Sorc eer eee Lizard. LO 6 a ae | Apr. ASSO he sitet fal ei arsiores ac eat Staaf ae Ne ies cite 2 lizards, insect remains. Petecboro, N.Y ......-: Pitrliyl eS Rin eae cms aceon ck 6 Hair of mice..-. DORA wits e cots re 6 beetles. } Be Eee Sa es Be J uly SHISBB so aes ee oe eee Sis eee Grasshopper. Re WG... 22. -2- =| =. GO ae Ne eee pete tt SPAS yee Os 5}2 22 ee 2 grasshoppers. g . Woodville Mann = 2-5: ere IE RS Beene | meneame ee ere | Meadow mouse.| 35 beetles. et East Hartford, Conn-.| Aug. 30, 1887 |.......--- SGD Nc eetenlng. ee ee eon = Beetles: { Custer, 8. i Snliy ely, ORS ee a ee ee ee eens oe | Mouse 2.238eeees Grasshopper, Pe beetle. ia Bozeman, Mont ...---- INSU SR ENR EE eel 5 [28 Sock ee | .....| 5 grasshoppers. q + 10 (ete eta aes eee dO. = 2258 Sasa a ah ee oe ee 7 grasshoppers, = a lepidepienoes a 1 larva. on aps. 1D aspasuesecaod pares Osos | ee ees ee ene rates PEs Seer ces sons 30 grasshoppers, ‘i lepidopterous E ie larva. = i se eines na Se Age GMSBS a6 e ede de es A soe | ee 13 grasshoppers. = WD Omsease-sse = <4 NG Cpu te eal Uso lod) ies Nie cattle hea ee Ae ere Eee ee 22/8 18 grasshoppers. Ht 101) 2 Soe es ee aa muse Ste HES CT fee ee ted SA ae 22 grasshoppers. — ia Gallia County, Mont |Ang. 17,1888 |... 2 25.2.|\- 0.00. e222 8-2 -- 7 |= eae 25 crickets and = ia Sr eaeeee 5; = it beetles. is | ; WO sas ree saeco aie on Gib ares 5e saa aeecoud so aas ac sso aemadose meeoosbacaacescs: 10 grasshoppers, a : = beetles. - | aliedalesMont <5 22+| Aug. 24, 1888. |: 2.22. |8 oa e ee ee | .-92..- 2 12 grasshoppers. x } Gallatin County, Mont | Sept. 9, 1888 |..........|.-----------------|-----+-+----2---5- 20 grasshoppers, 15 crickets. — i WOsseer sree eee melee se O's pee ale ee ek SS i 35 grasshoppers, i 24 crickets, 1 i drapontly, 2 i spiders. a i) Madison River, Mont: .| Sept. 190888). “Jo. 2\i 22. 2b- coe = se") eee 10 grasshoppers. — Fairmont, W. Va.----- Sept. 14, 1888 |....-..-.. | ASR ois Sars Bee | ook oe 5 grasshoppers, yy | - 2 enka 1D Ye eeu oer ore Sept. 19598885) eee ae eee eee | See eee eee grasshoppers, BS. Be rate spi- a 1 Osea eee Sept.20, 1888 |. 222s lee hoes s oa need eee eee 25 grassho pers, y 10 aise, 10 : crickets. Sandy Spring, Md..-.-- Dec. 48,1888) eee Soenon te eee ee -Meadow mouse.| 14 crickets, 12 3 spiders, 13 a grasshoppers. b: DORsEe ccs sueeee Wet. 28: 1888 |yace senses aos e cameeoeer asc ere CO .nsewacceee nee lepidopterous larve. SPARROW HAWKE. 125 Table showing the results of examinations of 320 stomachs of the Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius )—Continued. Poultry Locality. Date uF game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds Sandy Spring, Md...-. |Dec. 28, 1888 |..........|.....- BOGadecebb ad mon noGod onpeCadaoe 12 lepidopterous larve, 8 crick- 3 ets, spider. DoMeescccc sss Deer Ze WSS asses hoes | seeaew sees ae eSease House mouse ...- 4crickets, grass- hopper. Amityville, N. Y .....- Octs TIS8S) os Law sek [oo ae Sows at case eee aa eee aoe weer 10 grasshoppers and crickets. Sere sos <=. ~-| APril 17, 1888)... 20-025. sceecccncwecencss Meadow mouse -| 15 lepidopterous ; larve, 2 spi- ders, grass- Hoppers: bee- IDO see 2 acoboeee Sept: 28) 1688s asec o sees le coeis se ee ete oe aia [eis ool inisereemicie siete 5 grasshoppers. Titusville, Fla .......- HG roe tte) | aesGce cc acl|coeatbocibe Sos ses en doce ne a SnGpDaaesee Lizard, 3 grass- hoppers, other insects. Saint Lucie, Fla .....--. Sept 2osl SOS erase ele eecrentieme Naik lia caat oto ac Cake Beetles, lepidop- terous larve. Fort Drum, Fla ...-..-. Oct. 2, PSS tate ema ios sina saat a ee ater alee ale naa Cricket, beetle. a ya | Oia | cece cicia o wie iwin aiS'e's emicasscecincs|occe ce nce ecicesie sie Spider, grass- hopper. aneo: LOX .-5.5-.----- TM OOO!| Sm etiem. ocala) ain Neen ac Sani [ovstecteteceeeeee 3 large grasshop- pers. Eastland, Tex ......... CtermAR ECS Cees cco stcist cman ws Al ele cau mecomaeiens 4 prasshopners 4 spiders. Sandy Spring, Md..... Sane Oe S89) eee elect seuss eenet S Meadow mouse .| 1 lepidopterous larva, 2 crick- ets. WO ecscss ones cama 2des O89) toes nlccacsececeueesee House mouse ... 1D See eeeenee SMe OSI eee he cate ere lei cee Serato as | esr Ones ee ae ia eee ae moet all On ISO |v cmaccc-=|o-cnedeccs cee ec Son |s--ewewoncnccueecs 20 lepidopterous larve, cricket, spider, grass- hopper. Ehosnix, ATiz-..---..-- Wirivel Seo sepcats Gidea coat css solos. taeaaee oe seme Grasshoppers, beetles. = wWanerloo, Ind........- PE TORE RAUIOS EEO ee [ea aS nin ap agen eM MI A 10 StasshORDers: beetle, katy- did, spider. San Francisco Mt., ; Aug. 2,1889].........- [i aR ete tae SRE ask ete ae 12 grasshoppers, Ariz. beetle. Teac ean =~ Pe Sed BOS Nera vr Se 2 2 => . Polyborus cheriway. Audubon’s Caracara is a tropical species inhabiting northern South America, Central America, Mexico, and the southern United States, Florida, Texas, and Arizona. In the southern part of Texas, along the Rio Grande, it is more common in winter than during the warmer months, as individuals from the North join those that summer there. _ A closely allied species (Polyborus tharus) inhabits the whole of South America except the northern part, and a third one (Polyborus lutosus) is restricted to Guadalupe Island, Lower California. : The food of the Caracara more closely resembles that of the true vul- tures than that of the hawks proper. Like the vultures, it feeds greedily on dead animal matter of all kinds, seemingly having little preference for any particular sort. In the vicinity of slaughter-houses or about the carcasses of the larger animals, it may be seen in company with turkey buzzards devouring the bits of offal or carrion. The Caracara feeds also on lizards, snakes, frogs, young alligators, crabs, craw-fish, insects, _ and young birds. Itis very partialto snakes and destroys large numbers 4 of them and also feeds on the dead ones. Small mammals are eatenin — considerable numbers. The crops of three halfgrown young which Mr. G. B. Sennett secured at Lomita, Tex., were filled with mice. Lieut. Couch states that it destroys large numbers of the Texas field rat (Sigmodon berlandieri). (U.S. and Mexican Boundary Survey, 1852, — vol. 11, part 11, Birds, p. 4.) Mr. H. Nehrling informs us that in catch- — ing prairie dogs it hunts in pairs. It will sometimes attack animals as large as full-grown hares, as the following from Dr. J.C. Merrill — demonstrates: I have seen a Caracara chase a jackass rabbit for some F distance through open mesquit chaparral, and while it was in sight the bird kept within a few feet of the animal and constantly gained on it, in spite of its sharp turnsand bounds. [If one bird has caughta snake or field-mouse, its companions that may happen to see it at once pursue, and a chase follows very different from what is seen among the vul- — tures. (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus. vol. 1, 1878, p. 153.) The stomach of a specimen from Ylorida, which Audubon examined, contained the remains of a bullfrog, numerous hard-shelled worms, and a quantity of horse and deer hair. (Ornith. Biography, vol. 11, p. 351.) In certain sections this bird is reported as feeding quite exten- sively on the ticks which infest the domesticated animals. Waterfowl which have fallen out of reach of the gunner are taken whenever found. Mr. W. B. Barrows informs the writer that in one instance, while duck shooting in the Argentine Republic, a species closely allied to the one under consideration, attempted to carry off a duck which had been left lying on the surface of the water near him, and it was necessary to make considerable demonstration to seare it off, - Se ae ee S MID UBON S: CARACARAS = 129 The Mexican Eagle, as this species is sometimes called, is an inof- - fensive bird, feeding for. the most part on carrion and offal. Besides doing great service aS a scavenger, it destroys numerous small rodents Sy well as injurious insects, for which it deserves protection. The nest, which in most cases is a mere platform with a shallow Be pression, is a bulky structure, composed of small twigs, flags, reeds, _ coarse grass, or weed stalks, lined with fine grass, leaves, cotton, or : ESpanish moss. Itis to be found in a great variety of situations secardine to the locality; on the plains where there is a scarcity of suitable vegeta- tion it is placed in low bushes a few feet high, while along the river bot- toms where large trees abound, itis located high up among the branches 40 or 50 feet from the ground. The eggs, which are from two to four in number, are deposited in the first half of April, in most if not all portions of its United States range. Both males and females assist in the du- ties of incubation. In most parts of the country the bird is considered shy, not allowing a person to approach within gun range, though in some of the southern countries it is aS tame and unsuspicious as the vultures with which it associates. The Caracara has the habit in common with some other birds of sit- ting for hours in an exposed place with ruffled plumage and half-spread wings exposed to the sun, for the purpose of absorbing the warmth of its rays. Unlike most of the birds of prey this species walks on the ground with ease and grace, and is able to catch agile insects by run- ning after them. Unlike most birds of prey the Caracara frequently carries food in its beak while flying, though the larger morsels, as well as the nesting material, are usually held in the talons. The flight is strong and elegant and resembles closely that of the turkey-buzzard. Tae DESCRIPTION. General plumage, black, with upper part of back and breast barred with white; lower portion of head, neck, chest, and feathers covering base of Peat, soiled white; upper Ene: thirds of tail white, crossed. by about Psteen to fourteen narrow bars. Length: 20.50 to 25 inches (520 to 635™™); extent, 47 to 49 inches (1194 to 1245™™); wing, 14.50 to 16.50 inches (367 to “419™™) tail, 8.75 to 10 inches (222 to 254™™). Table showing the resulis of examinations of 2 stomachs of Audubon’s Caracara . (Polyborus cheriway). Poultry Locality. Date. or eae Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. parse | SSS ees She | ' Magdalena, Mex -.-.--- WOW. 2, [OBO sto oat soe TRANS eee eee Sees ec Rte ee Maggots; c¢ar- Salt River, Arizona ...| Nov.19, 1886 |.......-.. | iets NW aeneteads Fp a SumMMARY.—Of two stomachs examined, one contained carrion and maggots and the other mammal remains. 7626—No, 3——9 | : | ee eee ee ee eee! le a eee ea Lee, ee es en. ae e ‘ pets % Ni aaa 4 a hak 4 CC a w ¢ SD OWS ee Set Se ee <* Ty Fe Se eee aes ay ie 5 ers se pe ‘ oF a es ee e Ke i eae Be 2 “ % y . sy t ew - f a \d + .f ‘ a 4 a 130 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. ee Pandion haliztus carolinensis. [Plate 18—Adult.] : Aer The Fish Hawk or American Osprey inhabits tropical and temperate — " America, ranging north to Labrador, Hudson Bay, and Alaska. It | winters cane in the southern Tate States, and in this region it breeds regularly in suitable localities north to the limit of its | range. It arrives in southern New York in the latter part of March, and in Lab- rador and the north during the first week in May. The typicdl species, from which the American bird is scarcely separable, inhabits the whole of Europe, Africa, and northern Asia as far south as India and China. The food of the Osprey consists entirely of fish which it captures, although in rare cases, when hard pressed, it has been known to pick up dead ones from the surface of the water. From the nature of its food, it must of necessity dwell near bodies of water of more or less extent, which are inhabited by an abundance of fish, especially such species as habitually swim in schools near the surface. In some locali- _ ties, where there are extensive stretches of shallow water inhabited by an abundance of fish, the Fish Hawk often occurs in colonies of — several hundred individuals, while in less favorable localities, a pair or so only are found. The writer had exceptionally good opportunities in the lower Hndshis Valley, New York, to study the bird while procuring its food, and in no instance was it observed to capture any fish except Toone herring, goldfish, or sunfish. When preparing to capture a fish this Hawk descends with great velocity at an acute angle, striking the water — breast first, often disappearing under the surface in a mass of foam. The writer knows of one instance where an individual in striking at a fish in Croton Lake, New York, broke its wing. The persons observing — its descent, wondering why it did not fly away, rowed up and discov- | ered its condition. 3 The season as well as the locality has considerable to do with the — kind of fish caught by the Osprey. It has been known to capture — shad, catfish, perch, trout, ete. Wilson speaks of a shad a Fish Hawk eaptured and had partly eaten, which in that condition weighed six pounds. Nuttall states that fish weighing six to eight pounds are sometimes taken by the Osprey. It has been said that the Fish Hawk will oceasionally strike a large fish like a bass or sturgeon and, being unable to loosen its hold, is ear- ried under and drowned. Large fish with dead Fish Hawks attached have been cast up by the waves on the beach. Although the Osprey feeds exclusively on fish, which in any form are of more or less value to man, with few exceptions, it feeds upon such species as are of the sy Nita a iba allt WRB I Sa ae i a ee = lo O\ Ornitho Div No 3 Bull. pais Tel OSPREY. 131 least use as food. The fishermen, who are the ones most interested, welcome the appearance of this bird in spring, as it indicates the advance of schools of fish and, with few exceptions, they object to its being molested or killed. Fish Hawks are encouraged to nest in the vicinity of the house, not only for the picturesque appearance of the nest and birds, but also because it is believed that they keep off other Hawks which might do damage to the poultry. _ he nest is occupied for years and, as new material is added each Season, it soon becomes a bulky structure, sometimes measuring five feet. in diameter. It is composed of large sticks, brush, rubbish of various kinds, including weed or cornstalks, and lined with soft material. such as seaweed, cedar bark, corn leaves, etc.; in exceptional cases it is com- posed almost wholly of kelp or other seaweeds. The nest is placed in trees, on telegraph poles, projections from cliffs, deserted buildings, or on the ground among the reeds or some eminence of the open sea beach. A very large proportion of the nests are situated in trees, usually on the top of the tallest in the neighborhood, and in plain sight from the surrounding country. ‘The tree chosen is in most cases dead at the top; it is said that if a live one be selected, after a few years the portion near the nest dies from contact with-the large amount of rub- bish or the oily and saline deposits on it. In a few cases Fish Hawks have been reported to repair their nests before leaving for the south in the autumn. The eggs, which are commonly two or three in number, are deposited at widely different dates in the northern and southern portions of its range. In Florida the full complement of eggs is deposited in January, in New Jersey and Maryland in May, and in Labrador and the North during the latter part of June. The young are slow-growing and remain in the nest a long time after they are fully fledged before attempting to fly, and it is stated that the parents sometimes have to drive them from the nest. The male assists in incubation and also feeds his mate during this period. ‘The Fish Hawk is a gentle bird and never molests other species, even allowing the grackles and night-herons to build their nests and rear young in the interstices of its own nest. Unlike the Eagles itis a brave bird, defending its home against intruders and even attacking man when he molests its eggs or young. The Fish Hawk is very much attached to particular trees to which it resorts to devour the fish captured; oftentimes these may be situated several miles from the body of water furnishing the food supply. The flight, like that of many of the heavier birds of prey, is ordinarily slow and labored, but when soaring or flying high in the air it is not sur- passed by the Eagles. | nt, ew ae) DESCRIPTION. Claws of the same length, narrower and rauneles on under Pare: Above, plain dusky brown, tail more grayish, narrowly tipped with | white, and crossed by about six or seven narrow bands of dusk head, neck, and lower parts white, the chest sometimes slight! Blotohed wath brown; sides of head with dusky stripe, top more or less : streaked with dusky. =m Length: 20.75 to 25 inches (527 to 635™™); extent, 65 to 7 0.50 snéhea (1650 to 1790™"); wing, 17 to 21 inches (432 to 533mm), tail, 7 to 10 inches (178 to 254™), : a Table showing the results of examinations of 12 stomachs of the Fish Hawk (Pandion halietus carolinensis). w+ = + ———e i Poultry | Locality. Date. (and oe Other birds. | Mammals Miscellaneous i birds. | Ercildoun, Pa......--. OctinS, 1889) Be. Lig ae eee ee ey [+s eee Wishes t-te Bellefontaine, Ohio. . fe Dyer bss amen ieee eo ere eee (pat.s eee | 3 sunfish, Bele Oe [poss snadeegeseses: fps So 2 Yellow perch. West Point, N. Y..-.-- MOGhe Antigen eee Boe ies See te SA [S.aS ee Saeee | Fishes. Highland Falls, NOM: - eee 209-2 poe Do. Daas Rae «Secs PINON.20;9eio4--- = See ere Ae nee ee iat oie a ee eee Goldfish. ine sate | Sept. Sei Seen i eae sees i lenneo si. cooeee dele Rockland County, N | Sept. URS oe es atest Se = Sa ae |_ ae ee eee i Fish. Yavapai County, om | June 10, 1886 |--.---..-. (sage cebacaied= Jes: tJ acne Roce eee | Hump- backed — | ; sucker. Camp Verde, Ariz ....- Apr. 21, ee eters tae Besa et ee [acne beeen | Suckers : bony-tails. Plover Mills, Ont.-..... Oct. 8, 1884 | | pores {eke a ceca eee Pee ne es = Mullet. Morristown, N.J.-.--- | Deta ay SIU en See eine eee eee | ee eS - | Tom cod. SumMMARY.—Of 12 stomachs examined, 11 contained fish, and 1 was empty. BARN OWL. Strix pratincola. [Plate 19—Adult.] The genus Strix, to which our Barn Owl belongs, is chiefly tropical. Both in the northern and southern hemispheres, however it passes into — the temperate zones, while the greatest extension of range from the a tropics is reached in western Europe, where a species is found common 4 in the British Isles. Closely related species occur in nearly all warm 3 : and temperate parts of the globe. q 3 The bird which forms the subject of the present paper is found j in the warmer parts of the United States and Mexico, while closely re- } lated geographical races occur in the West Indies, Central and cong s America. Along the Atlantic coast of the United States it is found — casually as far north as southern New England and New York. From q southern Virginia south and westward, including the southern tier of — States, it is not numerous, although in California it is the most abun- — dant Owl. On the Pacific coast it extends northward into Oregon, and in the Mississippi Valley reaches southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Bull. No.3. Div. Ornithology BARN OWL Strix pratincola. Ronap. Plate 19. BARN OWL. 7 133 Z ec fall months. = Soon after the sun has passed the horizon and the first indications of twilight appear, this Owl emerges from its retreat and hurries to the hunting ground. It commonly resorts to the low meadow, prairie, _ and marsh lands, where its favorite prey abounds. All testimony goes to show that the Barn Owl is one of the most 3 beneficial of rapacious birds. Audubon says of the American species: _ “After long observation, I am satisfied that our bird feeds entirely on the smaller species of quadrupeds, for I have never found any portions _ of birds about their nests, not even the remains of a single feather in the _ pellets which they regurgitate, and which are always formed of the bones ; and hair of quadrupeds.” (Ornithological Biography, vol. 11, p. 406.) Mr. W. B. Tegetmeier, in an article on the Barn Owl, says: “The : utility of the owl is illustrated by Lord Lilford with a very amusing anecdote. He states that when he was a schoolboy he had a half- grown barn owl that he regaled on one occasion with as many mice as it would swallow. Eight in quick succession disappeared down the capacious gullet of the owl, the ninth followed all but the tail, which for some time hung out of the mouth of the bird, but the quick diges- tion of these raptores is well illustrated by the fact that in three hours the owl was ready for a second meal, and took four additional mice. ‘If this is the performance of a single bird, the effect that the feeding of nests of six or seven young would have on the numbers of rats and - mice in a district is self-evident. Lord Lilford says that he has seen a pair of barn owls bring food to their nest-no less than seventeen times within half an hour. This rate, if continued for only four hours out of _ the twenty-four, would give (if we include the animals eaten by the old birds themselves) more than 150 ‘rats and mice and such small deer’ destroyed daily for the support of one nest of owls. Is it surprising - that vermin abound where their natural enemies have been extermin- ated by farmers, gamekeepers, and plumassiers? “At this present time, when a plague of rats-infest many districts of the country, I need make no excuse for quoting the experience of so sound and practical an ornithologist as the president of the B. O. U., on the utility of the barn owl.” (Field, vol. Lxxv, No. 1956, June 21, 1890, p. 906.) Its food undoubtedly consists principally of several species of rodents which, from their great numbers and destructive habits, are a curse to the country they inhabit. The pouched gopher is one of the most de- structive of this group, not only to vegetable and grain crops, but also to shade and fruit trees. The depredations in the latter case, which consists in the gnawing or entire removal of the roots, are the more serious as they often result in the total destruction of groves and 134 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. orchards. In California the favorite food of the Barn Owl is a species of pouched gopher. All the stomachs and pellets which we have received from that State contained the remains of this animal. The following extract from a letter by Clark P. Streator, gives ener: ant testimony on the subject: ‘In examining a large number of nests at all months of the von Ty _ have found nothing but gophers | Thomomys], except on one occasion — when there were one or two specimens of Brewer’s blackbird. On further investigation I found a deposit of pellets of nothing but gopher hair and bones which had been ejected by the owls, and had accumu- — lated in a few instances to the extent of two or three cubic feet in the — trees in which they had lived. Ialso found thatin the breeding season ~ it was not uncommon to find six or more gophers, that were not eaten by — er aes the young, laying about the nest. I have found gophers in the nests : at other times than the breeding season, but not in such abundance.” — Prof. B. W. Evermann, who has had considerable experience with — the bird in California, writes of its food as follows: ‘Their food consists principally of the gopher (Thomomys talpoides bulbivorus) and the California ground squirrel (Spermophilus gram- murus beecheyt), both of which are so destructive to growing crops and — fruit trees on the Pacific coast. Other small mammals, particularly — rabbits, birds, and insects go to make up its bill of fare. * * * This owl is not large, yet it must be a very strong and courageous ~ bird, as evinced by the fact that I have often found in its burrows poi- — tions of the large jackass hare (Lepus californicus) or ‘narrow-gauged — mule,’ as popularly known in California.” (Ornithologist and Coe Y 2 vol. Vit, 1882. pp. 97-98.) In ihe East its food consists lar gely of mice and rats, which it de- stroys with as much energy as it does the gophers in the West. All — the common species, including the meadow, house, and white-footed mice, aS well as the common rat, are eaten with equal relish. In certain portions of the Southern States where the cotton rat is — very numerous and destructive to many of the crops, the Barn Owl, together with several other species of Hawks and Owls as well as a — number of predatory mammals, feeds extensively on them. Four ‘pellets’ sent by Dr. W. C. Avery, from Greensboro, Ala., contained — nothing except the remains of this mammal. Audubon and Bachman, in their biography of the cotton rat, give the ~ following: ‘‘This species supplies a considerable number of animals and — birds with food. Foxes and wild-cats especially destroy thousands; we — have observed minks coursing along the marshes in pursuit of them, and have frequently seen them with one of these Rats in their mouth. — Marsh-hawks and several other species, may be constantly seen in the autumn and winter months sailing over the fields, looking out for the Jotton Rat. No animal in the Southern States becomes more regularly the food of several species of owls than this. The barred owl (Syrniwm — a aS 5 iv, ' isp Race BARN OWL. 155 e: nebulosum) is seen as early as the setting of the sun, flitting along the edges of old fields, seeking to make its usual evening meal on it or carry it off as food forits young. We wereinvited some years since to exam- ine the nest of the American barn owl (Strix Americana) in the loft of a Sugar refinery in Charleston. There were several young of different _ sizes, and we ascertained that the only food on which they were fed was this Rat, to obtain which the old birds must have gone several miles.” (Quad. N. A., vol. I, 1851, p. 231.) The following extract from an article by Charles Dury is interesting not only in showing to what extent the Barn Owl feeds on rats, but also in pointing out its amicable relations with the domesticated pigeons: ‘““In October just past Mr. Biggs observed several large birds fly out of the town hall in Glendale. Three of these were killed and proved to be Barn Owls. Mr. Keys also killed one. On October 15 I received two specimens, male and female, that had been killed near Jones Sta- tion. In the stomach of one was a mouse, and in the other was an orthopterous insect, commonly called “ Katydid” (Cyrtophyllus conca- vus). October 16, Mr. Clifford Allen went to the town hall and placed a ladder up to the tower and climbed up there. There were four owls on a beam looking down at him, and one of these he shot. In this Specimen, which was a female, was a nearly grown rat, from which the head had been bitten and the body swallowed entire. Mr. Allen closed the trap-door leading to the tower, and on the 18th I went to Glendale to examine the place. When Mr. Allen went up four owls flew out, one of which was killed, a female. The stomach contained two mice. On going up into the tower I was astonished at the sight presented. The floor and ledges were covered with the cast-up pellets of the birds. It is well known to ornithologists that all raptorial birds swallow much indigestible matter, which is formed into balls in the stomach and afterwards cast up. These are called pellets. In this case they were by hundreds, and covered the floor several inches deep in places. I examined many of them, and found them made up entirely of the hair and bones of the smaller rodents, mostly mice. There must have been the débris of several thousand mice and rats. But the strangest part of the curious habitation was the flock of domestic pigeons that were living seemingly on intimate terms with the owls and, judging from the old pigeon nests, I presume the pigeons had actually nested and reared young there. This seems to show the food of this owl to be almost ex- clusively mice and rats, and provesit to be a species of the greatest eco- nomic value.” (Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., vol, v1, pp. 237, 238.) Dr. John I. Northrop furnished the following note on the food of this Owl at Andros Island, Bahamas: ‘On March 25 we found two young ones not yet able to fly, and near by were the remains of the common rat of this island (Mus rattus). As is usual with this species, there was no nest, the birds resting on the ground. Around them for some dis- tance the surface was covered with the rejected food balls, composed bones were noticed, ii is probable that the Owls odd atl diet was rat.’ 2 (Auk, vol. Vill, ESOL, p: 1.) church steeple on Long Island is given by Mr. William Dateiee! 4 ‘The floor on which they were was in a filthy condition, covered with = pellets, and dead rats and mice in all stages of decomposition. There | were also one young muskrat and some moles.” (Auk, vol. = see ee p. 440.) ; During the summer of 1890 a pair of Barn Owls occupied one of the : towers of the Smithsonian building in the city of Washington, where — they reared seven young. On June 28, the writer ascended to their = home and found the young more than half-grown. ‘The floor was ~ strewn with pellets, and the nest, which was in one corner, was com. — posed of a mags of broken-down ones. An examination of 200 of these — pellets gave a total of 454 skulls. Of these, 225 were meadow mice; 2, 2 pine mice; 179, house mice; 20, rats; 6, jumping mice; 20, shrews; 1, — star-nosed pole and 1, vesper sparrow (Dooce orauinean = Among other maninale on which it feeds more or less commonly, may = be mentioned bats, shrews, and moles. Dr. Bernhard Altum,a number — of years ago, examined 703 pellets disgorged by this species, and found a total of 2,551 skulls. Of these, 16 were bats; 3, rats; 930, mice; 1,579, shrews; 1, mole; 19, English sparrows, and 3, other birds. (J mel f. Ohi holopic. 1863, pp. 43 and 217.) — Mr. W. B. See in a paper on birds of the Lower Uruguay (Auk, vol. I, 1884, p. 29), states that at night the deserted corridors of the col- lege was one of this Owl’s favorite hunting grounds for bats. A stomach of a specimen from Louisiana, examined by Dr. F. W.- Langdon, contained the remains of 4 shrews (Blarina) and 4 mice (Hes- peromys). (Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. Iv, p. 152.) It is the exception for this owl to feed on birds, and probably it rarely does so except when other food is scarce. In one stomach only of those examined by the writer have the remains of birds been found. The following species of mammals and birds were positively identified among the stomach contents: MAMMALS. Thomomys umbrinus. : Mus decumanus. Mus musculus. Condylura cristata. Perodipus ordit. Sitomys eremicus. Sitomys americanus. Perognathus. : a Onychomys melanophrys. : g = : me Us Reithrodontomys. . Arvicola riparius. ) Arvicola pinetorwm. BE & Blarina exilipes. Molothrus ater. : Blarina brevicauda. Poocetes gramineus. > a Sigmodon hispidus. Passerina amenae Zapus hudsonius. Pipilo aberti. BARN OWL. 3 157 3 Among the large number of skulls of different animals found by Dr. Altum only 22 belonged to birds, of which 19 were those of the worthless English sparrow. The Barn Owl, like the other Owls, is fond of fish, and their remains : have been found in its stomach. An interesting case in which the owl caught its own fish is cited by Seebohm: ‘“ Waterton records an in- stance, which he saw himself, of a Barn Owl dropping down into a pond like an osprey and flying off with a fish.” (Hist. British Birds, vol. I, 1883, p. 150.) Insects are more or less often taken, for Prof. Aughey found a considerable number in all the specimens which he examined in Nebraska. It breeds sparingly in all suitable localities throughout the territory which it inhabits, and in the Southwest, particular in Southern Cali- fornia, it breeds abundantly. Owing to the extensive range of the bird the nesting season varies widely. Thus, Prof. B. W. Evermann found full complements of eggs at Santa Paula, Cal., in February, while — in southeastern Texas, H. Nehrling found eggs in the early part of May; in Florida, Maynard found that it nested in March, April, and May. Except in the more northern parts of its range, where it breeds as late as June, it is probable that the majority of eggs are deposited in March. In Europe the Barn Owl breeds more commonly in old ruins, church belfries, cavities in the abutments of bridges, and old walls. In Amer- ica, where few suitable ruins and open belfries exist, such nesting sites are comparatively uncommon. ‘The most usual nesting site in the West iS in cavities in the sides of gullies, which in California are called barrancas. These barrancas are nothing more than miniature cations, formed in the rainy season by torrents of water washing away the earth. The walls are nearly perpendicular and contain innumerable cavities. Some authors think the birds partially excavate the nesting site, but this seems to be doubtful, and if the holes are enlarged by artificial means it is probably by some rodent. Crevices in rocky cliffs are also used, as well as hollows in stubs and trees, and on one oceasion Prof. Evermann found a pair using the deserted nest of a crow (Or- nithologist and Odlogist, vol. vi1., April, 1882, p. 109). This instance of the use of a deserted nest is the only one which has come to the writer’s notice, and the habit must be extremely rare. In the East the habit of nesting in buildings is more frequent than elsewhere in the United States, though various other locations are also chosen. Barns, churches, cupolas of town halls, and ice-houses are used, and in the city of Washington a pair breeds in one of the towers of the Smith- sonian Institution. The nest proper when placed in a cavity, whether of a tree or a bank, is usually nothing more than a few feathers from the parent bird, together with the accidental material found in the hollow. If placed in a building it is more bulky, and is composed generally of the mis- cellaneous rubbish which collects in such places, combined with the hy ee ee ae ae ier imines guess ope ee ae a ee ll a ta ilies a Ae Ty © Sth Bahe > > LN Ge tae ail ee “enone 138 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. remains of the broken pellets dropped by the birds. The number of eges in a nest is usually from four to seven, though Prof. Evermann found sets containing aS many as ten in Ventura County, Cal. Un- doubtedly, as with other species, the number of eggs depends upon the food supply, the number being greatest where food is most abundant. The period of incubation is from three to three and one-half weeks. As a bird will occasionally begin to set soon after the first egg is deposited and as eggs are laid on alternate days, the last one will not hatch until two weeks after the first. This habit accounts for the great difference in size in individuals of the same family. When the cavity containing the nest is large enough both birds usually occupy it. Unlike most of our Owls, which are hardy northern species, endur- ing very low temperatures with impunity, the Barn Owl seems to be unable to withstand much cold weather; in all probability it some- times perishes in the northern part of its range, when overtaken by — severe weather, before being able to migrate. This Owl is one of the most distinctively nocturnal of the tribe, but like all the others it can see perfectly well in the brightest day- light, when for any reason it is required to leave its retreat. It usually sleeps during the day, sitting upright in a dark nook or crevice, in the shadow of a bridge or among the dense foliage of some grove or reedy marsh. Except in the breeding season the Barn Owl may be con- sidered more or less gregarious, families of seven or ten individuals being often found together, and colonies of fifty or more have been observed. Besides its shrieking or screeching note, which is heard more often in spring, it has a nasal one which has been termed a ‘snore.’ The peculiar and almost ludicrous expression of the physiognomy of this bird, as it sits upright with half-closed eyes, has suggested to the minds of many a fanciful resemblance to a monkey; hence the origin of the name ‘ Monkey-faced Owl,’ which is a common appellation for the bird in many parts of the country, especially Florida. In this State the credulous have been led to believe that certain birds with monkeys’ heads exist in the remote recesses of the Everglades. The plumage of this bird is even softer and more silky than that of the other Owls, and its flight, if possible, is more silent. DESCRIPTION. Facial disk not cireular, but somewhat triangular. Middle and inner ~ claws of equal length; inner edge of middle claw jagged; wing long, reaching beyond tail when folded; tail about half the length of wing. Color.—Above, ochraceous-yellow, more or less marbled with white or aShy, and speckled with black, and sometimes with white spots. Below, varying in every degree from silky white to bright tawny, dot- ted with black spots. Eyes small, black. \ Sa) ME a hee, Ca, Re i EPR, Le LORE. CY “Nyy OA. ray ee kW = ee Ae ey leah aaa Se gh i aa ls oh 4 ? a a ey ae ae - BARN OWL. 139 Length: 15 to 20 inches (381 to 508™™); extent, about 45 inches (1143"™"); wing, 13 to 14 inches (330 to 355"); tail, 5.75 to 7.5 inches (145 to 190™™). Table showing the results of examinations of 39 stomachs of the Barn Owl (Strix pratincola). i Poultry | Locality. | Date. | or game | Other birds Mammals | Miscellaneous. | | birds. | | ae | = Chickamauga, Tenn - _| Nov. 27, ae ee aeeeore i Cowbird, spar- tena am sens eae i row. | Chester County, Pa --..| May 21, 1886 | Woe Seeeerae He Ree ne eee | Meadow mice... 100) eee eee | Dee. iS) Uksisloe UU aeO Tae eee Sees oee| ae Se ace SCL | Dixon County, Nebr --; Aug.—, 1867 | Se he (Joneses once Seen see Mouse Sacra 39 locusts, 22 | : | other insects. Dakota County, Nebr. i July —, 1868 Og ea areal Waite Ge Gaiad sale eepanialls cee e cist an sewn | 55 insects. Lancaster Co., Nebr -.! June —, 1872'.........- eae ree a Mouse: 2.22 40 insects. Gainesville, Fla ate eer! 2 | Feb. 4, Ubteil seeooseese eee 2 cotton rats, 2 shrews. ! Washington, D. C...-. July 5, 1888 | Pacestek i eas AB ete tas alae ae | 1 meadow mouse, | 2jumping mice. Poway Valley, Cal ....| Mar.17, 1888 | Ae eR ae lees emeeelie sires aisiccs | 1 pocket gopher. TDD eee ee ee dors let ee eae Hee ee soem cee 2 pouched go- . | | phers. San Bernardino, Cal...; Jan. 7, 1886 |....-..-..|.-----------.----- | 1 pocket gopher. Reese ee as 2 j---- do a ee ee errs 1 pocket mouse, | i ! ! 8harvest mice, | : | 1white-footed | | mouse. Ie th dot eee ssa uh ove POL eine Sheen 1 pocket rat, 2 | | small mam- | | mals. I) See ee j-2-- dO ...... [ERE cerca inane aneeememos na 1 pocket gopher. eee eens = = = | Jan. Is: TS8G) [Pe te= 2s sen Wet Se dooRns Ie aoc 1 wood rat, 1 | mouse. ion -3 sai dom. | Cha I ase fea Ae em Oe 1 pocket rat. -.. WOm ee sess ssc eh jee On, conse eso. oss 2c e reece nero 1 1 small rodent-- 120) sh Sas eeneeae | May 10; 1886). 2.2... eae ee ee So emo 1 pocket gopher. Riverside, Cal ........ | May 21, ISSO (oe aeeacn = (Saas eereeoes Searls Small mammals, | | | | | 1 harvest | | i mouse. IDG) GS ees Seer ee Gowsee se Learn eres Se een ene eee | 1 pocket gopher. San Bernardino, Cal...! May 22 peSBO ee. a. Teese ats She ae 2 meadow mice.! Woodland, Cal ....-.--. | May 24, 1886 eth ON pase Lt eeieatce cece aioe 2 field mice----. | 2 grasshoppers, | | 3 other insects. Rockville, Md......... | Nov. 1, ete aed oe [Beerdonr, © Sesceateey Jumping mouse, | | ; meadow mouse, | ; White-footed ; mouse. Sandy Spring, Md....- [ENGV;... QP SB9AC ce as |---- 22 n-ne eee e eee | 2 meadow mice- Wewport, N:C......... [Nove Te TS8ONe Siok = oe [eee Seats 2 ee ree dee cere | Empty. Camp Verde, Ariz..... Wines (B84 wens hoe [Coe eH ES ceeas | Kangaroo rat, | | | White-footed | mouse. Moe es July 27, 1885\- 2.2. 2 =. |; Lazuli finch ... | Small rodents... ID Bsa cel ewa Ree PAD TUS Stati ae SO ea a ee Hae MERE Soh sence Se Do. LOS ee aa Ae Geen aa sSe sas Abert’s towhee | Small mammals. Ge ee sos... J uly DO SB Os [ts vetoes [eee eres ee | Pocket gopher. eee cS - iD pergliet eb: oe ec eee eee | Ae RNASE RS re oe Re Sa: Wows ssosaesce 2 | Oct. :, BSG are se oe eal ee ae Sis Sissies | Grasshopper | f ; mice. | Morristown, N.J...-.-- pte. TNS (s Serre orto 2 ok eco Meadow mouse. Mie eeetetel 2) Mec. 1891 2 2... -|-s..oi22-cesclcs |eceec seer eetnces | Do. Leesville, Conn ....... vamp Tots ite ssn aG ns joc boestee ede eter MGS) See seca se cook | Do. Washington, D.C ...-. De se ele Ot am ae Ror ey a See eee 4 house mice. ... WG acs se Apr. 5,1891 : ee aL as Sia seen es 3 meadow mice, | 3 shrews. Kern River, Cal....... Sco ye: eS TSH Lah 2 ear | IR ee A) re Do. Osssrsisieeaieiaes erecta Oxsabe oe ence me eet eee eae eee ||. etna seine aes ae Do. 1 SUMMARY.—Of 39 stomachs ceanned 1 eontaiiea poultry ; 3; ie birds; 17, mice; 17, other mam- mals; 4, insects, and 7 were empty. LONG-EARED OWL. Asio wilsonianus. [Plate 20— Adult. } The Long-eared Owl inhabits the whole of temperate North America ranging south to the table lands of Mexico. In the North it is plentiful in the Saskatchewan and Hudson Bay districts, and Richardson ob- served it as far as the sixty-first parallel and thought it extended to the limit of trees. Along the Atlantic coast it is found from Nova Scotia to Florida, and is more or less common in the intervening coun- try westward to the Pacific. Mr. Henshaw thinks it is the most com- mon species in Utah, and Mr. Ridgway found it in almost every willow copse from the coast of California eastward into Nevada. There are no records from central and northern Alaska, though probably it occurs commonly in the southern part of the Territory. A representative species is found throughout the temperate parts of Europe and Asia, as well as northern Africa. The Long-eared Owl is one of our most beneficial species, destroying vast numbers of injurious rodents and seldom touching insectivorous birds. The birds killed by it are mostly seed-eating species, which do not benefit the agriculturist to any great extent. As this Owl is readily destroyed, it is the one that suffers most when short-sighted legislators enact laws for the destruction of birds of prey. It will be seen from the following testimony that it is both cruel and pernicious to molest a bird so valuable and innocent as the one under consideration. Audubon says: “It preys chiefly on quadrupeds of the genus Arvic- ola and in summer destroys many beetles.” (Ornith. Biography, vol. IV, p. 573.) : ; Nuttall remarks: ‘‘ Besides mice and rats this species also preys on field mice, moles and beetles.” (Land Birds, 1832, p. 131.) Mr. H. W. Henshaw says: ‘Their food consists almost exclusively of field mice, of which they kill vast numbers, a fact which should earn them the protection of the farmer.” (Report of the Chief of Engi- neers, U.S. A., 1877, p. 1311.) Mr. Townend Glover says: ‘‘The stomach of one specimen of the Long-eared Owl in the collection contained the skulls and bones of at least 8 field mice, and therefore, when about barns and granaries, these birds must be very useful.” (U.S. Agl. Rept., 1865, p. 37.) Capt. Charles E. Bendire, writing from Camp Harney, Oregon, states: “Their food consists principally of mice and the smaller rodents.” (Ornithologist and Oologist, vol. V1, 1882, p. 82.) Dr. B. H. Warren gives the following: ‘I have examined the stom- achs of twenty-three Long-eared Owls and found that twenty-two of them had fed only on mice; the other examination made of a specti- men taken late in the spring showed some beetles and portions of a small bird.” (Birds of Pennsylvania, 1888, p. 107.) 4 ae = % ag ic Oe f he Pee Oi RS ee ee |e aT PANE Te AED ye ST) Os Oe a fod syle NE be PBull. No.3. Div. Ornithology =~ weer ee et ah etal | CS AAGIN es IN 9 Cay ASLO WELLS OL EILALS Pate nae ee See ee = LONG-EARED OWL. 141 This Owl is preéminently a mouser, but it also destroys some insects and probably small batrachians and reptiles. In April, 1888, at Munson Hill, Va., a thickly wooded country about 8 miles from the city of Washington, the writer collected some fifty or more pellets under a tree where one of these Owls had roosted all winter. From this mass were gleaned 176 skulls or parts of skulls, representing the following species: 95 meadow mice (Arvicola riparius) ; 19 pine mice (A. pinetorum); 15 house mice (Mus musculus); 5 white-footed mice (Sitomys americanus); 3 Cooper’s mice (Synaptomys cooperi); 23 little short tailed shrews (Blarina exilipes); 3 short-tailed shrews (B. brevi- cauda carolinensis); and 13 birds, of which 11 were sparrows, 1 a blue- bird, and the other a warbler. It might be stated in this connection that the remains of Cooper’s mice found on this occasion was the first inti- mation that the species occurred anywhere in the vicinity. The following species of mammals and birds were positively identified among the stomach contents: MAMMALS, BIRDS. Perognathus penicillatus. Spinus tristis. Mus musculus. Spizella monticola. Sitomys americanus. Junco hyemalis. Evotomys gappert. Melospiza georgiana. Arvicola riparius. Melospiza fasciata. Arvicola pinetorum. Dendroica coronata. Synaptomys cooperi. Regulus satrapa. Blarina b. carolinensis. Turdus swainsont. Blarina exilipes. Sialia sialis. Sorex. The Long-eared Owl breeds in suitable localities throughout its range. Its nest is usually a remodeled nest of some bird or mammal, more often of the hawk, crow, magpie, and heron, and occasionally that of the squirrel. The remodeling commonly consists in making the top more or less even and in the addition of a few evergreen twigs, leaves, or feathers as a lining. The situation, of course, varies; some nests are in high trees, others in low trees and bushes, while a few - have been found on the ground. But one instance of this species nest- ing in hollow trees has come to our knowledge, and this is related by Capt. Bendire as occurring at Fort Lapwai, Idaho, and is as follows: “Two pairs of birds took up their quarters in an old Magpie’s nest, and two others in hollow cottonwood trees. In one of the last cases a Red-shafted Flicker had excavated a hole directly over the one occu- pied by the Owls, and the two entrance holes, although on different sides of the stump, which was only about twelve feet high, were not _over two feet apart. These birds seemed to live harmoniously together.” (Ornithologist and Oologist, vol. VI, 1882, p. 81.) : Like many other birds of prey its nesting habits have been modified in some parts of the West by the absence of trees, for in many places it Sef ee Es, ae eee a 142 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. breeds in common with other species in the precipitous cliffs bordering = the cafons. Whether it ever builds its own nest, especially those — which are found on the ground or in the cliffs, is an open question. The eggs are from three to six in number, five being the most common, in theexperience of the writer. Throughout the middle ofits range the eggs are deposited usually from the latter part of March to the first week in Apvril, and toward the northern limit it is probably the last of April before the sets are completed. In the southern part of California it nests considerably earlier, as full sets of eggs are found by the lat- latter part of February. Capt. Bendire states that the period of ineu- bation is about three weeks. In June the young leave the nest and nay be seen with the old birds in some dark retreat. While the female is sitting the male is usually near by, either on the edge of the nest beside her, on a branch of the same or an adjoining tree or occasionally on the ground underneath. This species, like the Screech Owl, is nocturnal in its habits, and differs from the Short-eared Owl in never hunting during the daytime. It usually spends the day in some evergreen woods, thick willow copse, or alder swamp, although rarely it may be found in open places. On one occasion in October, in the vicinity of Boston, the writer, in com- pany with Messrs. John H. Sage and H. A. Purdie, found one of these birds sleeping among some small deciduous trees which had lost most of their leaves. Throughout the eastern part of the United States, solitary birds, or less frequently a pair, are usually found during the winter months, while it is common to find small bands or families of six or seven together in summer and early fall. In certain parts of the West the species is gre- garious and often as numerous as the Barn Owl. Mr. H. W. Henshaw says: “Itseems to be a habit with this species in the West to congregate together and form colonies, often made up of a large number of individuals. I have, however, noticed this to be most frequently the case in regions where timber was scarce, and doubt- less this lack of places suited to the necessities of their nature, which requires them to pass the hours of daylight in some dark, secluded re- treat, furnishes the reason for this apparent sociability. In Grass Valley, Utah, I thus found at least a dozen individuals together in a small grove of cedars, and nearly every tree contained one of their nests, rudely made of coarse sticks, while soine supported two or three. The birds were roosting on the low branches in the darkest portions of the clump, and they were generally so well concealed that I saw _ them only as they dashed hurriedly out when I was close upon their retreats” (Explor. West of the 100% Merid., Wheeler, vol. v, 1875, p. 403). And Capt. Bendire speaks of seeing some fifteen or more on a single mesquit tree, near Rillito Creek, Arizona. Although quiet during the day, and apparently indisposed to ven- ture into the strong light, when started it is able to thread its way LONG-EARED OWL. 143 rapidly through the most intricate passages and to evade obstructions, demonstrating that its vision is in no way defective. The bird is not wild, and will allow itself to be closely approached. When conscious that its presence is recognized it sits upright, draws the feathers close to the body and erects the ear tufts, resembling in appearance a piece of weather-beaten bark more than a bird. It makes a very gentle and interesting pet, and will afford great amusement by its numerous antics. An individual which the writer once had would allow itself to be dressed in a doll’s hood and shawl by the children. When too roughly handled it would fly to the top of a door, though in a few minutes it would return to them and appeared to be interested in all the details of their play. Mr. F. H. Carpenter (Ornithologist and Oologist, vol. Vi, 1883, p. 62) mentions a peculiar habit in one of these Owls which he reared from the nest. Seeing a basket of chaff which it had learned to know contained young mice, the bird would draw each of its claws through its bill, and, as soon as the material was placed on the floor of the apartment, would fly down and begin the search, scratching after the manner of a hen, at the same time keeping up a contented preening noise. Like the other Owls, its flight is slow and wavering, but in common with them it is buoyant and devoid of any appearance of heaviness. The note of this Owl is said by some to resemble the noise made by kittens, while others state it is like the barking of small dogs. DESCRIPTION. Ear tufts conspicuous, containing eight to ten feathers, and about as long as middle toes with claw. Color.—Above dusky, mottled with gray, tawny, and blackish; below grayish white with confused marbling of brown, black, and tawny, many feathers with a median longitudinal dusky stripe which gives off transverse bars. Feet and legs tawny and unspotted. Length: 13 to 16 inches (330 to 406™™); extent, about 39 inches (990™™); wing, 11 to 12 inches (280 to 305™™); tail, 5.50 to 6.50 inches (140 to 165™™), Table showing the results of examinations of 107 stomachs of the Long-eared Owl (Asio wilsonianus). Poultry | Locality. Date. or game | Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. | | birds. | | moe SS ee | = | ee Coahnila Valley, Cal - ees 1, 1886 ere ee yt | Ee re Fah te 2 pocket mice .-.- Washington, Di Oh are Mars 27. 1eitmicsen sane | Song sparrow..-| Meadow mouse -| Sheepshead Bay, L.I., | Nov. 2, pene Se dibs oie | Junco. kinglet- Nees See epee Washington, D. C ..... Mar. 16, 1887 | SAU Gel Bap arises ce nese ta) Se eoe tere eee ona OU ee Sandy Spr ing, Md. . Mar. 8, 1887 i. Be on | ees eS Ae pee Ser is ee nee Bae ae Do. IBS SS. 5 eee Marra onh Gyo lbcecy. camel oa Mines fie ee | Meadow mouse -| DY eee INGE Al Se VS Selee cece amar eee cetenny EL ne tee ee een Ne | Do. oes sees INOW SPSS (Ene ee oe ha ae Pe ea eee eee Oe Do. Moi es pola, suaaloneal sete a nek ee vee ees ee 2 meadow mice. . Chester County, Pa-...; Jan. 11,1887 | pa eee a eSoseausceee Manne: Meadow mouse, | | 3 house mice, 144 Table showing the results of examinations of 107 stomachs of the Longeeare THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF (Asio wilsonianus)—Continued. Poultry Locality. Date. or game Other birds. Mammals. birds. : Chester County, Pa....| Nov. 20, 1886 |..........|..-.. Preis ae Meadow mouse . A ONE Ste eeieeiatnicietee Dee Me Te8G os Mees ceases « peta ee dO! iawe eae - WO) cote keta oe oe Jan. 28, DSB PAS iran: cw Olt Sateen aston iceee ae 2 meadow mice.. 3 ALD Oicscenys eee ieter SOs asaers sok Se Oar ene ete cisie White-footed mouse, mead- ow mouse. ND Oe eee Sik eo aes eS | sels ooh crave io eteree Ais we lnere alert Meadow mouse. Wome scare ctnie « Deets Leseie 2s. eel) eae eee eee eee White-footed | | mouse, 2 | | meadow mice, | 7 shrew. Woodstock, Conn ...-. TOs WEB Cie ie oe ve ae Ae eh 4meadow mice. Boston, Mass.....-.... Oct. 13, 1887 CS aie | SherEeN, war- | Meadow mouse. | er Montgomery Co., Pa ..! Dec. 26, 1887 | figcaoste hcyole rata) atte Ore Cc eae ee | do. ssacc-ee= Sing. Sing, IN. Y..-.--- Apr. 2951880502. cen oe: Goldfinch, 2 spar-| Mouse..--.-...... H ‘ rows. WO see Seb osinc |e los do Star Sreedhar oh eels oA 2 mice 2ac=eseeee DOM on sees As jee GO scsisa- eee et smallsbirdeesea lass do: S23. ee Chester sueunty, Pa . =| Nov. 95, teso1. ae een ee Mice: tsgneore uber Dede i Nov. 10,1878 6: 02.28.02 i]oc. coc do woes ee ee Sa ee UMeenG0-1884.). 22 sks 6 slate as Sessa s Seed eee TWiestiowal Ba oer ose i Feb. 23, 1879 Sie ii Se ell ine sine oe «nan Ove seers 2 Saas eae eee DO Lee oat Saeco al 5 ete = Ce ee a= AO"... Soe eee WENT hire ante a aly en GO sie e eee tee] oc ws oes be clea eee Oe eee Ohester' ; vounty, bE ee ee dS Fe ee Sele Soils saséete ose eee eee d0:. 255 -eee See Sone eco nlenae 00 62s oot e ee etd bee eee Do Eso eints asin satee emia CO ec Stee eee eee oatee ome -. G05 cera DO Bas ake haan sores COS aoe ee lies Sire spchh eta teeters ~ Oa cast eeuoes DOS eee estas Nov. 22, 1880 |--.------. Miscjsiss Seana ae Ona ees eee DO ssotee tes, s IOs oy SVM Bae a ce noe een ears a5 += 00) 2 cee ee WD) seeesonseescer Feb. 25,1880 |.......... [eee er a cence eae dO eee ee Worse ec’ aee Ss ets GO Scie ee clot ures eestor ore eran pena el fee dO oss seeee DO feress-osyeiwraictoere ll tent GOSS foes ache aoe ae asec ee. teeters + COR eeeeeee 1D (0 SES oe elie ae ore ater dope eee tes heastees Sesloe omc te ene iyo tee trees ‘4 LOOSE Sas ieee peer bere ie Oye Geol Se aa es Nate eee ce ene Mame doc ore oes MDaketa County, Nebr .| July —, 1865 05.0004 |e ae sss sees Rabbit. --......- Himaita, Ne Voc2 252.022 WAmis. 61885 loo = ake lesepa arity cine cc rae aes Field mice .-.--- DOV ee sees eee | Aug. IPAS RoHS es oseeae: [etisicisiels: o acee ree eS eee Coe eee cee DOP Tse uN arccet.e Oct. 13, ISSO coco Sees eee eticince = aloe ~ ed Ome see asee DORE cess oeceeeelsee LO See ee See Scie ciel oe cee ree eee eae ae - do (22 sae Nichols; N.-Y!.. =... —.: July. 4, USTs se le ee hace eee Ee eee LUG? 1 5 re Sepine, TSB Cal me emer ome rn Field mice ...-.. MITA. ING OY se case os < Dec. 21, 18877)-Qwail 25). acto ei.)-2 oo eee See eee eee Poway Valley, Cal-.-.| Apr. 5, 1888 |..---.-...)------------------ Small mammal... Woodville, Minn ...... Apr. 6, SSS: eee eerie os tae ciersiele seisele ee 2meadow mice... Jefferson River, Mont - | Sept. 16, S88 s25 5 sige oosl Se as eos ee ae one aes SO eer ee Washington, D.C .....: HENONP 2D; TOOOUE emis vis intel sae nce ee ee aes White-footed mouse. HaaGiax COUNbY, War= -.)eC.. 16, 1888.) 52. Sits. |scsae =< Sec cecenmas House mouse, ; white-footed mouse. Ogden, Wah eee ROCt a2 BSS ie ers ako saree omen eee 2 meadow mice. . Hollis .¢ Queens County, | Jan. dN) nn coe se seal eaaosoressee sous | Meadow mouse. Lake Grove, Suffolk : May DOP SBOE ee isare piles slow lacisert seater White- footed County, N.Y. mouse. WO reece woe sis: Peter O eearrc ey aeeie aeatrell rc lncota wise eunroronce ans lore do sierra TD Ore ace sean 2's j----dO -.-----|----20-2--|--52- 202-2522 22 =e White-footed : mouse, mead- ow mouse. Toronto, Canada .....- | Oy: Gy AN) eee aus) Pam soooesooucKoase Meadow mouse, 2 shrews. Morristown, N.J.....- | Ape Ese Ketel Viel eis Aap Irises rey meee eee Meadow mice. -. RD) OSes see es See ites aye Ove tered ate wee Song sparrow...-|.--- dO. seco eee Fort Hamilton, Long Oct. * 9, iste arinam nae Agu adoe een spo saa oS Mouse .......... Island, N. Y. Z Newtown, Gonna 22. OCtip29 S80 Es. soelscecile tewoseeiscemeseeere Hamble) ossoasecas laidianayeer 2s sasesscioe- DCG Z2a5TSSs lee soe |e Sa eee seeeeeas Mouse -.-.-.---- Litchfield, Conn ....... Fieri yeaa ba Porch see aee ag mint peer She cee MAES 3 meadow mice. . Sheepshead Bay, Long INOwe eo 1Se6 i aa eenee oe Sparrow ..----.- Meadow mouse - Island, N.Y. | : Story County, Towa ...| Oct., 1883 coe 3.001 Cees Rensselaer Count y, Dec. 12,1878. 2 Us els ic eooeenee sen oe eee IN. YG ) DOM ass secre es NOV: 228 ISR se pac se et isl es ae eye ae 3 MICO! Se eee DO Sees secs eS OGt5237 1886) oe ee eee eae 2 MICS so seeee ees Saratoga County, N. Y.| Dec, 19,1879 |......-.... Peer hapa erro Rees ope te ot SOO ncere a ere eaten County, | Oct. 18,1880|.......... | Sparrow ....- -».| Mouse.......-.- Miscellaneous. 4 Few insects Empty. Do. Do. vw? SHORT-EARED OWL. *~ 3 145 Table showing the results of examinations of 107 stomachs of the Long-eared Owl (Asio wilsonianus)—Continued. Poultry | Locality. Date. or game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. S——_—__—_—$——$ | | Albany County, N. Y..| Nov. 20, 1887 |..--------|=.---------------- Squirrel, co | Rensselaer County, | May 6,1889|-.--.--.--- PALO WS =e ola scence ean 4 COW. Gaylordsville, Conn -..-| Oct. 15,1889 |-.......-.- | prow ied, Walbcali sea 0< sccisew vce | er. Ercildoun, Pa ....-.--- Wecg sl SSOP ee <3 Meta eee cee eens 2 meadow mice. - Long Island City, N. Y | Oct. 29, 1888 |.---.------ Seu aoSgnounaysose: eed Ogee toes een Maumee | Oct, 16,1888). -..5- - SONS SpaLroward escee = accu eoee | i othersparrows. Huntington, N.Y ...-. Vane 23) ASO aes ae 8 eae eee | 2 meadow mice, | 1 pine mouse. | Sandy Spring, Md ...-. Mar. 14, 1890 |.--------.|--------------+----|------------------ | Empty. Sete |. 2-00 - -_---2|-s--<3---- | Sparrow -....--. [tessa te Scrat Sera Lt May 9AS90i 2-2 Saeed Sesion aera aes | 2 meadow mice..| Le Beaeedos.)- eee ck eee Le 1S ees Se aes ere CON esa ne | West Point, N. Y.-.-.-- | Pye. ONSBO bo eS. beet ee eee e ee ee eee eeene> Shasce Seas ac aos li £55 eee | June 23, 1880 |.------.-- ject so eeaescsigsiee Biden casos cee | Do. Circleville, Ohio....... | Dec. 7, ISSIR Ses oo La ae ae ee ee iinet tea moe | Dav Camp Verde, MAMMA 2 SOO) esiciee aictecatos one anh esse aes oat he AE Ss Poel | Do. li Gy quiere. aneaaeee Sees 20; 1886i).0-22----- Disp ice Widen ere pe Meme Rae ta [eee Dos London, Ontario. -.---- LOGh 1659890 |-s>~2..-: _ Song sparrow. ..| 2 meadow mice, | | | , ired-backe d ' mouse. Saul Suffolk County, | May 30, 1889 | Bee et ae Pep earns See a A ot | Meadow mouse, | | _ pine mouse. Keokuk, Newt s= =. - - - | Oct. 28, 1888 | sesnchsss- lope dScebosae bose PEMOUSB <2 2% Saisme Doe =e2 Se ee lNow. 17,1889 |.--------- Segrcesesrosdsecs HOABIMNECO! sso = Sati Sandy Spring, Md..... i Novy. 28, 1890 |------ ... PRES Geen eet eee fea ; 3meadow mice..- WORee eos wins: - ottOeSeAaceleoeeeuoae IBeasspeceeenesouse | Mouse .........- WOeer esses 5 ct. ee Or cite (ROSE OSes Sas rane aeaaacoe i-,--do aes n es, ote Morristown, N.J ..--- et. 22;1890'|.. 2... EPR sees ee ee : 3 meadow mice- . Horse Hill, N.J -....-- Oct ai, Lessa. =-==-<-—- | satnts hs oa Se Saag et Wg Sonia Se eS INOW Oy BOOS acai =i Ista Siaimis oS eS Saeed 2meadow mice. - Washington, D. C..... Meu 2nISOl |e aseseo- Heine area cede Meet | Meadow mouse. -| Sandy Spring. MGiteen WCC. oli Is00 | oo- sac. | Sboesa mae GaSe ae igs ore aoe Do. Jed Otis ae Now. 24; 1891) - 3-5 -35--% [ee ee sre ple Hees he eck ee aS | Do. Laneaster County, Pa .| Dec. 16,1891 |.-.--..-.. Heirs Hapse unin tte | 2meadow mice. | SO ed 5 See ae MeN OO = =e Nsmece = See loreectee Ss aS aemone | 2 meadow mice, | 1 white-footed | | | _, mouse. VOM eee mse = Decl 89 |e css RCE aee SAE Pine mouse..--.- HOP Bo cee tee es oe. ISOs ICS SES ese see Tree sparrow ..-| Meadow mouse - ao = San aoe Nove 16,1891) 2-22 Ps22 5: PaaS a, aerate) keene Gov ees bs Soe Ru ee idee: sii IBOb Soo. 5. ai sc occ- cee ekens|' omeadow- mice: | Rutland, Wiis cee n« Pilemeebet 1892 oan le. lode cack eceeSaaee a Mouse =22.52o5. Fragments ofegg | | shell. l SumMARy.—Of 107 stomachs examined, 1 contained a game bird; 15, other birds; 84, mice; 5, other Mammals; 1, insects and 15 were empty. SHORT-EARED OWL. Asio accipitrinus. [Plate 21—Adult.] The Short-eared Owl is a bird of extended distribution, ranging over the greater part of both hemispheres. In Africa it has been found as far south as Abyssinia in winter. It has not been recorded from Australia. In a northerly direction it reaches the southern part of the Arctic regions at about the 69th parallel, from whence southward it probably breeds more or less commonly in favorable localities through- out its range, though as a summer resident it is rare in most parts of eastern United States. The food of this Owl consists largely of mice and other small mammals. A number of species of insects, birds, and reptiles also may be men- 7626—No. 3——10 ; Foe Ty rege Cte eh, Aube Soteti fr Jag aR phar? geen mle nn ee . o Wie 207 AS Ae Ao ice | ah ane! ee Sey Tage Br ths ; var . : ty Fats NEL F0S 146 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES, i tioned as occasionally contributing to its fare. Fully 75 per cent of the stomachs examined in the Department of Agriculture contained mice. The remains of as many as six of these little mammals were found in one stomach, and several contained three or four each. Prof. Ff. KE. L. Beal reported finding nothing but mice in the stomachs of a pair which he killed in Story County, Iowa. They were shot in an artificial grove swarming with small birds. Mr. Austin F. Park, of Troy, N. Y., in a report on the food of Hawks and Owls, which he — kindly sent to this Department, mentions mice and no other kind of food as found in the stomachs of this species. Of the other mammals which this Owl feeds upon may be mentioned shrews, gophers, and sometimes small rabbits. Shrews are not un- common in the stomach contents. Dr. J. C. Merrill, in mentioning the food of this bird at Fort Klamath, Oregon, says: “In one specimen a pellet ready for regurgitation contained ten nearly perfect skulls of a _ shrew, a species of which, and field mice, were nearly always found in the stomachs.” (Auk, vol. v, April, 1888, p. 146.) Unfortunately we have been unable to procure stomachs of this Ow! from the western plains which are infested with ground squirrels and gophers, hence we do not know to what extent it feeds upon these rodents. Mr. G. F. Brenninger, of Beattie, Kans., states (Ornith. and Oologist, X1, 1886, 167) that the food of this species consists chiefly of mice, insects and ground squirrels. It does not feed as extensively on insects as either the Barred or Screech Owls, but there are reports enough on the subject to show that grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles at times form a considerable part of its food. It is quite exceptional for this Owl to feed upon birds. Out of ninety stomachs examined by us at the Department ten contained bird remains. A notable violation of its usual habit of feeding upon mice may be quoted from Mr. William Brewster, as follows: “A small colony of these birds had established itself upon a certain elevated part of the island |Muskegat], spending the day ina tract of densely matted grass. Scattered about in this retreat were the remains of at least a hundred Terns, that they had killed and eaten. Many of these were fresh, while others were in every stage of decomposition, or dried by the sun and wind. In each case the breast had been picked clean, but in no in- stance was any other portion disturbed. Every day at a certain time these Owls sallied forth in search of fresh prey. We used regularly to see them about sunset, sailing in circles over the island or beating along the crests of the sand hills. They were invariably followed by vast mobs of enraged Terns, which dived angrily down over the spot where the Owl had alighted, or strung out in the wake of his flight like the tail of a comet. The Owl commonly paid little attention to this unbidden following, and apparently never tried to seize his persecutors while on the wing, but on several occasions we saw a Sitting bird pounced upon and borne off. Sometimes in the middle of the night a SHORT-EARED OWL. 147 great outcry among the Terns told where a tragedy was being enacted.” (Bull Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. rv, 1879, p. 19.) The following important evidence of the economic value of the Short- eared Owl is from the fourth edition of Yarrell’s British Birds (vol. Lv, p. 165): “‘ Undoubtedly field mice, and especially those of the short-tailed group or voles, are their chief objects of prey, and when these animals increase in an extraordinary and unaccountable way, as they sometimes do, so as to become extremely mischievous, owis, particularly of this species, flock to devour them. Thus there are records of ‘asore plague of strange mice’ in Kent and Essex in the year 1580 or 1581, and again in the county last mentioned in 1648. In 1754 the same thing is said to have occurred at Hilgay, near Downham Market, in Norfolk, while within the present century the Forest of Dean, in Gloucestershire, and some parts of Scotland have been similarly infested. In all these cases owls are mentioned as thronging to the spot and rendering the greatest service in extirpating the pests. The like has also been observed in Scandinavia during the wonderful irruptions of lemmings and other small rodents to which some districts are liable, and it would appear that the Short-eared Owl is the species which plays a principal partin getting rid of the destructive horde. An additional fact of some interest was noticed by Wolley, namely, that under such circumstances the owls seem to become more prolific than usual.” The following species of mammals and birds have been positively identified among the stomach contents: MAMMALS. BIRDS. Arvicola austerus. Agelaius pheniceus. Arvicola pinetorwm. Quiscalus quiscula wneus. Arvicola riparius. Poocetes. Blarina brevicauda. Spizella pusilla. Sitomys americanus. Junco hyemalis. Mus musculus. Melospiza georgiana. Sorex. Passerella iliaca. Reithrodontomys. Passer domesticus, Lepus sylvaticus. Merula migratoria. Sigmodon hispidus. The nest is a rough affair made of coarse grass and sticks, loosely drawn together and sparsely lined with fine material and feathers from the parent bird. It is placed on the ground, often in a depression made to receive it, under some bush or among high grass. In exceptional cases it has been found in a clump of low bushes, or otherwise slightly elevated. Theeggs, which are from three to five in number. are depos- ited in April or May, according to the latitude of the nesting grounds. The Short-eared Owl is pre-eminently a bird of the open couutry, in- cluding the coast marshes and islands covered by bushes and high grass. In the United States it is much more common in winter, receiving large reinforcements from the North. During this season of the year Single individuals are usually met with, or less often small colonies, 148 THE pies composed of four or five birds. grounds. colonies. Ear tufts inconspicuous, much shorter than middle toe with claws. “g Color: Whole plumage varying from bright tawny to buffy bei 5 DESCRIPTION. with conspicuous dark brown stripes. Length: 13.75 to 17 inches (350 to 432™™); extent, about 43 inches | wing, 12 to 13 inches (305 to 330™™); tail, 5.75 to 6.10 (1092"™) ; inches (145 to 155™™), Table showing the results of examinations of 101 stomachs of the Short-eared Os | Locality. | Date. i Washington, D. C..... | Noy. 22, 1886 { Oakdale N. V.2.5.-- = Nov. 27, 1886 Rockville, Conn -....-- | Oct. ge 1886 HNO es Soe oso SOO pnocst ee Koshkonong, Wis---.-.- Sept. "95, 1886 W ashington, IDs Cees | Apr. 20, 1887 Hillsboro, New Bruns- Sept. 2 1887 wick. Washington, D. C.....} i Jan. —, 1887 DOR eee | Mar. 28, 1887 Hackensack, N.J..... Mar. 31, 1887 | South Windsor, Conn -! Mar. 29, 1887 Wore sce se wemaae i a) Ct eee Donate = ee.) Noy: 4, 1887 | 100) Sane sGree |--- BI ive eee DS Scone See ee ee dO aaaee Washington, D. C..--. Jan. 23, 1888 | Glastonbury, Conn. | aes 23, 1886 | ee i es eee eta Oe = aI East Hartford Conn ..; Nov. 11, 1886 | Bae Fy eee Ae i Nov. 2.1886 | Se Soriae: Mais =e | Jan. 28, 1887 | Do sooee rs eaconsss) Mar. os 1887 | WORE {Soo aes eic atts se dorian. WOR =e Secces Sass GOs eae | Oe Ae Serres eee Coxe Wore ts co Ossese: Jan. 7, 1888 i Opes ee Feb. 13,1888 Chester County, Pa...) Jan. 25, 1887 | WO rae Se Dec. 21, 1886 | WD Opera sa eee Dec. 10,1886 | 1D Se ee tae Nov. 20, 1886 | ) DORE Seat seen: Nov. 25, 1886 | WO SS o2050 eee Nov. 27, 1886 | 10 eee een Dee. 8, 1886 | 1D SSeS Sees Mar. 5, 1887 | TD AES ea ee Ay or eae tees | a Das Ean eens Sees Jan. 4,1880 Do St Oe eR Pet Jan. Dakota County, Nebr... July —, 1870 Lincoln, Nebr ......--. Sept.—, 1868 : Bilminas oN... Vo. so- so. Aug. 13, 1884 | OP ioss seers Aug. 3, 1826 DON ease Aug. 7, 1886 BANE Ny Vato eee Oct: <5, 1887 Doe se eee es Dec. 29, 1887 Kings County, N. Y...| Dec. 26, 1887 Stratford, Conn... ...-- Nov. 3,1888 Sandy Spring, Md...-. Dec. 10, 1888 (Asio accipitrinus). | Poultry or game Other birds. birds. Possibly these are families which ha’ 78 never been separated, having migrated in company from their nestin Large colonies, containing several hundred individuals, have “3 been known to congregate in some desirable locality to spend the — q winter, and it is stated that they occasionally breed in considerable — #4 —* Se aa 2 juncos, 1 fox sparrow. [ete e pie ance remegs | | | eae | bee ee ee eee eee eee eee Mouse 2 meadow mice.. Mouse hair Meadow mouse - 3 meadow mice - 2 meadow mice - 1 meadow mouse 2 meadow mice, 1 shrew. 2 meadow mice - 5 meadow mice - 4 meadow mice - 1 meadow mouse! 4 meadow mice -: 3 meadow mice -: Meadow mouse -| Mouse | Mouse. eee i Weabierseeneae eet ee ey 1 4 | Pine mouse....- | 3 meadow mice 1 meadow ibe Rabbit. 22-3 | Gophere=. sss = SRield: mICee sae | do white-footed mice, 2 house mice, 1 shrew. Meadow mouse. Mouse hair Empty. 0. Do. Do. Do. Do. 17 insects. 30 locusts. Beetle. SHORT-EARED OWL. 149 Table showing the results of examinations of 101 stomachs of the Short-eared Owl (Asio accipitrinus)—Continued. sects, and 14 were empty. Poultry Locality. Date. or game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. St. George, Utah ...... dai, eh ISK) eae se Soar sibs Sooo isenodisooces White-footed mouse, har: | vest mouse. Washington, D.C ..... Mar. 13, 1889 |.........- VOLS PALEOWANe pea ee eee eee | and another | sparrow. Tiawrence .@naveens | Jan. 12,1889 |... 5.5.0.) --- 220-2. t cee 3 meadow mice. - County, N. Hancock County, Towa,| July 15, 1889 |----.----.|.-------.--------- 2meadow mice, Ween shrews. I) Sekar Jilly, EUS) eas nas cbsleacde sosseneconnee 2 meadow mice. Chester County, Pa. -2| Nov. 28) 1882 |.-...-..--|) ---5----2-------- MICE aa Beenie Jersey City, N.J..-... (Qyotts 14's WIS esc oea eae Sparrow.--.---- Meadow mouse - Story County, Iowa... | Oct.—, 1883 |.......... Mee pa CupeaEnocenewE Mouse hair ....- MD OU erie A ck URI a CB iene ae eh OO ReGee SAGReea ete ELON a Ga Mee RaleieibsNe Cee. Go. INOw-plslSSGi eke see eiec eee cee lie BOL OW ee ne sacle Do SOG ane eee INIOWA ASR BST Sea Sere SI ers ye ci ee “Cotton rat ...--. BETS eas aks Nios 12 SBT We = ea eal ice einininin mm n= = SE es Rey: De Bee Pree la 15 Jan. 12, ABSSH ee eet [eaeoaee suocsnese Meadow mice- Cincinnati, Ohio. .-.---- INOWs WO IERENAe Seeeacee Ve be CRIS, lene cell Macon age ares. WOneseeseas 2 Nov: ae Ieee ee we Guosbae 7) DOA OBR losé ous ss oopekenae rows. ranmicin County, Ind:| Dec. 3,1886 |....-..-..)-----...-22------- PiMMICO Mase eres | Springfield, Ind ....... Meee MOMSSGr he ore se tin os ee et cs Mouse hair ..... Brookville, Ind.......- ame LOWISS fies steers Ulnar ta aaee ores sti 2B WNC oAsasccase Adams, THod).2o eS a LO et Ga ca Ne Ser Sve ee iin ate clamb MaRIEZ AY at r0 a! Severe Do. Do Rhee Be aS (BO aes Ne fcc Be URN A Aga QiIMNC Os te se ee Fayette pouty. aie eR CI ORR ae eR ces Create aes Orie hye een AE 2 mice, 2shrews. | WimmoniCoumuy, Inde - | Jian: -—; 188713... 2. 2202) -220.2- 2-2 he eats 2 meadow mice. - Adams, Ind.........-.. Jan. 27, BS Bia lee eles [ese parece ae ey AU 1 meadow mouse | Springfield, Ind....... Apr. il: NSS7s |e es TsO Rea ey ese paai er ON White footed | | mouse, mead- | i ow mouse. ; mE cueselaer CWoumiby eam wl Sa SSS. lee wes cee ajo celts cyereime pie sears sore sities b winclee | Empty. : | copia ok MENON We |) OD 0k, TBO. alee ew baiting weg eie oe Meadow mice... SUS eee Tees 0, WEES eee sel SSecedaSonconberdal) MOISE Ea -Seoas al IDO crsgosgoesoass | mes a eak.. Agsessee S| UusecneSosocosonppllascebscasrnenoenas | Empty. 1010) -aase3 dee adoee ISO) (Oh ISEB SS sass ec Sanne a ere sosesae se Easton ecorbosre an Kmpty. IDOE Sooke eel Wives BUY IRIS Baca sae | SAe se aoe Se eee Mouse ..2.-.5.2- er CounibiyaniMarcesyl SSO en eee slaw aioe ean Meadow mice... Stratford, Conn ...-... INOM sla wIS89) eee nee Swamp sparrow, Nee Beceset VitegDee aetae other sparrow. Flatbush, N. Y.....-... INOW SSO ah cca eee jams te ck hin lees a neces peeeieye Empty. Long Tsland City, N.Y.| Oct. 26,1888 |.......... 2}. SOON MOIS. WLW seesogensococeess grass finch, 1 field sparrow. | Monramk- Pomt, I. T., | Dee. 12,1889 |.-.....-2-|....--.------6--6- ' Meadow mouse, N.Y. | white - footed mouse, shrew. Kennedy, Nebr ....-.. PACD EME OTRO Os eee earl ea ough lec cate | Meadow mice, | | white - footed | mice. ! Clay- County, |S: Dak ....| Sept. 12,1889 |........--|.-2--...0c8--d--5- White-footed | mouse. | NOs m cris he cie wie 2's Oe heer SSOn ees ON rae See se see White-tooted | mouse, mead- ow mouse. | ReDEDK. HOW Aa costes < INOW Sete Bo: eco Grachlos ewe ip teeccn esse Me ue EN See eae Nery ele SOOM Bese mens shoe lla see cates cle accel PNLOMS Gta ao nat Parllann, COnM aero (OXGTIE AE SITIO SS Se Put Mee age A ea ine ger A a a | Empty. Union County, Ko ENO Wars SSS O poeta ue ous Ik Es 3 meadow mice. - i Sandy Spring, Mc sf LD ax eis BASES Dye ieee AES STE A OE FS A ee ai nr | Empty. 3.0 10S aia yea sc Dec. 20, TUSK) eal Gc aT Sa aay ia eer 2 meadow mice. .| DO Weipa ahi etait ee CO aera em Or ene so HVS AWE) UE ae ROL GH ees tes. Ae Cat | pontauk EOIN CHU gee MO ECH iD. MSGOi Mees ee ee alo kei ae “Meadow mouse . 1 DOr Sa Rees a PR CBU) I Se IE EG og AO 2meadow mice. Morristown, N.J ..... AT DAs CONG Me ay aa ae Me nae Meadow mouse. DO ee sy oak Feb. 10, AON ieee oem a aaa) ee a NS SC ka 3 meadow mice, Washington, D.C..... Nov. 20, TUSSHO)T eas cee eng ee nc CU A Care er 3 raeadow mice, 1 house mouse. aneasterCounty, Pa-| Dec.;19,1891 |... 24.005. |1.2202 0002.02. 006% 4 meadow mice.. LO YOV IS APs ie eae I a GCs 2H US Os ase ee yoy Ma Maa evens iey Aneta cca 3 meadow mice. . WDOvesaaierisrinwe ¢ Weee 22189t sees ae Red-wing black- | Meadow mouse .- bird. SUMMARY.—Of 101 stomachs examined, 11 contained small birds; 77, mice; 7, other mammals; 7, in- - 150 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES, BARRED OWL. Syrnium nebulosum, [Plate 22—Adult.] The Barred Owl inhabits eastern North America, ranging from Nova Scotia southward to the Gulf of Mexico, and westward to Manitoba, Dakota, Kansas, and Texas. Three geographical races inhabit, re- spectively, the southern United States from Florida to Texas (Syrniwm — n. allent), eastern Mexico (Syrnium n. sartoriw), and Central America (Syrnium n. fulvescens). The species is resident throughout its range except in the extreme northern part, from which it migrates more or less every fall and winter. Relating to the food of this species, Audubon gives the following: “The Barred Owlis a great destroyer of poultry, particularly of chickens when half grown. It also secures mice, young hares, rabbits, and many species of small birds, but is especially fond of a kind of frog of a brown color very common in the woods of Louisiana. Ihave heard it asserted that this bird catches fish.” (Ornith Biography, vol. I, p. 244.) Nuttall gives the following information as to the food: ‘* Their food is principally rabbits, squirrels, grouse, quails, rats, mice, and frogs. From necessity as well as choice they not unfrequently appear around the farmhouse and garden in quest of the poultry, particularly young chickens.” (Land Birds, 1832, p. 134.) ‘‘Mr. Downes observed them to feed on hares, spruce and ruffed grouse, and other birds in Nova Scotia” (Hist. N. A. Birds, vol. 111, p. 36). Mr. H. Nehrling says: “‘In Texas where the hens, turkeys, etc., roost on trees, this owl is very destructive. They do not kill old poultry, but like half-grown chickens, and soon depopulate a whole poultry yard.” (Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. vit, p. 172.) Dr. Wheaton, in his report on the birds of Ohio, 1882, gives a sum- mary of its food as follows: “It sometimes visits chicken roosts and causes great devastation, but its ordinary food consists of squirrels, rats, mice, and small birds” (p. 412). To all-this testimony, which could be increased by the addition of many other notes attesting the destructiveness of the species to poultry and game, the investigations of the writer are in direct variance. Of the 109 stomachs examined four only contained the remains of poultry, and in one the trace of a game bird were found. Dr. William C. Avery, of Greensboro, Ala., one of our valued cor- respondents, writes: ‘‘One evening about sunset while I was hunting, a Barred Owl pitched upon a wounded Bob-white which I had just shot.” ‘This incident recalls the interesting question of the part played by birds of prey in destroying sickly or wounded game. The following from Prof. Baird to Mr. J. W. Shorton, which was published in the Bull Me 3: Div. Ornitholosy BoA Hub D0 Wiz BARRED OWL. 151 Journal of the Cincinnati Society of Natural History (vol. v, 1882, pp. 69-70), seems to answer the question conclusively : Washington, April 10, 1882. DEAR Sir: The destruction of hawks will save an occasional fowl, but will cause a.great increase in the abundance of field-mice, rabbits, squirrels, snakes, frogs, etc., upon which the hawks feed. It has now been conclusively shown, I think, that hawks perform an important fune- tion in maintaining in good condition the stock of game birds, by capturing the weak and sickly, and thus preventing reproduction from unhealthy parents. One of the most plausible hypotheses explanatory of the occasional outbreaks of disease among the grouse of Scotland has been the extermination of these correctives, the disease being most virulent where the game-keepers were most active in destroying what they considered vermin. It is my firm conviction that in the average of well-settled countries the hawks and owls are a benefit rather than the reverse to the community in general, and to the farmer in particular. Yours respectfully, Q F.B PENCER F. BaIRD. This Owl seems to be more given to cannibalistic habits than any of the other species. In seven stomachs the writer found the remains of smaller Owls among the contents, and Mr, Austin F’. Park mentions finding the remains of a Screech Owl in the stomach of a Barred Owl killed in a thickly built partof Troy, N. Y. (Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. v, p. 185.) Mr. Charles Dury, in ‘“ Notes on the Food of Raptorial Birds,” says that he found a Screech Owl in the stomach of an individ- ual shot near Cincinnati. (Journ. Cincinnati Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. v1i1, 1885, pp. 62-66.) Now and then small birds are killed by this species, but mammals furnish a large proportion of its food. The remains of mice, rabbits, squirrels (red, gray, and flying), shrews, moles, and occasion- ally weasels, have been found among the stomach contents. The species, owing to its large size, is capable of consuming large numbers of mice at one meal. Dr. C. Hart Merriam took the remains of at least a dozen red-backed mice (Hvotomys) from a single specimen killed near Moose River, in northern New York. Frogs and other batrachians are not uncommonly taken, and craw- fish are evidently a somewhat favorite food, as shown by the frequency of their occurence among the stomach contents. Fish are sometimes eaten. Mr. Edward Swift, of Elmira, N. Y., has found their remains in the stomach contents, and Dr. Warren relates that he was informed by two gentlemen in Florida that it frequently preys on fish, which it Secures, by a dexterous movement of the foot, while sitting close to the water’s edge (Birds of Pennsylvania, 1888, p.111). At certain times of the year insects are considerably sought after by this bird, grasshop- pers, crickets, and the larger beetles being the kinds most often taken. In summing up the facts relating to the food habits of this Owl it ap- pears that, while the general statements of certain authors, especially the earlier ones, charge the bird with the destruction of poultry, game, and small birds, such destructive habits are comparatively un- SE Ne SR eRe set ape te a) Ce ee - = - ‘ 4 7 4 25 Pe) > ml * At og ™ é 152 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. common. That it does occasionally make inroads upon the ee 4 yard and does more or less damage among game birds, is true; but the systematic collection and examination of a large number of stomachs show the exceptional character of such acts and reveal the fact that | the larger part of its food consists of mammals. And it is to be noted that among the list are some of the most destructive rodents the farmer has to contend with. If a fair balance be struck, therefore, it must be considered that this Owl is on the whole beneficial, and hence should occupy a place on the list of birds to be protected. The following species of mammals and birds were positively identi- fied among the stomach contents: MAMMALS. Evotomys gappert. Scalops aquaticus. Synaptomys cooperi. Mus decumanus. Arvicola riparius. Arvicola pinetorum. Blarina brevicauda. Tamias striatus. BIRDS. Sciurus hudsonicus. Bonasa umbellus. Sciuropterus volucella. Megascops asio. Lepus sylvaticus. Nyctala acadica. Sitomys aureolus. Melanerpes carolinus. Sito mys americanus. Passerella iliaca. In the South the eggs are deposited late in February or the first week in March, while in the North their deposition is a month or six weeks later. The following extract from an article by ‘J. M. W.’ (Calvin Rawson), of Norwich, shows that it sometimes breeds in February as far north as Connecticut: ‘During the open Februarys, several years ago, Mr. Brand and myself took eggs in winter; but of late the last of March sees full clutches of this bird. I have seen eggs on a solid cake of ice, in a hole, and in open nests, with a foot of snow in the woods.” (Orni- thologist and Oologist, vol. XIII, 1888, p. 37.) The ovaries in some of the birds captured in southern New York about the first of April were still in an undeveloped state, while other birds had deposited eggs. It thus appears that in the same locality the pairs do not all breed at the same time. The nest, like that of the Great Horned Owl, is situated indiserimi- nately in hollows or among the branches of trees. In the North a nest among the branches is more common and, although the structure may occasionally be made by the bird, the remodeled nest of the crow or hawk is more often used. It is not to be understood that the use of cavities in the North is at all uncommon, for probably a third of the nests are so situated, while in the South an open nest is rare. This species Shows great fondness for a favorite nesting site, which it will oc- cupy year after year even though it be habitually robbed of its eggs. The eggs are usually two or three in number, although sets of four and five have been taken. erat. Sa “See BARRED OWL. 153 This Owl is a lover of deep, dark woods, where it spends most of the day in quiet among the thick foliage. Heavy wooded swamps, with their luxuriant growth and festoons of vines, or the stately hemlock forests are the places preéminently suited to the bird’s taste. It is the commonest species of rapacious bird throughout the ex- tensive swamps covered by cypress and other growths which abound in the coast region of the South, where as many as fifteen or twenty may be seen in a day’s tramp. Although not usually seen near habitations, it sometimes wanders into large towns, either in search of food or the shelter afforded by some attractive clump of evergreens. Mr. F. H. Carpenter makes the interesting statement that in the vi- cinity of Kingfield, Me., this Owl often resorts to barns during the day time and is known locally as “Barn Owl.” (Ornithologist and Oolo- gist, vol. x1, 1886, p. 177.) When kept in captivity it soon becomes tame, especially when taken young, and makes a gentle and interesting pet, soon learning to know its master and to greet his coming with signs of affection and pleasure. This Owl, like others of the family, generally remains quiet during the brightest part of the day. This habit is from choice and is not due to any defect in its vision. The familiar instances cited in books, where is has been known to alight on a collector’s gun barrel or the back of a cow, are not evidences of defective vision, but merely show that the bird was preoccupied or had its eyes fastened on some object of unusual interest. A hawk has been known to follow a chicken into the house and attack it under a chair occupied by a person; yet no one will argue that the hawk was unable to see the individual. Mr. Frank Bolles found that his pet Barred Owls could not see in an ordinary degree of darkness, and thinks they sleep at night. (Auk, vol. VII, 1890, p. 106.) Although usually quiet, it evidently does some hunting during the | day, especially during the breeding season. Once on a bright after- noon in May, near Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, the writer saw one of these Owls flying over a protection levee to a swamp on the op- posite side. It carried in its talons a bird, presumably a grackle, judg- ing from the number of these birds which followed in hot pursuit and attacked it evidently in the hope of liberating their unfortunate comrade. This black and irritated mass followed the Owl into the swamp beyond, from which their scoldings could be heard for some time. The hearing of the Barred Owl, like all other species, is very acute. On one occasion the writer was standing near a large tree in a dense Swamp in the vicinity of Mobile, attempting to attract a small bird by the aid of a low squeaking noise. Through the foliage, some 50 yards or more distant, a pair of large birds were seen winging their way, and as the noise was continued they alighted within a few feet of its source, but on the opposite side of the tree. Great was their surprise to see a head age 3 THE HAWKS AND OWLS or THE UNITE D cautiously appear from behind the trunk, and after a fom: bewild dL glances they beat a precipitate retreat, donincieee very much chagi at the deception. This is one of the mest noisy of the Owls, and probably i is a4 heard than any other. This is particularly true in the mating sea-_ = son, at which time, in localities where it is abundant, the woods re- sound with its weird but not unpleasant notes from early dusk to morn, zi : and even at intervals during the day. At no time of the year is it — | altogether quiet, though during the period the young are being Ry is for it is seldom heard. Years ago in the months of October and No- — % vember, while camping in the Adirondack wilderness in northern New * : York, one or more of these birds were heard nearly every evening,and a few times during the day. On one occasion, by imitating their notes, Dr. C. Hart Merriam brought two or three in close proximity to the _ camp, but we were unable to secure specimens on account of the i} - darkness. eeaaeee Stratford, Genn 2-2-2 Dec. 18, 1888 | Jenoemsoes Screech owl -...; Mole.---.-2.2.2: TeraRie Ontario .....- DANG Ady LSD as eee | See eae j- Rat: .<. Sots A EARS ene Jan. 29, 1890 eae: 2 meadow mice. - 2 Sandy Spring, “oh (i Bee April 23, 1890 | a Pee ens aie | aameeetes a ata lie 2h ee Snail, beetle. Orange County, N. Y..| Oct. 23,1876 !.......... Ieege Gees s Shoots |. wie oa ee Empty. : Bay St. Louis. Miss - --| ASE SON IS90) sae see cca S aia ee SRR | Se esa oe | Beetle remains. Sandy Spring, Md.....: Noy. 6, 1890 | Hsaceetae |.2--25---...02s-..| 2 meadow anleee ; Beetle. - Portland, Conn.......-! ! Oct. 16, 1890 |.-.-.--.-- Proskie chien Nee ; 2 meadow mice, i E i | 1 white-footed | 3 1 mouse. ! LUM sho Sse sshe Oct. 18,1890! 22. ..2-: [etn ec eec eae ane) a eee | Larva. Wome see ass Oct. 25, 1890. bate eet hte ae as ie ae | 3 meadow mice, | H 1 rat. : € SS i eae Nov. 1, 1890 BEE ee ere eee eee es “a Sandy Spring Wig sane Nov. 30, 1890 | Fahne aaa Sereech owl..... Meadow mouse-:; a maeptso oe ce nets |----do Se Setyeioieccsloot|es sees cics eau ee nea Oweameems * Monisiggn, 2 a Ss [ese Oct. "9451890 tse a: (eal asa ce coe eee Shox t-tailed j a ; Shrew. j 2 | DIN ERAS eo eereas NOW 14 e890 eB Ovalese als cosceeeeeasoeceae |. 3,00 Sa eee eee ! 3 DOM tr ts cele c INGyart 71890! Riuititede| cas s=.55 eo ee [sak oe : < | grouse. | — Columbus, Ohio ....-.. | Ochs SE S90 ease es ee eee ee ee i Chipmunk ..... ' 2snails, 1beetle. JDRSTOr I 7 ES ee Heb 228915 | Eee. cae sees a oe | Meadow mouse -| eo Lancaster County, Pa-| Nov. 30,1890 es eee locas Soom eee eee : Empty. Meriden; Conn .......- MGh 20; Taos eee [eens cere es eee Paeeetnese | ioe Washington, D.C..... SA prak Ob MISODsN~ Foie alt ee re 8 Coe ee |. wise See i ‘Do. q | | j SumMARY.—Of 109 stomachs examined, 5 contained Eom or game; 13, other birds; 46, mice; 18, ; other mammals; 4, frogs; 1, a lizard; 2, ‘fish; 14, insects; 2, spiders; 9, crawfish, and 2° were empty. ae — - 5 AF cli rare ; SPOTTED OWL. So meee pete ne, Syrnium occidentale. The Spotted Owl, which may be considered a western representative of the Barred Owl, inhabits the highlands of Mexico, New Mexico, — Arizona, Colorado, California, and Lower California. It was discovered — by Xantus near Yort Tejon, Cal., March 6, 1858, and described by him in 1859 in the proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Phila- delphia. Not until 1872 was the bird again met with, when Capt. Bendire found it in the southern part of Arizona, where on April 17, 1872, he found a nest and one egg, 9 miles west of Tucson. “The nest — appears to have been built by the birds themselves. It was composed of small sticks and twigs and lined with dry grasses, pieces of bark, and a few feathers, placed close to the trunk of a large cottonwood tree, about 30 feet from the ground and easily seen from below. One of the a parents was sitting on the nest and shot with a rifle after flying off, | | but not preserved. * * * The specimen sent to Mr. Ridgway was | | shot some time subsequently to my finding this nest, as I noticed on a | critical examination of this bird that it differed from the Barred Owl | | in its markings.” (Ornithologist and Oologist, vol. Vi1, 1882, p. 99.) ‘@ Mr. L. Belding secured a ies at Big Trees, Calaveras County, Cal., | in the summer of 1880. He says: ‘Its call resembles the barking of a tem mem (ee Sees SS ae eae. cee a ee GREAT GRAY OWL. 157 dog, the first three or four notes lasting about one second each; these succeeded by long, harsh, whining notes.” * Mr. H. W. Henshaw took a specimen in the Upper Pecos region, N. Mex., August 20, 1883, but did not ascertain whether it bred or was common there. (Auk, vol. 111, 1886, p. 79.) Mr. A. W. Anthony secured a specimen in Colorado in January or February, 1882. “It was in a wet, marshy place grown up to coarse erass. The bird seemed to make its home in this locality for some time, as he says he flushed it from the grass on several different occa- sions during the winter before he succeeded in shooting it” (Auk, vol. IU, 1886, p. 284). As yet very little is known of the habits of this species and abso- lutely nothing of the food. It is to be presumed, however, that the latter is of much the same character as that of the Barred Owl. DESCRIPTION. Size, color, and form, much the same as the Barred Owl, but the bar- ring on the head and back is broken up into round or irregular spot- ting. The belly is transversely barred much the same as the breast in- stead of being streaked as in the Barred Owl. Length: 19 inches (482™ ); wing, 12 to 13.50 inches (305 to 342™™); tail, about 9 inches (228™™). GREAT GRAY OWL. Scotiaptex cinerea. This large and handsome Owl is a boreal species, occurring in arctic and northern temperate America and migrating south in winter to the northern United States. A closely related geographical race(Scotiaptex c. lapponicum) inhabits the northern portions of Europe and Asia, strag- gling eastward towestern Alaska. The Great Gray Owl is a very rare winter or accidental visitant as far south as the fortieth parallel, the limit of its wandering being reached in southern New England, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and Illinois in the East, and northern Cali- forniainthe West. Itisa common resident throughout all the wooded portions of Alaska, as it is in the Anderson River region and the fur countries generally. The food seems to consist principally of hares, mice, and other of the smaller mammals as well as small birds. Whether it destroys many grouse or ptarmigans is not stated by authors who are most familiar with the bird. Dr. W. H. Dall took no less than thirteen skulls and other remains of red-poll linnets (Acanthis) from the crop of a single bird. *Mr. F. Stephens secured an adult and young of this species at Smith Mountain, some 50 miles NNE. of San Diego Bay, California, June, 1892. (Auk., vol. 1x, 1892, pp- 392-393.) a, 158 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. The following species of mammals were positively identified among — the stomach contents: Scapanus americanus, Arvicola ee Blarina brevicauda, and Sitomys americanus. 4 Richardson found a nest on May 23 which contained three young. It was situated in a lofty balsam poplar and was composed of sticks, with — i a lining of feathers. The nest found by Mr. McFarlane on July 19, on ~ the Anderson River, was placed in the top of a pine [spruce] about 20 ‘a feet from the ground and contained two eggs and two young. Prob- — ably the number of eggs in a set varies from three to five, and their deposition usually takes place some time in April. a Dr. Dall considers it a stupid bird and states that sometimes it may — be caught in the hands. Its great predilection for thick woods, in 4 which it dwells doubtless to the very limit of trees, prevents it from being _ an inhabitant of the barren grounds or other open country in the — North. It is crepuscular or slightly nocturnal in the southern parts of _ its range, but in the high North it pursues its prey in the daytime. a In the latter region, where the sun never passes below the horizonin summer, it is undoubtedly necessity and not choice that prompts itto be abroad in the daylight. It is stated that the flight is heavy and somewhat labored, and has not the bouyancy noted in that of most of the Owls. This statement may result from the point of view of the observer, for it does not seem likely that its flight differs materially from that of the Barred Owl. z The note of this Owl is said to be a tremulous, vibrating sound, some- what resembling that of the Screech Owl. DESCRIPTION. Largest of our Owls. No ear tufts. Wing, 16 to 18 inches (406 to _ 456™™); pill, small, nearly hidden by feathers; eyes, yellow; general color, dusky grayish brown and grayish white. = Length: 25 to 30 inches (635 to 762™™"); extent, 54 to 60 inches (1370 to 1524™™); wing, 16 to 18 inches (406 to 456™™); tail, 11 to 12.5 inches (280 to 317™™). Table showing the results of examinations of 9 stomachs of the Gr eat Gray Owl (Scotiaptex cinerea). | Poultry | Locality. Date. or game Other birds. | Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. | Shales ee ia ear | Maat Neco 5 Carberry, Manitoba. ..| Sept. 29, 1889 |..........|..2-.22.20e2 20022. lU-shrew.: 2 .2aee Lake Nipissing, Can- | Oct. 29,1889 ;.--....--.- [ieee dertverer Serie tare Puleagoue mice, | =. ee ada. shrew. Haliburton, Ont ....-- Dec. 20, 1889 | Doers, ophect em Snowbunting. -- | Sh ° rt-tailea | shrew. Muskoka, Ont .-....-. Dec. 27, 1889 | eR | ee eee oe seer | 3 meadow mice . Beavertown, Ont...-.- Jan. 29, 1890 ee eee | 1 while see eed | ; mouse, 4mead- | ow mice. Mt. Albert, Ont.....-.- Hebe 8: A890) | fe all xe eee eee este 5 meadow mice ~ Dover, Maine .....-.-- Mian 81890 ses youn | Me ee eee ea | Brewis mole, ‘ meadow mouse. Elk River, Minn....-. Fall, TSS eos eee 2 llecevah reteset ee ee | 3 meaduw mice - DOs aae eo eens SIP atapees na toto Oa eee be line Bees arch sin 5 meadow mice z aaa So E SumMMARY.—Of 9 stomachs examined, 1 contained a small bird; 7, mice; and 4, other mammals. RICHARDSON’S OWL. 159 RICHARDSON’S OWL. Nyctala tengmalmi richardson. Richardson’s Owl is a boreal species inhabiting North America from the limit of trees south to the northern tier of States. Itis merely a geo- eraphical race of Tengmalm’s Owl, which inhabits the pine belt of the northern portion of the Eastern Hemisphere. Although the lattey bird is said to breed in the Alps and Carpathians, it is accidental in the British Isles and is a rare winter visitant to Holland, Germany, and central Russia. It is extremely doubtful whether the American bird is ever other than a winter visitor within the limits of the United States. One or two specimens have been taken in winter as far south as Con- necticut and Rhode Island, and on the west coast it is very rare as far south as Oregon. From this it will be seen that it differs materially from the more arctic Snowy Owl, which occasionally extends south in winter as far as the central United States. The food, according to the published accounts, which are mostly gen- eral, consists of mice, insects, and smail birds. In the vicinity of Fort Simpson, Mr. Ross stated that it produced sad havoc among the flocks of linnets. Mr. H. W. Wheelwright in Scandinavia one night shot a female in full chase of a lemming on a frozen lake. Undoubtedly, like the other small Owls, it feeds largely on small rodents and insects, and when these are scarce depends on small birds for sustenance. It is common throughout northern Alaska wherever trees or large bushes occur to afford it shelter. It breeds in hollows of trees as well as in the deserted nests of other birds. It is very partial to the old holes of the pileated woodpecker (Ceophleus), which seem to be just the size and shape to suit its fancy. At the mouth of the Yukon, where there are no trees, Mr. E. W. Nelson says the eggs are deposited in old nests found in bushes. The eggs, which are from three to five in number, are deposited from the first of May to early in June, according to the latitude of the nesting ground. Richardson’s Owl is nocturnal in its habits, remaining quiet during the day in the thick foliage of the trees or bushes. In fact, its vision is appa- rently so affected by bright light that many specimens have been cap- tured alive by persons walking up and taking them in their hands. On this account the Eskimo in Alaska have given it the name of ‘ blind one.’ The song of this Owl, according to Dr. Merriam (Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. vir, 1882, p. 237), is a low, liquid note that resem- bles the sound produced by water slowly dropping from a height. DESCRIPTION. No ear-tufts; wings 6.50 inches (165™") or more; tail more than 4 inches (102™"); legs and feet usually buffy, more or less spotted with brown; feathers covering under base of tail, striped with brown. Length: 9 to 12 inches (228 to 305"™"); wing 6.60 to 7.40 inches (167 to 187"™); tail 4.10 to 4.70 inches (103 to 119™™), 160 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. SAW-WHET OWL. Nyctala acadica. The little Saw-whet, or Acadian Owl, inhabits temperate Canada and the northern United States, ranging south to about the thirty-ninth parallel in the east, and in the mountains to southern Mexico in the west. It breeds sparingly in Massachusetts and New York, and prob- ably in suitable localities all across the continent to Oregon, north of the forty-second parallel of latitude. Occasionally it wanders south in winter as far as the Carolinas and Kentucky. The food of this little Owl is composed almost entirely of mice, of which the wood-dwelling species seem to predominate. At times it attacks larger mammals, such as rats, half-grown red squirrels and chipmunks. The following, from Mr. George Lawrence Nicholas, is most extraordinary, as it hardly seems possible that so small a bird could swallow so large a morsel: “To-day, while hunting in a pine © 4 wood near this town [Summit, N. J.], I obtained an Acadian owl. Upon “dissecting it I found that its stomach contained a flying squirrel, which had been swallowed whole and but slightly digested.” (Forest and Stream, vol. x11, February 27, 1879, p. 67.) It rarely molests small birds, unless its favorite food—mice—for some reason, is scarce. Occasionally it feeds on scraps of raw or cooked meat, which it has been observed to pick up in the vicinity of camps, . — and in winter, in the north, it will feed on the carcasses of compara- tively large animals. Dr. Merriam mentions the following, which oc- curred at Point de Monts, Canada: “In winter Mr. Comeau once saw one of these little owls fly from within the carcass of a great northern hare that had been caught in a snare. The owl had eaten away the abdomen and was at work within the thoracic cavity when frightened — 4 away.” (Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. vir, 1882, p. 237.) It also feeds to some extent on insects of various kinds. Thus it will be seen that while the diminutive size of the Saw-whet limits its power of usefulness, its mode of life renders it a useful adjunct to the farmer, and, small though it be, yet in districts where it abounds the number of mice it annually destroys must be very large. Mr. Brewster gives an interesting account of the operation of dis- gorging the pellets which he observed in a young specimen in his pos- session: “The owl would gape several times, then the head would be violently shaken sideways, and finally the pellet, coated with mucous, would shoot forth, frequently falling several inches in front of the spot where the bird was sitting. After it was all over the little fellow assumed an expression of relief and contentment which was very comical.” (Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. vit, 1882, p. 24.) The following species of mammals were positively identified among the stomach contents: Arvicola riparius, Sitomys americanus, Sitomys a, sonoriensis, Sorex, and Mus musculus, a LA SAW-WHET OWL. 161 The eggs are generally deposited in the hollows of trees, the de- serted burrows of woodpeckers being the favorite place, though open nests are sometimes used for the purpose. Mr. W. Perham, of Tyngs- boro, Mass., was very successful in inducing this Owl to build in nests which he put up in different parts of the forest. These ‘nests’ were sections of hollow limbs closed at the ends, with an entrance hole made in the side. As a rule this species uses no other nesting material than the rotten chips found in the cavities, or such accidental material as has been dragged in by squirrels or mice. The number of eggs is from four to seven, and it would seem from Mr. Egbert Bagg’s experience in central New York, that the larger number is more common. They are usually deposited by the first week in April, at which time full sets are found. A set of eggs taken by Mr. Egbert Bagg on April 7, 1886, in Oneida County, N. Y., were in differ- ent stages of incubation, proving that the female had remained on the eges from the time the first egg was deposited. Unlike the little Sereech Owl, this species is very apt to leave the nesting cavity when the tree is shaken or jarred during the ascent to it. The species is not migratory, but is more or less of an irregular wan- derer in its search for food during the fall and winter. It may be quite common in a locality and then not be seen again for several years. Itis nocturnal, seldom moving about in the daytime, but passing the time in sleeping in some dark retreat. So soundly does it sleep that often times it may be captured alive, as in the following case cited by Mr. Ridgway: ‘“ But a single individual of this pretty littl Owl was met with; this one was captured alive by Mr. O. L. Palmer, of our party, who found it asleep and placed his hat over it. It was perched on the edge of an old Robin’s nest, in a dense willow thicket near camp.” (U.S. Geol. Explor. of the Fortieth Parallel, King, vel. Iv, 1877, p. 572.) During the day it frequents the thick evergreen woods, though some- times it is found in comparatively open groves, but always in dense trees. Mr. W. E. D. Scott found it common in scattered cedar groves at Princeton, N. J., in December 1878, when he obtained seventeen Specimens in two days; while in January, which was colder, he met with more in hollow trees. (Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. rv., 1879, p. 89.) In the Dead River region, Maine, on January 7, Mr. F. H. Car- penter found three sitting close together on a joist on a grain shed of a lumber camp. (Ornithologist and Oologist, vol. x1, 1886, p. 177). The mortality which sometimes occurs among this species in winter is difficult to account for. Specimens which show no signs of violence, though somewhat emaciated, are found on barn floors, under trees, or along fences. That cold has anything to do with killing this hardy little Owl is not to be supposed, for such accidents occur more often towards the southern limit of its range; and why should it starve in localities where food abounds, as about Washington, where most of the Specimens secured have been picked up dead? 7626—No, 3——11 162 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. _ This little Owl is mild and gentle in disposition while in captivity and makes an interesting pet. It will soon allow itself to be handled, and is particularly fond of having its head gently scratched. Although seldom known to hunt during the daytime, there are ex- ceptions, as in the case occurring near Washington, D.C., where Mr. J. D. Figgins killed a specimen which was feeding on a junco and sur- rounded by a mob of small birds. (Auk, vol. v1, 1889, p. 189.) The note of this species is peculiar and has a rasping character, resem. bling the sound made when a large-toothed saw is being filed; hence the name. It is more often heard during March and early April, though occasionally it is heard at other times of the year. The flight resembles that of the woodcock very closely, so much so in fact, that the writer once killed a specimen as it was flying over the alders, and not until the dog pointed the dead bird was he aware of his mistake. DESCRIPTION. Smallest Owl of the eastern United States; no ear tufts; wing less than 6 inches (152™™); tail less than 3.50 inches (88"™); above, brown, more or less spotted with white; beneath white, striped with reddish brown. Length: 7.25 to 8.50 inches (183 to 215™™); wing, 5.25 to 5.90 inches (133 to 149™™); tail, 2.80 to 3.25 inches (70 to 82™™). Table showing the results of examinations of 22 stomachs of the Saw-whet Owl (Nyctala acadica). Poultry Locality. Date. or game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. Taunton, Mass...--.-. | Dec. 11, 1885 |-------5--|----------------=- Mouse hair ---.-- Bast Hartford, Conn .-| Jan. 7,1887).---------|----------- apse White-footed mouse. Hillsboro, N. B.......- Octo eee tet e ceee cs per ae eee eer Mouse hair ..... Flatbush, N. Y.--.---.- NOV RS SSie esos eae a emeisneree eee cee House mouse ..- Locust Grove, INE Wess al eit Bie eee GRE GR Saloobeda tekcatsscess Meadow mouse - Sing Sing, N. Y--.----- aS PL SSbr eases esc Salles seeteceae a Aare 2210 test aaa District of Columbia .. Mian 2S 89 | eeaceo ner Sparrow. 222205. se eee pe ee ease INOWe DE IS894 Foe Poke scl eses cease Se 25-5 aan eee Empty. Deere cies Oi gece eale- cece meso ooe ee ceca cet eal eee 0. Story County, Towa... -| Dec. —, 1882 |----------|------------------ Mouse =22o eee PASO mere GOs. SSW We Se ae ewe cins aac cosebataagee OME 4 Do Bi is ee ea dieing fh se eee IL eee ee eee oliggos dO 242.2 WO eet ses one se: (BY ep eae hehe ll ace As Ae noe e oe Saemeos Sheol yrss doe Rensselaer County, N. | Jan. 31, IIS: ec oaaeacsaiacososreeaeesooee Mice. i228 Y. San Francisco, Moun- | June 12, 1887 |.-----..-.|------------------ Meadow mice, tain, Arizona. | white-footed mice. IDWS ageeneaaonlaare OVS eas ese e eietein- settee oe ern tear dO:. See ID Oe ee soremet aa. acts (ERE REE S| Seo so ascend Heanor agua eomeael 5 aet dO) eee 1D ayes Serene see as te OO leans ae SoG saeeellaasossncousegecoss| (Gast doses Saee New Haven, Conn..... Now? 14, W890}. 2 n2kk A. Heo ceed Sas kee edit rere re ohare Moth. Brookland, peek ey IDGEt2 1890) testes ssl Pena ee oo meine ae Meadow mouse - Horse Hill, N. J.-.----- Oct. 29, 1890 Ss Sabo cadenl Aaeoouecbase aeeoas Small shrew, w hite-footed mouse. Wilmington, Mass ....| Feb. 19, 1892 |.---.--.--|------------- Reese beaac Set abe... Sins Empty. SumMARY.—Of 22 stomachs examined, 17 contained mice; 1, a bird; 1, an insect; and 3 were empty. ’ ( a > Ornitholadsy No 3 Div Busll SCREECH OWL. | 163 SCREECH OWL. Megascops asio. {Plate 23—Red and gray phases.] The little Screech Owls are distributed over the temperate parts of the globe and are among the better known of the Owls. The Common Screech Owl is distributed throughout the whole of the United States and the southern portions of the British provinees. Itis separable into several geographic races, as is usual in species having such an extensive distribution. The typical form (Megascops asio) ranges from the eastern United States and the British provinces south to about the thirty-second parallel and west to the Great Plains. The Florida Screech Owl (Megascops asio floridanus) inhabits the Gulf States from Louisiana to Florida and extends north along the coast to South Carolina. The Texas Screech Owl (Megascops asio mecallii) is found in southern Texas and eastern Mexico southward to Guatemala. The Mexican Screech Owl (Megascops asio trichopsis) inhabits northwestern Mexico, Lower California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The California Screech Owl (Megascops asio bendirei) is limited to California. Kenni- cott’s Screech Owl (Megascops asio kennicottit) inhabits the Northwest coast, from Oregon to Sitka, and east to northern Montana.* The Rocky Mountain Screech Owl (Megascops asio maxwellie) is found in the Rocky Mountains, from Colorado to eastern Montana. Their food consists of a great variety of animal life, including mam- mals, birds, reptiles, batrachians, fish, crustaceans, and insects. At night-fall they begin their rounds, inspecting the vicinity of farm-houses, barns, and corncribs, making trips through the orchard and nurs- eries, gliding silently across the meadows or encircling the stacks of grain in search of mice and insects. Thousands upon thousands of mice of different kinds thus fall victims to their industry. Their economic relations therefore are of the greatest importance, particu- larly on account of the abundance of the species in many of the farm- ing districts, and whoever destroys them through ignorance or preju- dice should be severely condemned. Those who have rambled much in the country in the clear winter mornings must have noticed the tracks of mice which often form networks in the snow, crossing and recrossing, passing in and out of walls and stacks, or converging toward some choice bit of food—all tend- *Mr. William Brewster (Auk, vol. vii, 1891, pp. 140-144) divided this race into three subspecies. Typical kennicottii inhabiting the coast of Alaska from Sitka southward; macfarlanet, Fort Walla Walla, Washington, Hellgate, Montana, and probably the en- tire intermediate region, northward into the interior of British Columbia; and satura- tus, the shores and islands of Puget Sound, ranging southward along the coast to Salem, Oregon. In the same paper (on page 139), a new race, aikeni, is described from El] Paso County, Colorado. 164 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED “STATES. ing to show how active these little rodents are during the night, , aperiede : 2 5|-se-e eee lle ka. a SPIG\ Pe scitee eee HAN LSS, (Be. Se Sa ence eee co eae House mouse -.- ee TO Yo) Ss eee ae ears NOVO WSS7.[so se Sooo Se. eee eee Meadow mouse - > 1D aia Se eae ore DSH (Sal ee Spar Bes |e a eet em pais Meadow mouse, q house mouse. ee; 1b aa Ge eee SN OV L200 SBE IS SAR eae eee ae ee White-footed % mouse. ID oceeccsas-esd eee GOs. 222 o. |2es 550 oa); 22 22 ees Sa Empty Maes So ea hee WDECN2G S86 || 8 er eh |e eee Meadow mouse. WN Osseee ees Dee 10:1886:| 3 Fe cl ns eS ele eee Beetles. : = WG wee lk = ay G02 Soe ee se ee Empty. i 1 BGR es a aa ies Webs e188 7 ie soo oo ee co sane ce eee cee ee ce Indeterminate | + matter. ee 1G) Sa Aqg See Rees Ce) SR ET Gl See ae ee eee Se a A i House mouse .-.- % WO sease sho sues s Heb 1851 S80) aoe See sooo ee eel ee O64 MO eA Saree WO SESS ele erste | clean Ao oe eres he eee do: 3 eee WOR ss hc Cd te Pe ee C37 (0 cepts eam Soe Wane ape Wisbech e Us d02.22 3 eee { 1 WORSE os ones WECROISTS8G)| hn. eee a leraes Os Ea ba Mouse hair ..... P MDG pores eae Fi a 8 al 612 (i a me hoses ene Sates eae House mouse DOs essere Feb. 9, 1887 NEG via ey To: |e Trace insects. WMDs aig eee Heb: 10, 0880) sos 2 ee ok Empty MMOs eee ee Tan TRIES ipl aes oe ee eee ee Mouse hair ..... : 5 DO ee ee pees Web: T8875 .4 5: 2 SRS et ee ee Do. WOR. soe ee ore sune 2%, 1884) ss... nea hee a es oclee eee | Sete eee Insec.s Doge see ee: Jai. 58, USSD | sok eee sl Le ee | Do. 197i. - eee Jan. 6, W885 428 285. sale eee, See | ee Do. Dose sac see WEG els aISS6) per eeeseee English sparrow| Mice--........... DOR ie eae Novel (1S80 leeensee 222 Small sbird = 9-2 2ee dog. eeee WD OVae eee seen See Now. 22671 880i Se soe Sees eneaee = =. dO ee WOR ose sk Aare 2021876:|.. 2.55 cso loat wn ae other insects. if MG yee tee NE oe HO ABS IS aah SEL eee ae Small-bird --2224|- -2222 eee 32 locusts, 8 li other insects. 9 100; Sao Eee J une'—, 1868 |..4.. 2. 22/2 Ae cae eels: | eee 41 locusts, 22 4 Z other insects. 4 Malkota County, Nebr -|. July —, 1869)|. 2.2. a ee ae tse Mouse..-..-.--- 69 insects. i 10 Gs ae ee males anaes Aro? <= ISRO FES As Ge. cl ees es deed eae 2S done eee 38 insects. | Seward County, Nebr. Sept. paaie |:) eee Me CNR RS een an Se eS 67 insects. ; Nemaha County, Nebr. poept.—, 1874 [oe a ee 50 locusts, 16 other insects. wancaster,©O. Nebre-. | 0 ule — 1875) | aces oc once ee nes co tee see lea ee eee 49 locusts, 15 other insects. ra ONY coe sce o5 ane) 29. USSG eset English sparrow, Mice....-.....-. Wosee soos sss Jiansas0N1S886 fe asasee Feathers -o- = 2-2 Be eter Soe Horseheads, N. Y.-.--| Feb. 4,1886|---..--.-. English spartow|2--:=-=--e=- ees } Chemung, N. Y....... Nar! eiviSeGuii. 4 arabe oe ee oe ee Field mice. ...--. HiinaimayeNe Ne sees WUE Baa ESI is peek ee Re eee a Sie Mice .(?) See scene BARLOMM INE DY os os cs os FAI. Pa ERS false aoe JUWUNCOSo2 see Gn eee eee i} Wiaverky, N.Ve so... = Apr 15, 1886) 22225 2e Sos|- eh es oss eee | ee eee Insects i MOC AMR aie aac eece Gb rAe DLS S Gr ey eee eae | src oe en cer Miaic@scscacee see i Wellsboro, (Pao... 2: Oek: eS s1887: aa eo English sparrow]-2<- --.-2-2- eee | lmairan Ney sss. shee Oets 218862 ss2= se: Shere lark 223. see ee eee Bote) ere Outs i028 1g86)| sate tetas en Mice 25.2 Maen ones a, OGt2ap1S8 hse ze niglish sparrow|: =o) 25252s ee H Plate 26. Bull. No.3. Div. Ornithology is DWARF SCREECH OWL wegascops flammeolus idahoensis Merriam A.Haen & Co. Lithocaustic Baltimore. FLAMMULATED SCREECH OWL. IS Z Table showing the results of examinations of 254 stomachs of the Screech Owl (Megascops asio)—Continued. | Poultry . Locality. Date ‘or game| Other birds. | Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. | [os | | | Keokuk, lowa..-...--- |acs 14,0885) 72 lee Peo est Geeks House mouse - - Relient, Ns)... -...----- | Nov. 26, — feta nee see Rtere S SEA AT oes 1 white-footed | Grasshopper re- / mouse, 1 pine} mains. | | mouse. ol eee Dec. 1, 1890 | foe ee 2] Bats ghee Sees io, eee Sear gener Frog. meyer od... .-- WE Greraics ROO Ds eee ect e hoe a ee ae | Meadow mouse - Ui Sess ep espoeees WWEGH et SOO pemee a eer lsposce ssecc sent sse]|toeerssspebesnece | Empty. PPOHEEN el, 22-2. = Lima ees Ea CAD ero so 5-55 55S Mouse hair -..--. Do ae | Wels 16, 1891 |: 2... [setae eeeae oes = ies 2 eee ea aa je Tie BAIR GY BE ee Ee tet = eats Rene) Pan eereer Sandy § aS i eee LE Yer Ss Ss Foe Ee a Aeeeeers Ses cre gececes eee ta Al te aes tee ot Lancaster County, Pa.| oe Po fed keh?) Gl ae eee | Batohsineparraw |: <2. -- 22; 2,-2.5 | 5 cave crickets, | | beetle, 2 spi- ders. = WhGes eA lSOE tee cern ee Pon molNsit, Spare pons 2 boobs ats 8S rows. | Wines oo ee Wed ero8 RO MARIS) ieee 2 a aoe Ree capers ey aie Ian ee Empty. 13D ee ee laNOeel OF 1 SOL eo sp ee eee. cane hl oy ite ot House mouse ia s =). Rion Ob ASO late Wood rat ....-.. Scorpion a J58E eee Beetle. Z cae AL- SNOWY OWL. | 183 ~ are sometimes quite extensive migrations along the eastern seaboard. For instance, in the winter of 1876~77, in New England alone, Mr. Ruthven Deane knew of some 500 being seen, the majority of which were shot. (Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. 1, 1877, p. 10.) It appears in the United States sometimes as early as October and a few occasionally remain until May. At Point de Monts on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River it has been taken as late as May 31, though the specimen was probably a pensioner. During migration flights of these Owls are observed sometimes far out to sea. In the far north, lemmings and arvicoline mice furnish almost the exclusive food of this Owl in summer, but during the winter wander- ings, when these mammals are not always obtainable, it takes what food it can get, such as fish, hares, muskrats, squirrels, rats, ptarmigans, ducks, or even offal. From the following quotations it will be seen how universally this’ Owl depends on the lemmings for food: Lieut. (now Gen.) A. W. Greely says: “Our observations agree with that officer {Maj. Feilden] to the effect that the food of this bird seems to consist entirely of the lemming.” (Three Years of Arctic Service, vol. 11, 1886, p. 381.) Mr. Henry Seebohm says: “The lemming forms the Snowy Owl’s chief food in the Far North, the range of both mammal and bird being generally the same; but other small rodents are taken, and it will sometimes attack Ptarmigan and Willow Grouse, or even the arctic hare. It is said occasionally to feed on fish.” (Hist. British Birds, vol. 1, 1883, p. 181.) Mr. John Murdoch says: “Its abundance in the spring and summer near the coast appears to depend on the presence or absence of its fa- vorite food, the lemming, as has been noted elsewhere by Mr. Nelson. During the season of 1882 we saw no lemmings, though signs of their. presence in the shape of droppings, and their skulls and skeletons in the owls’ castings, were numerous all over the tundra. During that - season we saw but few owls. On the other hand, in 1883, lemming's were exceedingly plenty all around the station and owls were pro- portionately abundant; scarcely a day passed without one or more being seen sitting on the tundra, generally on the top of a bank or small knoll, on the lookout for lemmings.” (Expedition to Point Bar- row, Alaska, 1885, p. 107.) Of the ten or twelvespecimens which Dr. Leonhard Stejneger secured on Bering Island all except one contained the remains of arvicoline mice. The largest number found in the stomach of one individual was six, but in another the stomach was spoken of as ‘crammed with arvi- cole,’ so that probably it contained at least ten or fifteen mice. The extent of the dependence of this Owl upon mice is shown by a. very interesting fact relative to the recent increase of the Owl on Bering Island, which the latter author records. Prior to 1870 there were no vy oP, ee ae 184 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. mice, and very few Owls ever visited the island. About this date the house mouse (Mus musculus) was introduced from ships and the Red- backed Mouse (Evotomys rutilus) in some unknown way. Twelve years afterwards he found the island swarming with mice and an abundance of resident Owls, affording a striking demonstration of the perfect workings of nature, for with the undue increase of any one species there occurs a corresponding increase of its natural enemies. Dr. Stejneger says: “‘From * * * the contents of the stomachs, it would seem as if Arvicola was almost their only food. But it is only fair to state that I have seen this owl chase sea ducks, especially His- trionicus histrionicus out at the reef, very much in the same manner as does the falcon.” (Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., No. 29, 1885, p. 223.) Mr. Thomas Mcllraith, in ‘The Birds of Ontario,’ mentions one which made several attempts to capture a wounded duck, in which effort it probably would have succeeded had it not itself been killed. On the Mackenzie River, Richardson relates that one of the Owls was seen to fly over a cliff and carry off a full-fledged Duck Hawk in its claws, with which it alighted on the opposite bank of the river. The parent Hawk followed, uttering loud screams, and darting down struck the Owl, killing it instantly. Wilson and Audubon, who knew the bird only during its short winter visits, speak of its food as follows: Wilson says: ‘‘The usual food of this species is said to be hares, grouse, rabbits, ducks, mice, and even carrion. * * * JI met with ~ this bird on Oswego River, New York State, a little below the Falls,. vigilantly watching for fish.” While according to Audubon, “Its usual food, while it remains with us, consists of hares, squirrels, rats, and 2 fishes, portions of all of which I have found in its stomach. * * * In one of them I found the whole of a large brown rat, in pieces of con- siderable size, the head and tail almost entire.” = Although most of the Owls will occasionally eat fish, this species seems to be especially fond of them, and when kept in confinement will eat them in preference to anything else except mice. Audubon de- scribes the manner in which it catches fish, being an eye witness to the occurrence several times, and the following is what he says: “At ) the break of day one morning, when I lay hidden in a pile of floated — logs atthe Fallsof the Ohio, waiting for a shot at some wild geese, [had an opportunity of seeing this owl secure fish in the following manner: While watching for their prey on the borders of the pots, they invari- ably lay flat on the rock, with the body placed lengthwise along the border of the hole, the head also laid down, but turned towards the water. One might have supposed the bird sound asleep, as it would re- main in the same position until a good opportunity of securing a fish occurred, which I believe was never missed; for as the latter unwit- tingly rose to the surface near the edge, that instant the owl thrust out the foot next the water, and, with the quickness of lightning, seized it and drew it out. The owl then removed to the distance of a few SNOWY OWL. 185 yards, devoured its prey, and returned to the same hole; or, if it had not perceived any more fish, flew only a few yards over the many pots there, marked a likely one, and alighted at adistance from it. It then squatted, moved slowly towards the edge, and lay as before, watching for an opportunity. Whenever a fish of any size was hooked, as I may say, the owl struck the other foot also into it, and flew off with it to a considerable distance.” (Ornith. Biography, vol. 11, p. 136.) The three specimens examined by Dr. B. H. Warren contained re- spectively the remains of a rabbit, of a rat, and offal. The economic value of the Snowy Owl is limited, owing to the fact that it chiefly inhabits inhospitable regions where agriculture is im- possible. Nevertheless, large numbers occasionally visit Canada and the United States, and it can not be doubted that during these visits its service to the agriculturist is beneficial. Mice and lemmings ap- pear to be its chiet dependence, and it takes them to the exclusion of all other food whenever it can get them. The number of useful birds it destroys is quite disproportionate to the number of injurious rodents to be credited to its account, and it is to be regretted that the snowy plumage of the bird and its showy appearance render it an object of pursuit for ornamental purposes. ? The following species of mammals and birds were positively identi- fied among the stomach contents: MAMMALS. : BIRDS. Arvicola riparius. Colymbus auritus. Mus decumanus. Colymbus holbellii. Sitomy samericanus. Simorhynchus pusillus. Lepus sylvaticus. Larus philadelphia. Merganser. Tympanuchus americanus. The breeding range of this Owl extends from the limit ef trees north to a point beyond that reached by any explorer. Maj. Fielden saw it in Grinnell Land at latitude 82° 40’, and Lieut. (now Gen.) A.W. Greely states that it bred abundantly in the vicinity of Fort Conger, latitude 81° 44’. It is resident through the northern part of Alaska, both on the islands and mainland. McFarlane did not find its nest at Fort Anderson, but it probably breeds in suitable localities in the interior south of that place, for it is reported as breeding in northern Labrador and Newfoundland. In exceptional cases, where it has been found breeding as far south as the latter places, the elevation of the locality compensates for the low latitude. The eggs are deposited from the middle of May to the latter part of June, according to whether the locality is in the southern or northern part of the range, though Gen. Greely found eggs by May 25, and young as early as July 8. The number of eggs in a set varies from five to ten, and are deposited at intervals, so that when the last bird breaks the shell the oldest one is often nearly ready to fly. rl Ie area conewee ih Suite ee ne ee pe ae te 186 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED eee ee The situation of the nest, if the few feathers, lichens, or moss com. posing it may be called a nest, is on some knoll slightly elevated above the surrounding country and usually occupies a slight depression in the ground. During the time the female is setting the male keeps guard and drives off any intruder, at times attacking even human beings. It the duty of the male to procure the food for the young, and the female apportions it amoung the family. | The bird is naturally very gentle in disposition and soon becomes tame in confinement. It has been taught to remain in the vicinity of its home and return to its master at the sound of a whistle. In the open country it is shy and very difficult to approach, though it is said to be less so in the wooded districts. The natives frequently decoy the bird near enough to shoot by attaching a bit of fur to the end of a string and allowing it to trail behind them as they walk; the Owl, thinking it a mouse, flies down to seize it, when the hunter turns around and shoots the bird. The Snowy Owl is diurnal in its habits, but like most birds is more active in search of prey during the early morning and again toward © dusk. Like many of the Hawks, it occupies a commanding perch for hours, watching what is going on about it, occasionally varying the monotony by dropping on a mouse or launching out over the broad country, soon to return to its perch. During its southern wanderings itis very partial to localities in the vicinity of water, especially the barren sand wastes along the seashore or extensive marshy flats border- ing the bays and rivers. Dr. William Wood states that he once knew one of these Owls to hide = in a hollow apple-tree stub to escape the annoyance caused by a mob of crows following him, which ruse accomplished the desired result. The flesh is light colored, somewhat resembling that of the chicken in appearance, and is very much relished by the Eskimo hunters. Thus this bird, unlike its congeners, has some value to humanity as a food. The flight is firm, smooth, and noiseless, and may be long protracted. It is capable of rapid flight, and, according to Audubon, is able to capture ducks, pigeons, and even grouse on the wing, striking them down after the manner of the duck hawk. DESCRIPTION. Bar tufts rudimentary. Plumage pure white, sometimes almost un- spotted, but usually marked more or less with transverse ue or bars of slaty brown. Length: 20 to 27 inches (508 to 685™™); extent, 59 to 62.50 inches (1500 to 1588"™); wing, 15.50 to 18.75 inches ee to 476™™) ; tail, 9 to 10.30 inches (229 to 262™™), . y - ft j ’ 3 b: i : PLR TE. ee VOOR, Ee Po ae Sis ee eR ORE ONY BR at ey. HAWK OWL. 187 ; of examinations of 38 stomachs of the Snowy Owl. (Nyciea nyctea.) Poultry | | or game | Other birds. Mammals. | Miscellaneous. birds. Washington, D. C..--. | Nov. 11, 1885.|--2-..:--.- | neeiae Settee 22S sacl Wee scar eee eee Empty. Portia, Conn See cis Nov. 20, iki | eee se ba oA ee Pai ote a Mn mat ees | Do. Keokuk, a Wec.sr 6.1886: | CE PAELe: |e 22540 5 eee ae Meadow mouse . i en. ! qocknort, Le a de cee CCL ene ects Een Sinn ee ered 8.04 a= - CARES SE See Gee Se es rte sees clatter ern See oe ieee ee Do. Chester ' Pannen ye | Decr 14-1886) 5-35 2252.) a2 Sekerce anaes aes House rat....... | 2 ie EVE PE oad (1 le RE pee a a ape Ra ed 3 white footed mice. Winnipeg, Manitoba ES. —, 1889 4 i at pales emis aaa Meadow mouse ue lo ee oe TDi ae a aE ea CW AERNETS os re Slam eco reece ee Lm. -- cS S855 ee) Eee SE aeons Ce eee Mentherg. Sey beac aie tia >... =e ae WOis eae ae ee eS. Oak cia ose 2 meadow mice, white-footed mouse. Tp iS 2 eae Eee dose fe Seo Ue oes Small finch ..... Meadow mouse, white-footed | MOUSE =. 1o 1 230 See eee See OW Sana gone ck Me cee ed oae owe 14 white-footed | mice, 3 mead- ow mice. Sac County, Iowa..-..- PURER R br teica ria 2 Ac | Res as seek cewek ee Mouse ..---..--- enue wewa-. | Pep. 7, 1882 |22.....-2.)s.--..----..------ Rap bites eee Matinicus Isle, Me....| Dec. 15,1886 |.......... Laree: bind eos 2) ss eee ge eee ea Ly cat OSes See GUO eee eaten es fee ne Uae Aenea seracie eee we Fee Do. Pee tengton County, | Feb. 25, 1887 | es etal ene as lara rin|e aac owe ees een oe Do. Toronto Island, On- | Dec. 28, 1889 | Bee Siete Bonaparte’s gull | Rat.---. 2522-522 rio. . DO casa PG GReUI NSO ha encore eC ot eck Rea hoe som: dOs2 Seen 3 ii. eee PAD GGR ISS Ob ae noe te Sh ar en ey eee ae dese ae t= Gee IS8G ase Se lees ec te ees 6:23. 5502 J eM Sera ees oe a Suse = yan Ste W hite-footed mouse, 2 | meadow mice. - eee nib N- Y-_| Nov. 25,1889 |... --_ 2.2.2.2 ees ene Meadow mouse .- Huntington, N. Y.---.. [EB eros Uy Gia Rett La aera Horned prehe= <2 ease no ae eermommremae Nene (Nec. 12" 98e9 |. 226.52 | on os eben olen we eee ete anode: Do. ence isiand.N~ Y= .-.| Dee. 1, 1875.)..-.-...-: IN GANG RS petro Ses See eee Garden City, Long Is- } Oct. Beh S oe Se 52 2S ene eS es ap Do. land, N Vermillion, Clay | Nov. 18, 1889 | 5 eee ae ae eats ree ss W hite- footed | pocaty, S. Dak. mouse. a EUR ead eee hte aoe a NET ord Ps ie nee eee N, FLA eee Bee DetGOU or ae | SUS Oe aeee Lanier ie ecli Apiaer? rat ae | Do. ese BY eee Carlo SERS Oi seers. | bet ee ee he Rabbitis.. ss-.22 2 Montauk Point, N. Y.. Dee ASAO4 SS iatse | Red-necked | 5 meadow mice..| grebe. | 2 = Se Rees Bee doe ass eae see | Roem Re none to cee © pie fe Eo acees Do. Me 2. 5.--|---- Ree ese id ese SS 8 meadow mice... % 2 Feb. 28, 1301 mere e eee py wens Se Corea Meadow mouse.) St. Paul Island, Ber- | June 13,1890 .........- Heastanlsleiole 32-25. 2s ee ing Sea. Portland, Mewn® << SS. Dee. 12, 1890 | Rar cpm Rae |e n oe eC ae ees ane Do. SUMMARY.—Of 38 stomachs examined, 2 2 contained game birds; 9, other birds; 18, mice; 2, other mammals, and 12 were empty. ; HAWK OWL. Surnia ulula caparoch. The typical form of the Hawk Owl inhabits the northern portions of the eastern hemisphere from Scandinavia to Kamtschatka, and occurs accidentally in western Alaska. Some authors consider the northern Siberian bird to be separable under the name of Surnia u. doliata. The American_bird (Surnia u. caparoch), which is merely a geograph. ical race of the Old World species, inhabits the northern part of North America from Alaska and the central forest regions to N ewfoundland, Bi, 0) LS ae 188 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. # \ straggling south in winter to the northern United States, and rarely to iy the British Isles. Some winters it is quite common in Nova Scotia and + hes es in the vicinity of Quebec and Montreal, in Manitoba and northern ~ Maine; south of these points it is merely accidental. The food of this Owl varies considerably at different times of the year. In summer it feeds on the smaller mammals, such as mice, lemmings, and ground squirrels as well as insects of various kinds, while in winter, when the snow is deep and its favorite food is hidden, it follows the large flocks of ptarmigans and subsists on them. Dr. Dall seldom found anything but mice in the crops of those he dissected in Alaska, and the following from Dr. Coues mentions the same food: “It feeds chiefly upon the field mice (Arvicole) which swarm in the sphagnous vegeta- tion of arctic lands; also upon small birds, grasshoppers, and other insects.” (Birds of the Northwest, 1874, p. 312). Dr. C. Hart Merriam, in speaking of its winter food, says: “In the vicinity of Hudson Bay during the winter season, the White Ptarmi- gan (Lagopus albus) constitutes its chief article of diet; and it is said to follow the hunter, pouncing upon his game before he has time to reach it.” (Review of Birds of Conn., 1877, p. 73.) | Mr. Henry Seebohm speaks of its food as follows: ‘The principal food of the Hawk Owl is mice and lemmings; and the bird follows the migratory parties of the last-named little mammal to prey upon them. From its indomitable spirit, however, few birds of the forest are safe from its attack. In addition to the smaller birds which it captures, | Wheelwright mentions the fact that he has seen the Hawk Owl strike down the Siberian Jay, and has also disturbed it feeding on an old Willow Grouse. The same naturalist has also taken insects from its stomach.” (Hist. British Birds, vol. 1, 1883, p. 184.) : It is said to breed in northern Maine; hut if this be true, it must be a very exceptional or accidental occurrence. The true home of the species is from Newfoundland, Labrador, and northern Manitoba, north- ward through the evergreen forests to their limit in the Arctic Circle, the bird being more abundant toward the far north. This Owl begins to deposit eggs, even in the far North, as early as the Ist of April; Mr. McFarlane found a nest containing six eggs in the Anderson River region April 28. Some individuals have eggs in latter part of June. The eggs may be placed indifferently in cavities of trees, in old nests among the branches, which are relined with moss and feathers, or more rarely among the inequalities in the face of cliffs. When the eggs are deposited in old woodpecker burrows or natural cavities, no nesting material is used other than the chips and powdered wood at the bottom ofthe cavity. The number of eggs vary from four to eight and, asis the case with many other Owls, the parent begins to set aS soon as the first egg is laid; thus each egg is in a different stage of incubation. Both birds take part in the duties of rearing the young, and while the femaleis covering the eggs the male is near by to defend i ae es SS Nee kas Sees | Bulle No 3S Spiv. Ornitholos BURROWING OWL. 189 ‘the home. After the young leave the nest the family generally remain together until the following spring. : The species is tame and unsuspicious and may be approached easily without being alarmed; in fact, specimens have been known to return to the same perch after being shot at two or three times. It is a courage- ous bird and will defend its nest against all intruders. A male once dashed at Dr. Dall and knocked off his hat as he was climbing to the nest; other similar accounts show that the courage displayed on this occasion was not an individual freak, but a common trait of the species. The Hawk Ow] is strictly diurnal, as much so asany of the Hawks, and like some of them often selects a tall stub or dead-topped tree in a comparatively open place for a perch, where it sits in the bright sun- light watching for its prey. Although the flight is swift and hawk-like, it has nevertheless the soft, noiseless character common to the other Owls, when starting from any high place, such as the top of a tree, it usually pitches down nearly to the ground, and flies off rapidly above the tops of the bushes or high erass, abruptly arising again as it seeks another perch. The note is a shrill cry which is uttered generally while the bird is on the wing. DESCRIPTION. No ear tufts; tail rounded at tips, and indistinctly barred with white. Top of head and back of neck spotted with white and black, or dark brown; a patch of uniform blackish or dark brown on each side of . hind neck. Upper parts brown more or less spotted with white; lower parts regularly barred with brown. Length: 14.75 to 17.50 inches (375 to 445™™); extent, 31 to 33 inches (787 to 838™™); wing, 7.50 to 9 inches (190 to 228"™); tail, 6.80 to 7 inches (172 to 178™™). Table showing the result of an examination of 1 stomach of the Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula caparoch). Poultry Date. or game | Locality. Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. | a Quebec, Canada ...-..-. | Weis, IAA eeeee ea se | 5 eae des na tear es | Meadow MOUS6 21>. . 22sec chee neo see | BURROWING OWL, Speotyto cunicularia hypogea. [Plate 25—Adult.} The genus to which the Burrowing Owl belongs is peculiar to Amer- ica, and, although it includes but one species, the latter is divided into several geographical races, which are distributed over a considerable expanse of territory. The typical form (Speotyto cunicularia) is found in St SSS ears ¢. guadeloupensis is found on the islands of Guadeloupe and Nevis, 190 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES, Ben southern South America, inhabiting the Argentine Republic, Chile» Paraguay, and probablys outhern Brazil. The North American form (Speotyto c. hypogea) inhabits the plains region of the western part of the continent from British Columbia south to Guatemala, and east to Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Indian Territory, and Texas. An isolated race (Speotyto c. floridana) inhabits Florida and the adjacent Bahama Islands. Several insular races inhabit the West Indies, where Speotyto Speotyto c. dominicensis on Santo Domingo, and Speotyto c. amaura on Antigua. Except in the northern part of its range, where it is migratory in win- ter, the species is resident wherever found. Capt. Bendire states that at Fort Walla Walla, Washington, it returns in spring, about the middleof March, the males, as with other species, coming first. The many state- ments made respecting its supposed habit of hibernation prove to be incorrect, as numbers of careful observers have shown their falsity. Its habit is to forage in calm weather and to collect and store enough food to last through a stormy spell, when it stays in the burrow; it is this latter fact that has given rise to the erroneous idea that it hibernates. In early twilight, when in search of food, this Owl may be seen _ hovering in the air after the manner of the Sparrow Hawk, and drop- ping on its prey when it is discovered. . This species not only appropriates the burrows of the prairie dog and ground squirrel for its home, but also feeds upon the young of the’ former as well as the adult and young of the latter. That it will kill — and eat the larger species of spermophiles has been clearly demonstrated. by Capt. Bendire, and the following is an account of his experiment: “In this vicinity |Walla Walla] these owls seem to live to a great extent on that pest of the farmer, Townsend’s Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus richardsoni townsendii Allen), which would be much more destructive if not kept down by these owls. In order to satisfy myself that they were actually able to kill adult squirrels, I trapped several and placed them alive (they had been caught in a wire trap and were not at all injured) in a room with a pair of these owls. As soon as noticed by the latter one of them would fasten its talons into the squirrel’s back, and with a few well-directed strokes of its beak, break the vertebre of the neck and eat the head of the squirrel, often before the latter was quite dead; yet the remainder of the body was usually left and devoured later. I was surprised to see how easily they killed these squirrels, which made scarcely any resistance. Aside from these, their diet seems to consist of different species of mice, pocket gophers, as well as of crickets, grasshoppers, and occasionally even of fish. Itis astonishing how much one of these owls will eat in a day, amounting often to considerably more than their own weight.” (Ornithologist and Oologist, vol. v1, 1881, pp. 41, 42.) Almost all species of mice which are common where the Owl abounds | furnish at certain times of the year a considerable proportion of its = Rist Ae * a a UL PR eae 2, Tee Pe dae Rad tilt al Pet restore eek | iasee st el ini a ed = ry RAN te ees SEA rege li i i St Ri Ue Ko yaar) ie Soke ar’ ve 6p ea * \ BURROWING OWL. 3 191 ” food. Nearly all authors who mention its food enumerate mice as more ___ often found in the stomachs examined than any other kind. Dr. Agersborg gives the following relating to its food habits in southeastern Dakota in winter: ‘In the winter as many as twenty of these birds may be found nestling together in one hole. They are always at such times abundantly supplied with food. I have found - at one time forty-three mice and several shore larks scattered along the run to their common apartment. They forage in fine weather and retreat to their dirty adobes when cold weather threatens.” (Auk, vol. “I, 1885, p. 284.) This is one of the few instances in which it has been found to have killed birds, though the rigors of a Dakota winter, with the ac- companying difficulty in procuring its favorite food, might be accepted as a partial excuse. Not so the case recorded by William Lloyd from western Texas, where the remains of Bell’s vireo, savanna sparrow, and other birds were found in their holes. (Auk, vol. Iv, 1887, p. 190.) Mr. Ridgway, Capt. Bendire, and others have found frogs in its burrows among other articles of food. In the case cited by Mr. Ridgway it was a love offering from the male to his mate, and must have been her favor- ite tidbit, if we may reason from analogy. Both Dr. Coues and Prof. Aughey report finding the remains of lizards among the stomach con- tents, so that probably, when available, any of the smaller reptiles or batrachians are taken. It is not unlikely that small rattlesnakes are sometimes eaten by this bird. The following, from Mr. C. S. Canfield, shows at any rate that it is fond of snakes: ‘In the passage leading to the nest there were small scraps of dead animals, such as pieces of the skin of the antelope, half dried and half putrefied, the skin of the coyote, etc.; and near the nest were the remains of a snake that I had killed two days betore, a large Coluber (?) two feet long. The birds had begun at the snake’s head, and had picked off the flesh clean from the vertebre and ribs for about one-half of its length; the other half of the snake was entire.” (American Nat., 11, 1869, p. 585.) In this connection an incident observed by Mr. H. W. Henshaw will be interesting. While on the Tulare plains, in southern California, he saw one of these Owls attack, with every demonstration of hate, a large bull snake (Pitwophis). The snake was making its way slowly from one hole to another when the bird spied it. Immediately it rose into the air and, swooping down, made a feint as if to seize the reptile in its talons, swerving off, however, when within afoot or so. The snake apparently was more annoyed than frightened, but as rapidly as possi- ble made its way out of the uncomfortable neighborhood. In this in-- stance, at least, the attack by the Owl seems to have been actuated through fear of a hated enemy rather than by any hope of making it a prey; it may be doubted if the strength and courage of the Burrowing Owl are sufficient to enable it cope with a snake of any considerable size. In the summer and fall, when grasshoppers and crickets are exceed- 192 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. . ingly abundant on the Western plains, the Burrowing Owl feeds al- most exclusively on such food. Like the Sparrow Hawk. and even others of the larger diurnal birds of prey, this little Owl will chase and devour grasshoppers until its stomach is distended to the utmost. In all the stomachs the writer has examined, which were collected mainly in Dakota and Nebraska, the remains of grasshoppers or crickets were always found. Prof. Aughey, whose investigations were carried on during the season when these insects were most abundant, found that the larger proportion of the stomach contents consisted of their remains. Beetles, dragon-flies, and the larve of various kinds of insects are eaten occa- sionally by this species. William Lloyd writes that in several specimens dissected at Paint Rock, Tex., remains of myriapods were found. Other cases have come to our notice where it was seen feeding on scorpions and centipeds. A gentleman in Arizona found a pile of fragments of scorpions on the corner of the roof where a Burrowing Owl habitually carried its prey to devour it. The writer found a number of molecricket scorpions (Datames sulfur- cus) in the stomach of a Burrowing Owl secured in Walker Pass, Cal. It will thus be seen that there is good reason for the almost universal belief in the beneficial habits of the Burrowing Owl. It destroys immense numbers of noxious insects, mice, ground squirrels, as well as scorpions and centipeds, and rarely molests the smaller insectivor- ous birds. There would seem to be no excuse for a failure to effectually protect it by law. Bounties offered for Hawks and Owls, however, often result in the destruction of great numbers of this species, so valuable to the agriculturists. More shameful still is the fact that it has been slaughtered and sold for millinery purposes. Mr. Clark P. Streator informs us that in the year 1887 E. F. Lor- quin, of San Francisco, Cal., received for millinery purposes, 500 Bur- rowing Owls and 1,000 specimens of other species of Owls and Hawks, besides hundreds of other birds. The Burrowing Owl is terrestrial, inhabiting the treeless, grassy plains and deserts, dwelling in the abandoned burrows of various spe- cies of mammals as well as those of the land tortoises and larger lizards. Among the mammals whose deserted burrows are used by this: bird may be mentioned prairie dogs, spermophiles, woodchucks, viscachas (South America), wolves, foxes, badgers, skunks, and armadillos. It will be seen from this extensive list that the Owl seldom wants for a home, as one or more of the above species are found in some part of its range. Vari- ous authors have stated that the bird sometimes excavates a burrow for itself, but there is no ground for the statement, for in no instance has it been observed in the work of excavation. It does not even share the habit of the rodents, which, after severe showers, carry out and place beyond the entrance of the burrow the loose earth which has washed in. ~ ~ BURROWING OWL. 193 This species is strictly crepuscular and diurnal, and it possesses as keen vision and acute hearing as any of the Hawks. Itis frequently in “motion on the brighest days, capturing its prey or evading its pursuer with the greatest ease. Except in the breeding season it probably feeds more in eariy twilight than at other times. In many localities it is nearly impossible to approach within gun range, even where there is more or less shrubbery to conceal the collector, the noise which is neces- sarily made being sufficient to warn the bird of its danger. On the pam- pas in South America, according to W. B. Barrows (Standard Natural History), it is more nocturnal and does not feed or even move around much during the day. It generally remained a short distance inside the entrance of its burrow or sat on some low bush or mound. Neither was it difficult to approach in the daytime nor would it fly unless the in- truder passed in close proximity. Inthe evening it was much more wary and would fly at the slightest noise, at the same time repeating its alarm note, which also warned the viscachas of danger. The alarm note, or note of rage, is a rattling, hissing sound which, according to Capt. Ben- dire, closely resembles that made by the rattlesnake. The love notes of this Owl are peculiar and do not resemble those of any other species. They are produced in early twilight, not while the bird is on the wing but while it sits near the hole, and are repeated rather regularly for an hour or more. _ Nathaniel H. Bishop likens the note to the sound produced by a frog; Dr. Coues states that the notes are curiously similar to those of the cuckoo, so much so that more than one observer has been deceived; and Capt. Bendire says they resemble those of the European cuckoo. The first observation refers to the South American species, while the last two are based on notes from the Western plains, which may account in part for the different interpretation of the sound. The flight is rather laborious, irregular, and somewhat jerky, and is seldom of long duration. The bird rarely rises high in the air, but passes noiselessly along the ground, and when alighting drops very much after the manner of the woodcock. As a rule, when approached, instead of diving into and retreating to the far end of the burrow, it takes wing to some neighboring mound, from which it will watch the intruder. If wounded, it will scramble into a hole, from which it is difficult to retrieve. If approached gradually, and when at some distance, it will go through a series of curious and ludicrous antics. Its actions suggest those of a young chick which stands for the first time before a brother combatant. It will make a low and profound bow, so that the throat nearly touches the ground; then it stands motionless bolt upright for a moment, with head thrown forward; then come a series of side movements of the head, interspersed with bowing and nod- ding, with now and then a complete facing to one side or the other. The peculiar combination of long legs, short tail, and round, compact head adds considerably to the grotesqueness of the pantomime. 74626—No..3 13 H i = —--- ——_—_- oo a a ee —— a _— —— = ert rm = ae Set Sn a > < Se bene aiephe PGES TES EE Salo es hes PAS a aed wor o prairie dog, Owl, and rattlesnake, some of which are unequaled among — fairy tales. The whole story is ably told by Dr. Coues in the ‘Birds of the Northwest.’ After giving a rather exaggerated account of the re- lations existing between the reptile, mammal, and bird, according to the views of some, he then explains exactly fo matters stand 1 in the colony. The following is his account: ‘The case is further complicated by the introduction of flee: rattle- snakes; and no little pure bosh is in type respecting the harmonious and confidential relations imagined to subsist between the trio, which, like the ‘happy family’ of Barnum, lead Utopian existences. Accord- ing to the dense bathos of such nursery tales, in this underground Elysium the snakes give their rattles to the puppies to play with, the old dogs cuddle the Owlets, and farm out their own litters to the grave and careful birds; when an Owl and a dog come home, paw-in-wing, they are often mistaken by their respective progeny, the little dogs nosing the Owls in search of the maternal font and the old dogs left to wonder why the baby Owls will not nurse. It is a pity to spoil a good or" a id e) ‘ H fi # Ae oo mt ¥ he r ma ; oem x Wis 4 te. - oo ee LOS UMGN Rs ty Se eal rea ae Nene te ee Re ene Tee Y story for the sake of a few facts, but, as the case stands, it would be _ well for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to takeit up. First, as to the reptiles, it may be observed that they are, like other rattlesnakes, dangerous, venomous creatures; they have no busi- ness in the burrows, and are after no good when they do enter. They — wriggle into the holes, partly because there is no other place for them - to crawl into on the bare, flat plain, and partly in search of Owls’eggs, — Owlets, and puppies to eat. Next, the Owls themselves are simply at- tracted to the villages of the prairie dogs as the most convenient places for shelter and nidification, where they find eligible ready-made burrows and are spared the trouble of digging for themselves. Com- munity of interest makes them gregarious to an extent unusual among rapacious birds; while the exigencies of life on the plains cast their lot with the rodents. That the Owls live at ease in the settlement and on familiar terms with their four-footed neighbors is an undoubted fact; but that they inhabit the same burrows or have any intimate domestic relations, is quite another thing. It is ro proof that the quadruped — and the birds live together that they are often seen to scuttle at each other’s heels into the same hole when alarmed; for in such case the two simply seek the nearest shelter, independently of each other. The probability is that young dogs often furnish a meal to the Owls, and that, in return, the latter are often robbed of their eggs; while certainly the young of both and the Owls’ eggs are eaten by the snakes.” (p. 324.) The first two weeks in April, earlier or later, according to latitude, is the usual time for this species to begin to deposit its eggs. Capt. Bendire thinks that the period of incubation is about three weeks, and that both birds assist in hatching the eggs. The young Owls make their appearance at the mouth of the hole in the latter part of May. , VS ited yeh Ei ats Mina i ee ETS | a Ne ae Pee pee wie Mind gin Pak bak at eres] eee CHS BURROWING OWL. 195 : _ The eggs are usually five to eight in number, though sets of eleven have 2 been taken. When a nest exists, for the eggs are sometimes placed on thebare earth, itis usually composed of a small quantity of grass or finely broken cow or horse dung, and is situated at the end of the burrow in The distance from the entrance of a somewhat enlarged chamber. course depends on the individual burrows, which vary from 4 to 10 feet in length. A nest which Mr. Ridgway dug out, was situated 8 feet from _ the entrance and 4 teet below the surface. Fortieth Paral., King, vol. Iv, 1877, p. 574.) - DESCRIPTION. (U.S. Geol. Explor. of the - Lower leg more than twice as long as middle toe and about half as long as tail. Above, earthy brown, with buffy spotting and barring. Below, ground color, distinctly buffy, feathers covering base of lower surface of tail unspotted. Length: 9 to11 inches (228 to 280™™); extent, 22.50 to 23.50 inches (572 to 597™™); wing, 5.80 to 7.20 iuches (147 to 183™™); tail, 3.15 to 3.50 inches (80 to 89™™), Table showing the results of examinations of 32 stomachs of the Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia hypogaea). Poultry | or game birds Locality. Date. Fort Buford, N. Dak --.| Sept. 29, 1887 | Wayne County, Nebr. June —, 1868 | 100 eee ECON Sease Pierce County, Nebr Raosssse st WOne ere ee cece ee) eo Ovo sae LD lee ees ieee Moree Wayne County, Nebr-| July —, 1869 Sydney, Cheyenne | June—, 1875 County, Nebr. _-—_ Sept. —, 1876 qe oe COCS aoe araee dose ek Woodland, Cal....-.-.- May 24, 1886 Pierre, S.Dak....---.. | May 21, 1888 =bSeqq0uSuSsEe as 30, 1888 Reeder, Penge : July —, 1888 Cheyenne, Wyo......- | Aug. 21, 1888 Other birds. Dae 6 Se Aug. 23, 1888 WO ro sass ecue les oe dorsi: Phenix, Ariz. ..----. May 7, 1889 JS? eee May 9, 1889 Albuquerque, N. Mex.| July 16, 1889 !.......... Big Butte, Idaho...... July 18, 1890 | DeWRIO TeX 222-225 55. Jan. 31, 1890 Verde Valley, Aviz....| Aug. 6, 1884 wee ene eee eee eee eee Mammals. ee i i i es eee ee eee es ees eee eee ee Miscellaneous. Grasshoppers. 62 insects. Lizard, 30 in- sects. 49 locusts, other insects. 46 locusts, other insects. 54 locusts, other insects. 65 insects. 59 locusts, other insects. 51 locusts, other insects. 58 locusts, other insects. 4 grasshoppers, 6 other insects. Beetle. 5 grasshoppers, 7 crickets, 2 beetles. Grasshopper, other insects. 10 grasshoppers, 45 beetles, oth- erinsects. 35 grasshoppers, 20 beetles, ete. 15 grasshoppers, 6 beetles. Insect remains. Scorpion, ecrick- ets, beetles. 20 beetles, 2 crickets, 1 cen- tiped. Insects, Ons. Small insects. Grasshoppers. 17 10 8 3 12 A scorpi- SS eae pe a porn eed LR Sl ETT Se oes Soreseormarngeeera tener tata FOP TS Sa 196 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. _ Table showing the results of examinations of 32 stomachs of the Burrowing Owl (Speotyto cunicularia hypogea)—Continued. Poultry Locality Date. or. ; pene Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. Werde Valley, Aviz-< — 2), Avie. 6, 18884) -. 2 6 ue. ses AS ee Grasshoppers, other insects. Waleox, Ariz. 32. 5... April 9) A885 |=. =e. 2-\ee ee ee eee = eee 3 small lizards. eae eee epee May 1, 1885}. .2-22-o2c|os 204 steseenn es ae er Lizards, insects. @Camp-V erde; Arim-=-~| Aug.26, 1886 2 << 2 5.222212 ees sane een en | ee ee Insects. UP) SES se apes Be On ee em ee ee Empty. Walker Pass, Cal< <>. -| duly 2,,1891 |:-:2--- 2-1 -- .325 2 epee ee 5 grasshoppers, 7 molecricket scorpions. Mohavoe:Desert: Cal -=.|i Jan. 15; V8910). s2cs sce | Sec c ene e oe es eeeee (tae eee ee Caterpillars and beetles. Harrison, 8. Dak.....- Sept.14, 160d toe se. See ae ee. ee ee 2 crickets. MOMs. secece ee Sept. 28, 1891 |...-...... |SoS55422255555 2555 )2=2-555--- 25 5-- 2. | 6 crickets. SumMARY.—Of 32 stomachs examined, 3 contained small mammals; 3, lizards; 3, scorpions; 1, a cen- tiped; 30, insects; and 1 was empty. PYGMY OWL. Glaucidium gnoma. The Pygmy Owls, with the exception of the Little Elf Owl, are the smallest of all the North American species: Of these interesting little birds there are two species and two geographical races. The distribution of three is given below, and the other, the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, will be treated elsewhere under a separate head. The Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma) inhabits the western United States (except the northwest coast), ranging east to Colorado and New Mexico, and south to the highlands of Mexico. The California Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium g. californicum) inhabits the heavy rainfall area, occurring west of the mountains from British Columbia south to San Francisco. Hoskin’s Pygmy Owl (Glaucidiwm g. hoskinsit) inhabits the southern part of the peninsula of Lower California. The Pygmy Owl is probably a resident wherever found, except that it may leave the higher mountains and descend to the lower country on the advent of cold weather. Its food consists mainly of insects, though it also destroys small mammals, birds, reptiles, and batrachians. It is surprising what comparatively large mammals and birds it will sometimes seize. Capt. Bendire mentions that a comrade shot one which had seized a large-sized pocket gopher, and, as elsewhere men- tioned, he found a full-grown Say’s ground squirrel in its nest, a mam- mal fully twice the weight of the bird. : Dr. J. C. Merrill gives the following relating to its food habits: “One captured February 21 had just struck at a robin and was struggling withiton the ground. Itis said to be especially abundant in summer at Modoe Point [20 miles south of Fort Klamath, Oregon], and to feed upon a lizard thatis common there; I have also found fragments of field mice ree ee ee PYGMY OWL. 197 in the stomachs. Insects, however, and especially grasshoppers, con- stitute the greater part of its food when they can be obtained. When the Owl is searching for these the smaller birds pay little attention to it, even if it happens to alight near them.” (Auk, vol. V, 1888, p. 146.) Capt. Bendire mentioned an individual at Fort Klamath which occu- pied a willow branch over a stream for the purpose, he thought, of watching for frogs, which were common at that spot. Mr. C. H. Townsend, speaking of this Owl and its food in northern California, says: ‘It is rather diurnal in its movements and may be seen long before sunset engaged in its search for small birds, upon which it seems to subsist largely, flying closely to the ground along the bor- ders of tule marshes. It doubtless kills marsh wrens and small spar- rows, as such birds were often noticed near the hunting grounds of the owl. One Pygmy Owl which I shot had a freshly-killed snowbird (Junco oregonus) in its claws.” (Proc. U.S. Nat. Mus., vol. x, 1887, p. 204.) Very little is known of its nesting habits for, besides the nest men- tioned by Mr. J. K. Lord, on Vancouver Island, which contained two eggs, in the early part of May, three only have been found. One of these was found by Mr. George H. Ready, on June 8, 1876, near Santa - Cruz, Cal., and was situated in a woodpecker’s hole in an isolated poplar tree some 75 feet from the ground. It contained three eggs, which were deposited on a mass of small dry twigs and feathers, pre- sumably an old nest of Parkman’s wren. This nest was described independently both by Capt. Bendire (Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., vol. x1x, 1879, p. 1382) and Mr. W. C. Cooper (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. Iv, 1879, p.86). Another nest was found at Fort Klamath, Oregon, June 10, 1883, by one of the soldiers, during the absence of Capt. Bendire, who, on his return, June 25, had it examined and found four young from a week to ten days old. Asin the previous case, the cavity containing the nest was a deserted woodpecker’s hole, about 20 feet from the ground, and in a tree standing within a few feet of the target butt, which was in daily use. The cavity was well filled with feathers and also contained a full-grown chipmunk (Tamias lateralis) as food for the young (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. vit, 1883, p. 242, and Auk, vol. v, 1888, p. 370). The third nest, like the other two, was placed in an old woodpecker’s hole, and was found in La Plata County, Colo., by C. F. Morrison, in June, and contained three young (Orni- thologist and Oologist, vol. x11I, 1888, p. 115). This little Ow] is diurnal in its habits, feeding and flying about in the bright sunshine, though it is more common in the early dusk and morning. Mr. Henshaw says it is fond of taking its station early in the morning on the top of an old stub, that it may enjoy the warmth of the sun’s rays. In most places it is more or less solitary, though in New Mexico Mr. Henshaw found it extremely sociable, and in the fall it was usually met with in companies. 198 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED ST! It is tame and unsuspicious and may be decoyed from. a ‘considerab i distance by imitating its call note, to which it responds at once. It is confined mostly to wooded districts, though occasionally it is found a some distance from timber. It hides in the pines or other thick foliage, 3 where it sits upright near the trunk and is practically invisible to ae observer. The flight is not very much like that of other Owls, but resembles that of the Sparrow Hawk to some extent, and is not altogether noiseless. The love notes, according to Capt. Bendire, are somewhat musical, although they resemble to some extent those of the mourning dove. a As a rule the small birds pay little or no attention to the presence of _ this diminutive Owl, as they do to other species, but the following note — from Mr. C. A. Allen shows the rule has exceptions: “There were fight- ing the Owl one pair of Tyrannus verticalis, one pair of Bullock’s Orioles, _ one pair.of Bewick’s Wrens, three Banded Tits (Chamea fasciata),one pair of Pipilo oregonus, one pair of P. crissalis, and about twenty Black- birds (Scolecophagus cyanocephalus). The bravest birds of the troop were Bewick’s Wren and Bullock’s Oriole, which kept darting at the Owl’s head as it sat on the ground devouring a young Blackbird. 2 ue Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. 111, p. 193.) DESCRIPTION. Size very small; no ear tufts. Lower leg not longer thanmiddletoe, densely feathered; tail more than half as long as wing, tip rounded. Sides of breast brownish, more or less spotted with paler; tail bands always white, the interspaces blackish; top of head speckled or dotted whitish. Below, striped with blackish; back slaty grayish. Length: 6.50 to 7.59 inches (165 to 190™™); extent, 14.50 to 15.50 — inches (368 to 393™™); wing, 3.40 to 4 inches (86 to 101), tail, 2.40 to 2.80 inches (60 to 70™™). Table showing the results of examinations of 6 stomachs of the Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium gnoma). Poultry ; Locality. Date. ce zene Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. irds. Ogden, Utah ....-...... Oct. 70,1888" eeaeenne =e Small bird = v2.) 53-2. sees ences San Pedro, ING Mie xtaie- onnliy= GO; SSO i ma tere crates | ee ee tet me ber W hite-footed mouse. 1D Seam eace ne ol lilaw sees ced peerice rec |coss ae maearae sonal srcocrssecky Aecseic - Crees Prescott, Ariz -.-..... Mar. 2, “tee Bale Pe Sortie nsleays an eet pea AM epee Se A be ooe Empty. Fossil Creek, Ariz ....| Mar. 29, USSG WG eee certs |e eels seek, cre eetae © Col Oe ane ee Lizards Mogollon Mts., Ariz..| J uly 26, WSBT ous eee Sia a = eRe ae ters la Empty SumMARY.—Of 6 stomachs examined, 1 contained a small bird; 1, a mouse; 1, lizards; 1, an insect, and 2 were empty. FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL. 199 FERRUGINOUS PYGMY OWL. Glaucidium phalznoides. The Ferruginous Pygmy Owl inhabits the whole of tropical America, except the West Indies, ranging north to southern Texas and Arizona. This beautiful little Owl was added to our fauna in 1872, by Capt. Ben- dire, who captured several specimens in the dense mesquit thickets bordering Rillito Creek, in the vicinity of Tucson, Ariz. As the first specimen was taken January 24, it is evidently a resident wherever found.* z Very little has been written on the subject of the food of this species, - but undoubtedly it is of much the same quality as that of other mem- bers of the genus. A specimen captured by Dr. EH. A. Mearns at Casa Grande, Ariz., May 10, 1885, contained the remains of a lizard. In South America it is reported as sometimes feeding on young chickens. Little is known of its nesting habits, but they are undoubtedly sim- ilar to those of the Pygmy Owl. Mr. George B. Sennett gives the first description of the eggs in the Auk (vol. V1, 1889, p. 70). The nest was ina hollow tree and contained but a single egg, which was very close to the size of that of the elf owl. In 1872 Captain Bendire found two fledglings in a hollow mesquit tree in southern Arizona, which at the .. time werethought to be young Elf Owls, but at present he is inclined to refer them to this species, as the first-mentioned Owl almost univer- sally breeds in the hollows of the giant cactus. Like the other Pygmy Owls,thisspeciesis diurnal in its habits, flying about and capturing its prey in the bright sunlight. “His note was a loud cuck repeated, several times as rapidly as twice each second. At each utterance the bird jerked his tail and threw back his head. Occasionally a low chuck, audible for only a short dis- tance, replaced the usual call.”—(I’. Stephens in Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. vil1, 1883, p. 27.) DESCRIPTION. Similar to the Pygmy Owl in size and general character. Sides of breast brown or rufous, without traces of lighter markings; tail bands varying from white to rufous, the interspaces varying from grayish to blackish; top of head narrowly streaked with whitish or pale rusty. Length: 6.50 to 7 inches (165 to 178™™); extent, 14.50 to 15.50 inches (368 to 393™™); wing, 3.50 to 4.60 inches (89 to 116™™); tail, 2.20 to 3.50 inches (55 to 89™™), *The writer found this species quite common at New River, thirty-five miles NNW. of Phenix, Ariz., in June, 1892. Two specimens were secured and several others observed among the mesquit and other thick shrubbery scattered through the groves of giant ¢actus. 200 THE HAWKS AND OWLS OF THE UNITED STATES. ELF OWL. Micropallas whitneyi. This little Owl, the smallest known species in North America, was first discovered by Dr. J. G. Cooper, at Fort Mohave, Ariz., on April 26, 1861, and described by him in the Proceedings of the California Academy of Natural Sciences, 1861, p. 118. At present it is known to inhabit the southwestern United States, ranging from central Arizona (Pres- cott), southeastern California, and Lower California, southward to south- ern Mexico. In parts of Arizona it is very common, for Mr. W. E. D. Scott says: ‘On one occasion while collecting with Mr. F. Stephens, near Fuller’s ranch [near Tucson], about the last of May, 1883, we se- cured, with no particular exertion, over twenty of these birds and a dozen or more nests of eggs in about six hours.” (Auk, vol. 11, 1886, p. 424.) It almost invariably breeds in deserted woodpeckers’ holes, in the giant cactuses, though a few nests have been found in hollow mesquit or other trees. The eggs are from two to five in number, three being the mostcommon, andthe extremes rare. IJfresh sets are found from the first week in May to the third week in June, which latter date is late for Owls generally cobreed. EHxceptduring the breeding season when the females are found in the nest holes, the species lives in the thick brush and thickets through the day. Evidence goes to show that during the breeding season the males are more or less gregarious, keeping in wil- low copses or other thickets. The species is nocturnal in its habits, not emerging from its retreat until twilight is well advanced, when it may be seen flying about in the fading light. It is said to have several notes which are heard more often in the early evening and again about daybreak. The following from Mr. F. Stephens, which was published by Mr. Brewster, is interesting in adding to our knowledge of the habits of this comparatively little known bird: “I was walking past an elder bush ina thicket when a small bird started out. Thinking it had flown from its nest I stopped and began examining the bush, when I dis- covered a Whitney’s Owl sitting on a branch with its side toward me and one wing held up, shield-fashion, before its face. I could just see its eyes over the wing, and had it kept them shut I might have over- looked it, as they first attracted my attention. It had drawn itself into the smallest possible compass so that its head formed the widest part of its outline. I moved around a little to get a better chance to shoot, - as the brush was very thick, but whichever way I went the wing was always interposed, and when I retreated far enough for a fair shot I could not tell the bird from the surrounding bunches of leaves. At length, losing patience, I fired at random and it fell. Upon going to pick it up I was surprised to find another, which I had not seen before, 4 Te ELF OWL. | 201 but which must have been struck by a stray shot.” (Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. VIII, p. 28.) Little or nothing is known of the food of this species, though prob- ably it feeds on insects and the smaller rodents. DESCRIPTION. Smallest Owl inhabiting the United States. Lower leg longer than middle toe, scantily haired; tail less than half as long as wing, straight across the end. No ear tufts. Above, grayish or brownish, finely mottled with darker and indistinctly speckled with pale rusty; tail brownish, covered by five or six narrow, usually interrupted, bands of pale brown or rusty; eyebrows, space in front of eyes and under chin, white. Below white, marked with longitudinal blotches of brown or rusty. Length: 5.50 to 6.25 inches (140 to 159™™); extent, 14.25 to 15.25 inches (362 to 387™™); wing, 4 to 4.40 inches (101 to i), tail, 1.90 to 2.30 inches (47 to 58™™). oe showing the results of examinations of three stomachs of the Elf Owl (Micropallas whitneyi). Poultry | Locality. Date. or game Other birds. Mammals. Miscellaneous. birds. Tanque Verde, Ariz . | Mier SOSIBO0 = aces lee eecsccciee ete aaee Small mammal.-.} 20 beetles. Fort Lowell, Ariz.....| Apr. 20,1899 Ga) ose cas oes PA be ie Te | 19 beetles, grass- | | hoppers. Fort Huachuca, Ariz . May 7,1892 | | Sanaa foaminenserciate See eee [-- + nee cne nee ceene- Beetle remains. | INDEX. Page. DMMNM MA SETe AUS soe Ce eS see woe. Pk ke eS ieple See 43-46 Riplensietete ce ses eae) Pps Le te fr sae eae eee 38-43 MELO Ke ke Se oe ae i OTe tei eae Dei Pee ae naan Mee gat rai ae 32-37 eUNLEM TOMA Ie OMe yee UL a a als Shs pee dine se ce nok s once eee Soe 114-115 CO LUGSHTETED GENT GVH Ch ce pe cee | gal CAN ree cea e asel l N i OETA 114. HONE (E| he ei Ie ace Fe pic ao raven ropa eR any len ee PSP Lae 115 Hale SaLINO MMA MU Seere eer ee Mee et os aS | oc) os eer 115 Pee UMM ICN IC LOS oe csa foes Sci 515 coe cise fe Rote be Wai sieielth cae ewste woe te cet 93-97 Pepeittrenmionmn mineus' <= 26158, oe eee ole oe 91-93 PSO MUS SAMC HL FONAMINS io: SoM! sss foe ecinn en = oes ciate oe ete 86-91 ME TRC OMRICINU Sa thee eck Meme Rect Eg OR ce cn gece lee 145-149 Se TPT SiS) AI a Se Ig 0 gre ca 140-145 MURIEL ON hve Me a ee eS Sine os eee eo yee Soe eek Se clase melee 85-86 POMP MOIIPRO Ala CORAt ees eee aon Soo es kes Sie Sete ces ect ee 128-129 CGUTTIy EyH OVNI BEUCO Tip ele et ee le ge RRO Ca Pe ae er aS 128 TIC YOO bay Sis ce hae arin ae pt dey Up tee rien fh oh aeaeNi an Sri ceenege en Reena 128-129 MCS UUM MALES come = eee eer NE ed ae 129 falleroesronrmiehs CONTCIES =o a52 0405 anc .- ape oe co eacee 129 Peaprereee ee eee ns ee a Sa be ae se wie pe eens oye eee 97-101 perme tela Is Una tte 3:26 ioe oie os cays > Sal hin tie aie ace oe oe Su ehegs Se ate 98 ALIS TET YBCO eg aN ea cE PCD a El nae He 97 EDDEL 2 Se Se RR Sa ia sg a ck A ee Ue Te eran 97-100 Mie MIT eee NUR paces oe ee dik, Serre ee rie a ee a 101 ate MCR NUS ees eat tees eye Ne Gee Ol Pe a 100 ia OLOteSCOMMAICHEEONVEMUBE os 22s spas: 2 See sh Seo Ce eee ae 101 Reais NP YE cys aa es NR Whi poten Gis Sarasa’ din a eve cee wise ee 132-139 distribution: .-.2.: 32... i x Pea Se ane ue leo TRCN SS Seebeck Go a SA gE er aU eg as eR Gece nage 133-137 MraiMiMaicoand birds found im) stomaehs..25 5.52/55 502. 2.2.66 lsc. 136 PERO MNOLUS ay Megs ae ee ee a Sao n de Sheu ese ew ha cee owe ee ot Loe oe tamer stomach Contents 4-20. 2622. becca we eee cee ce eee 139 Barred Owl.....-..-- GES TTM NOME hays oun eee ere ee Ne ee oe ONO Urner e Getabe egg. ein are a et a ae eu PT Het Ds Sees ee einen ons UNA Ne Me ce ee eae ye Ca ala mammals and birds found in stomachs nesting habits table of stomach contents Broad-winged Hawk ereesee © 222 2c eee esc ee ee cee eee eee we Be ew eee ee co mammals and birds found in stomachs ARES WM MLSe Mea EUS ee ete aes Geen oe ce ees table of stomach contents\.......--...-. cece cee ee ee wee ew ee ee ee oes e2rn2ne ee 22 ee se ee J efeeinn ces LD0=16 150 .---- 150-152 153-154 152 152-153 154-156 79-83 204 INDEX. Bubo' virginianus$2 2552 92-2. 1st 2 cea. eee dae ee L7A182.2 QECHICUS .- es oo Oe ee Sos iL ee ee 174 Saburatus . [025 2.2 Seal ele ee eee 174 Subarcticus. : 225.006. occ oe Gove Sede pee eee 174 Burrowing Wil. 235 Alo eon. Senet ae ton ence sen she ee 189-196 beneficial qualities .-:-- 22.22. 52.22.2.4-.- 50.4 eaeeee eee 192 destruction for millinery purposes -=..---2 22h senses see 192 distribution: 2222... 2.2.3 ek Saas eee 189-190 food. fo. 2 cee os BS See eee 190-192 nesting and other. habits.2...02 2222222. anaes ee 192-195 table ‘of stomach contents. . 20.2 <.-: 2. eee 195-196 Buteo:abbreviatus -.- 2c so. 2.20 2.2. 3.2. eae es eee 71 albicaudatus<). co .56 ice) PS ee 72 borealis 2.602.602 6>. La Se ek Bn ee eee 48-62 CalUTUS . 2 2.5 Soe. Sols soe a ee a eee 52 COStATIGENSIS (0 22s. 22. oe ee Pe eee 52 harlany ~2.25. 0g ben eee 2. Or eee 52 KTIideTIies.2 20s be a ot ee eee 52 luéasanus 22.2 2s225 22 02 eb 8e 5. eee 52 brachyurusS.-- 2. 2. e2s.. be ck oe eee 83-84 COOPCL +o. 2-2. b ols os ees ee a tee. ee The JatIGSIMUS.. 2. 22 2580 bees a eee eee 79-83 SHNeCAGUS<602 35 2 we Seeds es Se ee Se eee 62-70 glleni oo ei Selle ick Oe ee ee eee 62 @legwans 22 fo. kee. -t oe Sees 22st Se ee 62 SWAIMSONT occ: 5. 52s GS 2 ss ee eee 72-79 Buzzard, Coopers 2.0.0.5. 26 ieee he oe Re 79 Caracara, AudubOm7s...2 2.22 22.0400 262. sens eee ° i oe 128-129 Cireus hudsomius .2..°.. 25.05... ooo ee eee 26-32 Cooper's. Buzzard... - 0.2282. soe tos enn oie te eee 79 Cooper's Hawk...5226 2-22 Soo oe ee oe co en cas cho 38-43 dustributionsc.> 2 sccc8 lec a eee eh 38 f000..).5 as Cs ee eee 38-40 mammals and birds found in stomachs —_2 2222 >> se 4eee eee 40 nesting habits... 0.2.2.6. 2622 esc. cee eee 174 OHSU SST DTA AONE ea i a ln a a gh as 174 1 OCDE Be Se oe Se nS a ee ne ape 2 aD a Sea 174-178 PAMEDSE Ca tlytoyon een. Secs e sea koe l obese le oe 179 mammals and birds found in ehomachs Peet ee easy ee 177-178 capleroiabpomach: contents 225 <- he oes 2s ios ok ee ee 180-182 URL BOSD os Sak ie Se Pee es SR es ae my A 102-103 iMalaeetus leucocephalus .--.. 2.2. ---.<.+.-2----2. Ee pater ars Seep ak we 97-101 Oe ETE EDL a ee ee eg ae Re aare gnc SUMS D 47-48 -_ Harris’s Hawk distribution - .--. Ae Rae oS. SR ese TE Beet Eee hag, - i £660? oo - Tae cae ane po Se en bee nesting habits... 22 -seeee ee ooaenec «532 Soe table of stomach contents.-....-..........--- spo nore We wiiowic, Groad-winged™ >< - 2 lac0e oe ES ao es ee pie Cogpers So 20 Soe tiie. SE Se 2 LS i i id cece reese ee eee te ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee eee eee Pee eee ee ee ee ee eee tee we we cect tt ee ee ee ee te ee et em ee ee we ee ee te ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee wee ee cow e i ed ee ee a ea corer ce pee eee ee ee eee eee ee eo cee eee eee eee eee te we wee Ce eee ew cee eee ererce een ec we eee ee ee ee et eee eee we ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee ee oe ee ow ercereceze eee eee ec een ee eee eee cee eee oe ee ee Ce ee ee wc ee ee eee se wee Rough leeved oe eee . He Sharp-shinned - 7-25. 5-2. See ass ea ee eee ee Short-tailed-< = 2s. 2 22s Sis 3. eh. se ee re: Sparrow. 2222.60 nt Be ae ee ee ae Sypaimson’s - 5. oP ee a ee White-tailed -...21 10.222. s222-2- hols 2222 ee “Wone-tailed.... 2.2 sit. 2: ss sank sess ee eee eee ite ie lawless 2. 08s 8 ee coke ew Oe Si Re brecding Tanee-.cs. 22. sess shee Oe eee oe 188 GISLEtbUbION ss ose. USSR, eee eee Pees aie as 2. -- 187-188 nésting habits>......-.. 022.2222. sscl2) eo eee 188-189 table.of stomach contents::--._. 20 A eee = Hawks, enumeration of stomachs examined...........-..----.--- Sa re -fo aes penefieral species... 2... 522-2225. seco 5. So oe See P: hharimalaspeerese. =i. ca.) ee ae ee eee en ees ee 1tabe Kate; Byerplade. ...2....2. <.s-+ posite eees esis 6 - 25-26 — Mississippio. 222. 2.2) aol ee eee - Q4-95- + Swallow-tailed +00. .0y-+..-/2--5 oo ee B29: 5 Wahibe tated ees eee gre ohare Ne eee oo ae sone-eared Owl. ..2:. (02.20.0520. - se. bo ee 140-145 ; beneficial qualities = ...-..2. 2... 2222. eee ~ 140 — distribution ...-...- wuts scee lesen. cc. oe ee 140 fOOO Soe e508 eS ek So os Re eee : 140 — =e mammals and birds found in stomachs....:.-2-_-. eae 141 ix nesting habits: : S22. sesso Sais ee 141-142 — By summary of contents of 200 pellets ............/..----- = 136 <9 4 table of stomach contents {......2-.. .... se 1dg=145 2..2222252.5. 22-22-2250 Ses. doce et velo ee se ee: 114 ENE PU eM Lic WUE ele See ote cc ix! ors wine so ee es ws en elee es Beene 84-85 GUS GRID UERTON eras A ca oe ac che oe co on ree ee 84 5 ANCDYG bia eS =e a ae ta alc gy Pe ep ie ea 84 PEM UUO Me MANUS a cere ine See ere nL Saisie Se mrt ieee ee 84-85 a tiblerer ciomaech contents sac.) oo Se eo cee 85 ERE EMILE MEIN He teh a(S hain a iain Se ween ae snn ow de ce wee celan es cecees 85-86 ata SlsGiiompiomme st sth cee Ee oe ne ee 85 SECC a ee aie see ae iis ae pe War ea eR oe lente eer aly Sony gee 85 eee CSM ARAN EGS see ae ue Ss ho ea Se ae es eae 86 MMMMMEAUR TE UERTDEO YL 2 coo. 2.0L sss oo. 2 oe ee ee eee 900-201 8 Bel n, ING. 5226 See AS eg SPR ores See aie ee eee ates 24-25 fensotr INO Ns] ORI casi et Np Cot aie ee ON SE 24 EDO GLS aes Sp ae ie ea np eg Reef . 24 ESSE Ty EAL OT a Ta a Re a Mee 24 PADIS OL ShOmaAcir CONCCMLTS:.. 2 a) S22 ee ss So Led eee oe 95 Nyctala acadica .--...-.-.------------------------+-------- BE See Sie dey 160-162 RemenbraMMelICMAROSOM =o 2 ees tose oy Shoe oo lee lee ee ee 159 (keds TREE L. 2 S e e Pes e 182-187 MeEpLOY ------ ---------- ------ ---- - ee ee eee 130-132 LST DROS Ai RI ee ce ee, eee ee eM 2 132 Eas ei cecal 25S Sei RNS Sg ag aa ke rae gee 130° Bae LUPIN PLOY 225258 Sso22 ec Sek eet Tees le os Vee ks 130-131 EERE MMU Sra hoe SS crac! s ee ala SS Coe eee ems e lose Soe Yess few Se 131 ; Sees LOMACh«CONLEHHG: 22500 sss ooh ols oeoe ee ee 132 AON lee Sm ie = aw a wn a ne ee eee 132-139 AS ee nie ee area No Se a Cor es ec a oe eee . 150-156 CETTE PPE UE: os ac a al a oe eS 189-196 OL TLLELE DER, SCIECVONG LO Se a ae SS a la le ane ea 163-173 oo TEM TUNG YAS 9 ACS VST a cg 199 SeemreminenhOU SO CheCCe Ne 2 cnc omen oe we owe eee ee ceed oa oc wees 173-174 AMT near ee ar ie ee ee en ke da en is eee owas om see 157-158 eee MB EIRVETE CUS ee eg 2 Faience te ok eas ace en 174-182 CRATE 52S SSeS Ee eS aa ego 187-189 beVCEL LS SLRS lees Sate aS cP Sp OES 140-145 Sei RN teat eel a eateimniinetd a vc Nels ei =o Sa Seek 196-198 ered att ven eee Neo oe Oo Gace onan cet oe Lee 159 pemneaN te heey ee ae ee ee Mean eS A Sn. Pe 160-162 SP EG SEEE PND G LSS go aes ara) arco any ae ey oe aC 145=149 Reet) cae se en er Meas Seno te Seca So she Soot i 182-187 SDL E LS ek ge, eS ae ee al eR a Rg eee 156-157 Owls, enumeration of stomachs examined ..........2...-...-.2.2-..----4-- 17 tere ME NDE CIES SS Sot noo See ret Vote oe Hh Sa Ss ns ot 10-11 » STIL SFUUL WSL CLES 2 a ag eg ca 11, 15 208 INDEX. | , Page, — ; Pandion haliaégtus carolinensis .o. 0:00. 25.0 2o eS. ete epee coe ec ce pee oe Parahuteo unicinetus harris sss. -se senso ee eee kee pier. eee 47-48 4 Pigeon Hawk i: 02025282200. ele ee es ee ee ee 1092113°° @ birds found in stomachs. ...2-..../.2....0 2) are distribution. 2.202. .c20.. 00) 2 ee 109. TOO CE See She C se Tea ktae /foew ss ak teal eee ae Lk. WAG Oe ee 110-111 nesting’ habits,..5. 5.3.6.) s0450 20.20 ee 111-112 table of ‘stomach contents... 2.2.0.2. 2555.26. 112-113 Polyborus cheriway <<. 27. 5 20.2.0 6h os Gen tne eo 2 ee 128-129 WULOSUS Coe Gea eae seer aja ala p al/alS' bale alclel ara Sle 510; ra ee 128 tharus: 2. oo. Sees Sa ee ek 1 ee Se 128 Prairie Halcon..; 05 -)..). = <\-\eeaee sc bb oot nite ee eet ee 104-106 distribution’. .....00/205 2.3.51. a 104 7 § food's S458 Woe se Poe ce BA Se 104 ‘ mammals and birds found in stomachs. ................-.-... 105 nesting habits. oo es kek ee er 105 table‘of stomach contents... 2.2. 2... 5. 0.06 Se eee 106 Re ycrrmy, Oy on ie ciel a oi a ln ene 196-198 distribution... 225222 2. veo ee Se 196 fOOU Seo Pike oes See eS LS ewe sate icles Sc 196-197 habits in captivity. .<..2¢ 23.2 so... 198 mestinge habits sass eee ise eee co es ee 197 table of stomach contents <<. 22:4 =--2.22 225 eee 198 Red-shouldéred Hawk. oro +. kee ee ie ie 62-70 ¥ distribution: 225.04 6s2 2. cee ee 62 fO00: oP 2S os Se ee eee 62-64 habits in captivity... ~.2 22.20.0222) song es: oe eee 65-66 mammals and birds found in stomachs..............- 64. i nesting habits. 00:o...5: 2. $9... 2. 2 eee 64-66 | table of stomach contents: -. 222222. 222 ase ee eee 66-70 Red-tailed Hawk 2.2. -2. 92 22. ofS se oe ne es 48-62 distribution: . 2.2 ck loose 1k ee ee eee 52 1000 Se ee a eS Be 48-50 ; mammals and birds found in stomachs............-...--.- 50 MAUgGvatiom >. oss. Le eel Se ee es tes cece eee 51 table of stomach contents..............-..--.---- pages 53-62 Richardson’s Merlin 32. 226052 ol ee a eee eee 114 Richardson's Owl:oo soe 2 oie 2c. ce ool ee ee ee 159 Rostrhamus Sociabilis. - 3.22222 Gos le hese ne 2 ee 25-26 Roweh-legeed Mamie. 25 22ee 2a] 222 sn 02-222 = ie eee 86-91 distribution: 2222 ee ee 86-87 fO0E oe eee ee eee 87-89 harmless qualities... 2.2.2 5 ssn. 2) See ee eee 88-89 nesting habits..2- 22.226... 2. 22... Se eee 89-90 table of stomach contents... ..... 222222 Sa oe 91 Saay-whet Owl: S220 Sees ec ae es ee 160-162 CAS TEV WerO Ms es eee ne NL a ee ee 9. ace See ee 160 5 FOGG: 205 Se Le SP ONT SS ee 160 habits in captivity 2: ...c20 4 1c oe ee 162 mammals found. in stomachs::...52..0.2.... --:222 50 s-5 eee 160 nesting habits............- eel ew cle eee 161 table of stomach contents.........--...- Sieh hy CL See eee 162 Scotiaptex ‘cinerea. 0 2. bol eee oe eae A ee 157-158 Screech Owl............ Seo Beat te Ra Sa Sale A CRU i cae Aes eet ree er 163-173 beneficialin destroying English sparrows.-.......------------ 166 INDEX 209 Page. Screech Ow] distribution..........--------------++++--08- Soejese spas eee ok 163 f000¢- s3<~ ER rol SEN ae SE a ie ae pe ee OLE Pea 163-167 PEP DIES Hy CPL VIbN 52 een eee ss fam ehiae < o8,< bn = Se ne Pe ons 168 mammals and birds found in stomachs.............----..----- 167 SSeS AD Tarte ice BS ST SA aps pe aps a ear ee peer ees 167-168 PablecOr SLOIMACH COMUENUS 2. S20) oS cee eke = secre Jee ees eke ee 169-173 pm meEEMNERIIE EL BW ly oy oo oS ee cons oh enim one oa ee sone eee He oem eas 32-37 Dirds-tound me stomachs. 22s o-62-o2ees- sca ae coe eer 34 GESUEUCULV.CNADIUS 0022 ate ee es ae in eee eae 33-34 CESUETD IDIOM <2 Helter sos Ss La tie a oe a ae 32 SWCD bee = es pn Can Ota ie ne ar el ape ee ek Oe SO 32 HOSHINO RMADIES 30 sine AAS Sek a Pause tte Soe one ee 34 tableror-seomachscontents:. 6... Jbos oe eee one een 35-37 NN Eeabs BPMN ere tt hein. an cs Pace eb obec cctcee Sees See 145-149 ORS DET NEDO SIE pe se se a ee eae a ch oe A rae eee ea 145 economic alien hmeland.. oc ss. o 6. oo en eat eee ee 147 LPL DD ons Ses Hes Oa Up SE ie pa eee F-ae ee 145-147 mammals and birds found in stomachs..................-. 147 MES LMOM A DELS cee ito St tc ae os SO cree e saya ans coe eee 147-148 ice OrOnSbOMACIE CONGCHLS coos o. sas 5scateles us oe oes 18-149 Dear EMME THIN et oe nd sini inns ea alc ciniae cid deciedi-e ce a= ioe oeauets 85-84 : Gas oRTDWGIONS sae Se I a SS Se ae ee 83-84 SET TT | aN a as Uae EU ig se pn ag er A eg 34 BESO CURANOMES tos pers nen San oe oes noe acim Soe &3-84 Ln Se AE eR eC a = 1U_-187 Bememeialiiiiallgles testcase she eee eS ewe ee oa eee 185 BCEAO SBEATOO: sate e ioe Gea Sad ea Sees Anes Sek tee este e cee 185 EER ES Sa ere ga ee Rg Ne SE ed No 1C2-183 OTT a Sie Se ees Ses Se cee ale GS ee Oe Ree a 1¢3 PMP CAEOMBC ATELY, ote ere tie htc es ares eae een meal ae ee 186 SMUD Ae mS one oa eRe SO eee Lease yoo SE 186 pean eeteshOmia Ch CONPENUS <2 os cas cascce en tbacn oboe ck wee Le 187 LD ETS EATS oc 5 Sees ee en On ne ga eS Pe W127 ESSE ET TT 07 Sh et RAN ln Ns ge eR apy | 1:>-116 FP DVEE Se SG RRM SRR UE se snl ioe ttn en ae eh Se a Oe a ei RE Se 116-19 PG e eee ee eee ee ke 2 A ee ye ge id 2 aa 1 0 mammals and birds found in stomachs ........-..........- 119 Pee Mae OM UDG eo eee tel SEs ate aor oe ONE Su seoaa 1°0-.121 Peetaleror Stomach contents. 5.5 <5. 2 ac Se ne Se eae 121-127 Penner ICM ATTA-AMAUTS <2. 2.25 occ. sole cee ee wee eet eee week 190 PLCHEDUNIAC OT Stee ene eo aa Nate Sun aes ee I ee 10 TEL COU STIG SITS TS) as a ean aN el Re AO ee reer 190 PAGEL OP PEN SIS aoe eae oct a eos ce Tat a ee ofa 190 LES PEGS SR eS 8 5 AAR eed fee Ce ee moe ed 153-196 Sneed Se Pe tek was wc See eee ee ee eer Leoion LCS ATEE LETT Oa es A SE a ee it a MD em eee gg cs Pe 156 Manan ae errr thee ce Gace Sak. an eee hy lee ey DT OS ELLER TTP AULT gh eee Seer Re a ge eS ToekS PeMRIMMLU TRCHD AOC: 92 ae ele ee ae ek ee ee se Se lL 189 SMVERSON S Hawk’ 3222-02520. el ae T2919 peretreraltgaraii tiene co sewer ae acs Selatan ee C117 CIS (Acne ee ere ei ee a ae a ee es Aen 2 7 '-73 UDG id Aad PSSA rR to ELE NN ar Oe oe ae NE ay 70-17 7626—No. 3—-14 . i ee nesting Heit ren eee Salt oil table of stomach contents.....-.- Syrmium nebulosum Fee ee SCOR oe Oe ate. ee seen aee COS gn Sahat fulvescens .... earfOril 2. ..-< occidentale .......--..2.5 Urubitinga anthracina.....---...--- ee Wohite tailed Hawk .-.2. 0.2252. 22. eeu White-tailed Kite ..2.-.2..25-.2-.: 3 ae one-tailed Hawk -. 2. .2.$.. 222-5 “BULLETIN No. 4 fi PSS es Wig EP OR SPERMOPHILES OF THE PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF Dr. C. HART MERRIAM, Cuter or Division BY VERNON BAILEY CHIEF FIELD AGENT “WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1893 ‘| 3LvV1dg ‘Asojeuuieia) pue ABo}OyNWO Jo UoIsIAIG ‘b “ON UNaling U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY AND MAMMALOGY BUELETIN .No.. 4 2) ces Le a PRAIRIE GROUND SQUIRRELS OR SPERMOPHILES OF THE ess lSoSiPPrl VALLBY PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF Dr. C. HART MERRIAM, Cu1eF or DIVISION BY VERNON BAILEY CHIEF FIELD AGENT PUBLISHED BY AUTIORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICS 1893 LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY AND MAMMALOGY, Washington, D. C., August 17, 1893. Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith a report on the Ground Squirrels or Spermophiles of the Mississippi Valley, for publication as Bulletin No. 4 of this Division. This report has been prepared by Mr. Vernon Bailey, chief field agent of the Division. Since it is intended as an economic bulletin it is devoted chiefly to the food habits and distribution of the several spe- cies, technical matter being omitted, _ The accompanying illustrations were drawn by Mr. Ernest E. Thomp- son. Respectfully, C. HART MERRIAM, Chief of Division. Hon. J. STERLING MORTON, Secretary of Agriculture. CONTENTS. Sema teamemittal ......---..+.+---------2 +. Smee MiNshrahiOns ......-.---------------5 eo. cee 0 LY Lio ee a ee mee Plan of the investigations -.......- Poe ed aybitn MeN BOROCNCO. 220 os. 5 2 n cee 2 = Soe MEMENIBE ene eee ee ce ae et cas eles EMEEODNGWOLIG ooo ies foes peo eee ae Natural enemies of spermophiles...........-......- 0 BES... 225335 a Objections to the bounty system ......--...-...- ere e222 eee eee cee 2 eo ee ooo e@eeeseees ce ee ee ee eeeea eee Methods of destroying prairie dogs and spermophiles...-....---.---.---.---- J LPS 0 OS ... 55a ee er GMI AIOM. -.--..---.---- Bete eye tenn ares Sa ato ‘Traps -..-- |. Ae as ere RE iS ti SR Bee ee eee Experiments with bisulphide of carbon .....--- SUMMER BOCION —3..--..-- 2-2. none woe seceee = ecseseece eese e222 2222 ee 2 e208 eerecececees eer eae cee ea ce eceee Striped Prairie Spermophile (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) ....-...-.---.---+ Mexican Spermophile (Spermophilus mexicanus) -.... - _ Franklin’s Spermophile (Spermophilus franklini) .-... eceoeceen ecco +e ere cee eee coos @sceee ez e2ee28@ ee 2242 -2 e822 ca2e8 Kennicott’s Spermophile (Spermophilus spilosoma obsoletus) .-.-.---- Des ethene Richardson’s Spermophile (Spermophilus richardsoni) 46 SEO ratings eS AIA a PR aa F Pu ILLUSTRATIONS. eK. ' ; PLATES. j <2 Page. — [. Striped Spermophile (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) .....---- Frontispiece. Franklin’s Spermophile (Spermophilus franklini) ; Richardson’s Spermophile (Spermophilus richardsoni)....--.--------- ‘ % : MAP Ss. Distribution of the Striped Spermophile (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus). ‘Distribution of Franklin’s Spermophile (Spermophilus franklini). Distribution of Kennicott’s Spermophile (Spermophilus spilosoma ob- — _ soletus) and the Mexican Spermophile (Spermophilus mexicanus). Distribution of Richardson’s Spermophile (Spermophilus richardsoni) andthe Wyoming Spermophile (Spermophilus richardsoni elegans). 7 THE PRAIRIE GROUND SQUIRRELS OR SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. INTRODUCTION. The destructive animals that form the subject of the present bulletin _ belong to the genus Spermophilus, and are commonly known as spermo- _philes. The name is derived from the Greek words ozépyc, seed, and _ gttety, to love, in allusion to the fact that seeds form a large proportion _ of the food of the various species. In the Old World the spermophiles are known as sousliks, while in America they are popularly called ; gophers or ground squirrels. The term ‘gopher,’ however, belongs _ properly to a very different group of animals, to which it should be ; restricted, namely the pocket gophers which have external cheek _ pouches, and resemble the moles in living underground and throwing up little mounds along the courses of their subterranean tunnels. _ ‘Ground Squirrel’ is a less objectionable name, because these animals really are ground squirrels; the term is however commonly applied to _ thechipmunks belonging to the related genus Tamias ; hence the name _ spermophile is here used in preference to either of the others. The object of the present bulletin is to describe the haunts and habits of the five species inhabiting the Mississippi Valley region, and to summarize the remedies that have been used with greatest success in holding their numbers in check. Spermophilus is a large genus, and is found throughout the greater portion of. the north temper- ate region of both hemispheres from eastern Europe across northern Asia, and over the western two-thirds of North America. The total number of species and subspecies of spermophiles inhabiting the United States is about thirty-five, and most of them are restricted to the arid and subarid region west of the Rocky Mountains. Throughout their range, wherever the land is under cultivation, they are among the most destructive of mammals, feeding on grain, fruit, and garden vegetables to such an extent that the annual losses from their depredations must be counted in hundreds of thousands of dollars. Several States have paid large sums in bounties for their destruction, without materially reducing their numbers. | The region here considered comprises the Mississippi Valley in a _ very broad sense, including the fertile prairies of the valley proper, and 9 ~ 10 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. _ also the Great Plains as far west as the foothills of the Rocky Montel tains. In anorth and south direction it embraces the vast area stretch- _ ing from the Mexican boundary and the Gulf of Mexico north to the ~ plains of the Saskatchewan River. It comprises the largest and by far — the most important continuous stretch of agricultural land on the con- tinent, and the greater part of it is now under high cultivation. Five — very distinct species of spermophiles inhabit this region, four of which are restricted to it, namely: Richardson’s Spermophile (Spermophilus richardsoni), Franklin’s Spermophile (Spermophilus franklini), the Striped Spermophile (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus), and Kennicott’s Spermophile (Spermophilus spilosoma obsoletus); the fifth, the Mexican 7 Spermophile (Spermophilus meaxicanus), ranges southward over the table-land of Mexico as far as the Valley of Mexico. Only two species (S. franklini and 8. tridecemlineatus) range east of the Mississippi River, and these find their extreme eastern limits respectively in west- ern Indiana and eastern Michigan. On account of the immense damage done to crops these animals have’ been the subject of investigation at some of the agricultural colleges and experiment stations in the West, and several bulletins have been issued - containing notes on their food habits or giving directions for their — destruction. | In 1878 Prof. E.W. Hilgard, of the University of California, published — a bulletin on the destruction of ground squirrels by the use of bisul- phide of carbon.* This method has proved by far the most successful — of any thus far put in practice, and has been largely adopted with : gratifying success. (See pp. 29-30.) Mr. E. J. Wickson in his work on California Fruits devotes a para- graph to methods of destroying ground squirrels in orchards.t He rec- ommends three means of extermination: (1) Poisoned wheat; (2) bisul- phide of carbon, and (3) ‘smokers.’ The latter term includes the various devices for burning sulphur or damp-straw and forcing the fumes into — the burrows, thereby suffocating the inmates. 4 In August, 1889, Prof. C. P. Gillette published the results of an exam- — ination of the stomachs of twenty-two specimens of the Striped Sper- — mophile (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) in apaper entitled ‘Food Hab- its of the Striped Prairie Squirrel’t He showed that this species — is not an unmixed evil, for besides large quantities of grain, it eats . numbers of grasshoppers, wireworms, and other noxious insects. He — concludes that a large proportion of its food is made up of insects, q which seem to consist almost exclusively of injurious species, chiefly — cutworms, webworms, and grasshoppers, and adds: ‘The squirrels — would be a most valuable adjunct to any cornfield after planting if — some method could be devised to prevent them from taking the corn.” : *Bulletin of the University of California, No. 32, April, 1878. tE. J. Wickson: The California Fruits and How to Grow Them. San Francisco, 1889, p. 554. t Bulletin No. 6, Iowa Agricultural Experiment Station, August, 1889, pp. 240-244, INTRODUCTION. 11 Continuing this same line of investigation, Mr. J. M. Aldrich, of the South Dakota Agricultural College and Experiment Station, published a paper on the Food Habits of the Striped Gopher, in March, 1892.* Mr. Aldrich, after referring to Prof. Gillette’s previous examinations, also gives the results of an examination of fifteen stomachs made by himself, and says: ‘As far as our observations go they did not give the gopher as favorable showing as Prof. Gillette’s did.” (See pp. 40-42.) One of the bulletins of the Oregon Experiment Station contains an important paper by Prof. F. L. Washburn on ‘Gophers and Moles.’t It is devoted mainly to methods of destroying the pocket gopher (Tho- momys) and mole (Scapanus), and gives several illustrations of traps said to be specially adapted for the capture of these animals. it eee eS ee Oey 2 ee et INTRODUCTION. 13 Many of the replies to Circular 9, and to other special letters of inquiry, contained detailed accounts of injury to crops, interesting notes - on the habits of the spermophiles, and various means employed for their destruction. A few extracts from these letters are given under each species and present the case as seen by those most deeply inter- ested. Some of the reports may be prejudiced, but in many the good as well as the evil traits of the animals are recognized. Field work.—Competent men employed by the Division as special field agents have been sent to parts of the country from which com- plaints had been received concerning the ravages of spermophiles. In some cases the reports of damage to crops were found to be exag- gerated or attributed to the wrong species, and such errors were corrected by means of these field investigations. Specimens of the animals were collected for identification and comparison, their abund- ance was carefully estimated, their geographic range, details of distri- _ bution, breeding habits, food habits at different seasons of the year, and the various methods employed for their destruction were care- fully studied, and a large number of stomachs was collected and preserved in alcohol for subsequent examination in the laboratory. Nor were the investigations limited to spermophiles and pocket gophers, for some attention was given to the habits of their natural enemies, particularly the birds and mammals that prey upon them. In examining the stomachs of hawks and owls remains of spermophiles were frequently found, and in some instances the birds were seen in the act of catching or eating them. Badgers were found to spend con- siderable time in digging ground squirrels and pocket gophers out of their holes, and to be of no small importance in holding in check the num- bers that otherwise would add their increase to present hordes. Other _ animals also were found to feed upon them, as mentioned in detail later, Laboratory work.—Though the contents of many stomachs were examined in the field such examinations were made mainly for the pur- pose of learning the sort of food selected by the spermophiles so that their habits might be more fully understood. The stomachs of most of the specimens were preserved in alcohol, and each was labeled with a tag of parchment paper bearing a number in carbon ink. A corresponding number was entered on a schedule and followed by the - Name and sex of the animal, place where taken, date, hour at which killed, and such notes as might help in understanding any peculiarity of food found in the stomach. Such notes were usually a brief state- ment of the animal’s surroundings when killed; as, ‘near wheat field,’ ‘in meadow,’ ‘on open prairie,’ or ‘on edge of cornfield.’ These pre- served stomachs, together with the accompanying schedules, were for- warded to the Department for critical examination. Each stomach was cut open, the contents spread out on a plate, and enough water added to wash out the fine sediment. Among the coarser materials were found hairs, feathers, the outer coats of grains, shells of seeds, ~ 14 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. Rei the legs, wings, heads, and jaws of grasshoppers, beetles, and various” other insects, the skins of caterpillars, and a great variety of things, as Shown in the tables prepared from the examinations. Unlike the contents of many birds’ gizzards, everything had econ a chewed, not swallowed whole; very few complete insects were found in condition to be identified although it was often possible to recognize © the genus but rarely the species. Grains and seeds could be iden- — tified more frequently. Softer materials, as foliage and flowers, could be easily distinguished as such, but the species could seldom be Pas. re. told. As far as possible the different materials from each stomach — were separated and the relative proportions carefully estimated. The © difficulty in perfectly separating the different kinds of food prevented | any attempt at weighing or measuring to obtain precise proportions. Hence the percentages given are only approximate. In examining the contents of cheek pouches much more definite results were obtained. The seeds and grains carried in them were usually in perfect condition and easily identified by comparison with seeds in the laboratory collection. In the preparation of this bulletin the mass of original notes con- tributed by observers has been supplemented by frequent references to — the literature of the subject, and numerous extracts have been made from reliable sources. The results of the investigations of several ex- periment stations have been freely used. Partofthe chapter on methods of destruction, and some of the notes on Spermophilus tridecemlineatus, S. franklini, and 8. richardson, together with the plates illustrating these species, have already appeared in a paper by the author in the Annual Report of the U.S. Department of Agriculture for 1892, pp. 186-189. It would be impracticable, even were it desirable, to mention the large number of correspondents who have contributed data. Some have sent in specimens, others valuable notes on the range or habits of the several species, while the answers received to letters of inquiry — on the subjects of distribution and bounties alone number several hun- — dred. Much information on the distribution of these spermophiles is still needed from localities near the limits of their ranges. But without the assistance so freely given it would have been almost impossible to determine precisely the areas inhabited by the species, and acknowledg- ments are due to all who have aided the work. NATURAL ENEMIES. 15. NATURAL ENEMIES OF SPERMOPHILES. The most important natural enemies of spermophiles are the diurnal birds of prey. Day after day the marsh hawk (Circus hudsonius) may be seen gliding over fields and prairies, occasionally inaking a sudden turn and diving to the ground to pick up a mouse or sper- mophile. According to Dr. A. K. Fisher, ‘Its food consists largely of small rodents, such as meadow mice, half-grown squirrels, rabbits, and spermophiles or ground squirrels. In fact, so extensively does it feed on the last-named animals that the writer rarely has examined a stomach from the West which did not contain their remains.”* The heavier hawks, as the red-tail and Swainson’s hawk, inhabiting the prairie country also subsist largely upon them. _ Even the ferruginous roughleg (Archibuteo ferrugineus), one of the largest of our hawks, is not above making a meal of one when an oppor- tunity offers. I once surprised one of these hawks in a hot pursuit of a Striped Spermophile, which, however, succeeded by active dodging in reaching a hole in time to escape. ‘This bird is known as the ‘Cali- fornia squirrel hawk’ in some localities, but it is not to be inferred that they often capture the agile arboreal Sciwri. The name is gained from their feeding extensively, in California, upon the ‘ground squirrels’ (Spermophilus beecheyi), which abound in many parts of that State. The hawks are almost always, too, observed in the vicinity of the set- tlements of the Spermophili, standing on the ground where there are no trees, or flying low over the surface, in either case on the alert to seize any unlucky animal that may venture too far from home. They are also said to perch in wait at the entrance of the burrows, ready to clutch the first animal that shows his nose above ground.”t Ordinarily owls and spermophiles do not meet, as each sleeps during the hours in which the other is active. Thediurnal snowy owl and hawk owl may find other spermophiles far to the north, but in winter, when they come south over the United States, these animals are in their winter dens. The little burrowing owl (Speotyto c. hypogaea), though active both day and night, feeds principally upon grasshoppers and beetles; but once I shot one as it carried a nearly full-grown Striped Spermophile in its claws. It is probable that it destroys many of the smaller species of spermophiles or their young. Capt. Chas. E. Bendire gives the following account of an experiment Showing that the burrowing owl] will kill and eat adult spermophiles: “Yn this vicinity [Walla Walla, Wash.] these owls seem to live to a great extent on that pest of the farmer, Townsend’s Ground Squirrel (Spermo. philus richardsoni tounsendi Allen), which would be much more de- structive if not kept down by these owls. In order to satisfy myself “Bulletin No. 3, The Hawks and Owls of the United States, 1893, p. 27. tCoues, Birds of the Northwest, 1874, p.. 366. o 16 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. _ that they were actually able to kill adult squirrels, I trapped several and placed them alive (they had been caught in a wire trap and were not at all injured) in a room with a pair of these owls. As soon as no- — ticed by the latter, one of them would fasten his talons into the — squirrel’s back and, with a few well-directed strokes of its beak, break — the vertebre of the neck and eat the head of the squirrel, often before — the latter was quite dead; yet the remainder of the body was usually — left and devoured later. I was surprised to see how easily they killed — these squirrels, which made scarcely any resistance.” (Ornithologist — and Odlogist, Vol. v1, 1881, pp. 41-42.) No less than 16 of the 73 species and subspecies of hawks and owls ~ found in the United States and British America are known to prey on — the various members of the genus Spermophilus. The following species — have been reported to feed on these animals, and more careful observa- g: tions will undoubtedly increase the list: a HAWKS. OWLS. : : A p : “a Circus hudsonius. Strix pratincola. ‘ Accipiter cooperi. x Bubo v. subarcticus. = Parabuteo u. harrist. Nyctea nyctea. a Buteo b. krideri. Surnia ulula caparoch. & Buteo b. calurus. Speotyto c. hypogea. $ Buteo swainsoni. Glaucidium g. californicum. ‘ 5 Archibuteo ferrugineus. Aquila chrysaétos. Halicetus leucocephalus. . Falco mexicanus. In our investigations of the food of hawks and owls thé remains of | spermophiles were actually found in the stomachs of 22 specimens representing 7 species of these birds. The total number of stomachs — of these species examined was 981. This proportion (about 24 per cent) does not represent the true percentage of spermophiles in the bird’s food inasmuch as a very large number of the stomachs were ob- tained from birds killed in the eastern United States where spermo- philes donotoccur. Thus, in a total of 562 stomachs of the redtail (Buteo borealis) and its subspecies, 477 were taken in States east of the range of Spermophilus; and of 127 stomachs of the great horned owl (Bubo virginianus) only 53 were taken within the range of this genus, and of these 11 were empty. If, on the other hand, all empty stomachs and all those taken outside the range of Spermophilus are discarded (a total of 799), the percentage containing spermophiles is increased from 21 to 12; while 23 per cent of the marsh hawks examined, 25 per cent of the prairie falcons, and 40 per cent of Harris’ hawks were found to have fed on these animals, as shown in detail in the following table: NATURAL ENEMIES. 17 Table showing stomachs of Hawks and Owls which contained Spermophiles.* Total BUX Na . + number of Species. Locality. Date. Spermophiles. staninbien examined.f Marsh hawk......-.-.. Travare, 8. Dak...-...... July 5,1887| Spermophilus13-lineatus lise Pembina, N. Dak........ July 30/1887 cco 2. Grae ete 1D. a oon Bees GO ssc ee eeeteck Pe ion cee ieee CB Kayes les pe ee Ase DO2ed JSG Ges sane See Oia eck See 2 sGO.. 25552 S| acisciers dO rst eeae oben ee aaer WORE oes. s- Devils Lake, N. Dak - “Aug. IE MS Vee oae= Gs arc eh eke RUC 100.05 sae Cheyenne, Wiyon 2 ote | Aug. 21, SBS) | Peeeee Oe os. Poe ate LT. dt ie Birch Creek, dale Bee ye Aug. 4, 1890 Spermophilus mollis. --. 30 Cooper’s hawk.......-. Dhree Rivers, Cal...---- J uly 28, 1891 | Spermophilus beecheyi - 22 Harris’ hawk .......-.- Been AIA «oe 0a nica 2 May 13, 1889 Ppernonhits tereticau- us Db]. ee eee Cees CTE OSE een a fee Ai a eae Spermophilus=----ee4-ee 5 Red-tailed ok | =i See Devils Lake, N. Dak .-.. ‘Aug. 11, 1887 | Spermophilus franklini and §. 13-lineatus. Det. tosses Vermillion, S. Dak...... Apr. 9,1890 |} Spermophilus13-lineatus 10D. ee eee San Francisco Mt., Ariz.| Aug. 3,1889 | Spermophilus lateralis. . 10D sce eGQ See ee es eee O10) See SESS oon ae Ame 26. 18891 | fos LOU ao re pe ae ane aia 1D. Sees e SEE Hel Cee COP er che de ooecemd Sept. re aets 8) ease GO) saat eine oes & LOG se coca e ee ee COM reece ase ote June 12, 1887 |.----- CO: seep oe Bees eae a ae Marfa; ‘Texas. -..--2-.-. Jan. 19,1890 | Spermophilus grammu- 60 rus. Swainson’s hawk...... Birch Creek, Idaha..... Aug. 4,1890 | Spermophilus mullis .... 15 Prairie falcon ..--..-.- Cheyenne, Wyo ....---- Aug. 3,1888|} Spermophilus13-lineatus LOO Sikes ee eee Laramie Mts., Wyo..... Aug. 4,1888| Spermophilus richard- 8 soni elegans. Horned owl.---.....-.- Camp Verde, Ariz.....- Oct. 28, 1885 Spermophilus harrisi- - 1D) 3S sece SCS ae Seaeee OMe sere ciewieeiscr Aug. 28, 1886 | Spermophilis grammu- 42 rus. *Compiled from tables in Bulletin No. 3, The Hawks and Owls of the United States, 1893. t Only those stomachs which contained food and which were taken within the region inhabited by spermophiles are included. Among mammals, the spermophiles’ greatest enemy is undoubtedly the badger which makes a regular business of finding and digging out the holes in which they live, and devouring the occupants. I have found their remains in a badger’s stomach after the spermophiles had hibernated, so that none could be caught in traps. In speaking of the habits of this animal, Dr. Coues says: “The badger, too slow of foot to capture the nimble rodents which form its principal food, perpetually seeks them in their own retreats; and itis the work of a few minutes for this vigorous miner to so far enlarge their burrows that it can enter and reach the deepest recesses. In places where the badgers and spermophiles most abound, the con- tinual excavation of the soil by these animals fairly undermines and honeycombs the ground.” (Fur-Bearing Animals, 1877, p.281.) Though the badger indulges in quite a varied diet spermophiles are his main dependence, and where they are abundant badgers are usually abundant also. As the country becomes settled, badgers are killed whenever opportunity offers, either for sport or because they have been known to trouble the poultry yard. As a result the spermophiles increase more rapidly unless other means be employed for their destruction. Foxes, coyotes, and wild cats do not lose an opportunity to dine upon any small mammal that comes in their way, though as the greater part of their hunting is carried on at night fewer spermophiles than noc- turnal animals fall to their prey. Doubtless a few of the smaller species are captured by skunks, though a greater part of the food of the 4032—No, 42 — ~~ OT eee ———— oo SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. skunk consists of smaller game, insects, and fruit. - The long-tailed weasel (Putorius longicauda) is one of their most deadly enemies. It readily enters the burrows and kills the occupants without the slightest inconvenience. On the prairies of the Dakotas, Nebraska, and Wyoming they may frequently be seen running quickly from one hole to another, and as is usual with weasels, they probably kill far more than they can eat, merely for the pleasure of killing. These weasels always seem to be rather scarce, else no spermophiles would remain alive. There is no doubt that the larger snakes destroy great numbers, especially of the young, though definite information on the subject is scarce. I have frequently found large bull snakes (Pitwophis) crawl- ing in or out of their holes, and have found pocket gophers and other animals of the size of small spermophiles in the snakes. Thus it may be seen that without the aid of man there are abundant provisions for regulating the abundance of these animals and prevent- ing their too rapid increase. The great danger is that in some of his blind efforts to rearrange matters in a more satisfactory manner man will destroy his friends instead of his enemies. BOUNTIES. The damage done by spermophiles is so great that the expedient of offering bounties for their destruction has been tried in several States where these pests are most abundant. Iowa, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and more recently Washington, have all expended large amounts in this way. In 1888 and 1889 an attempt was made to ascertain the amounts act- ually paid for the destruction of spermophiles and pocket gophers in the Dakotas, Iowa, and Minnesota, but owing to the difficulty in obtaining accurate returns, the investigation was abandoned. With the exception of Minnesota there were no State laws, the bounties being paid by the counties, and this necessitated obtaining returns from the auditor of each county. A more serious difficulty was the fact that these returns in- cluded bounties on several species of mammals, and sometimes birds, and gave merely the total amount expended, making it almost impossible in most cases to ascertain the proportion paid for the destruction of each species. In the following tables given under each State returns are in- cluded only from counties which it is reasonably certain paid some part of the bounty on spermophiles. In some cases the county records were found to be very incomplete, and in others no replies were received to the letters of inquiry sent out, so that only a part of the counties which have actually paid bounties areincluded. For these reasons the tables are necessarily very incomplete and are only included for the purpose of giving a general idea of the large amounts expended for the destruction of ground squirrels. Dakota.—Bounties in the Territory of Dakota were paid by the coun- ties, there being no Territorial bounty. The following resolutions passed. % a. C BOUNTIES. 19 by the board of county commissioners of Rolette County may be taken as an example of the law under which the bounties were paid: ‘That a bounty of 3 cents each be paid for the killing of each gopher within the following described territory in the county of Rolette. * * * The tails of all gophers caught to be preserved and taken before one of the officers hereinafter mentioned, and an affidavit made and subscribed before such officers, setting forth that the gophers were killed within the boundaries of said territory, and since the passage of this resolution, and the several officers hereinafter designated * * * areinstructed to carefully examine the persons making such affidavit as to the truth- fulness of their statement set forth therein, and such officers to preserve the tails of the gophers so caught and See them together with the affidavits taken by them.” Under the above resolution county Wareinte were issued to the amount of $1,940.85 for 64,695 gopher tails produced and verified by affidavits. The following table shows that ten counties now included in North Dakota expended $37,248.16 for the destruction of spermophiles, while three counties now in the State of South Dakota paid $2,247.86, of which $74.63 was spent for pocket gophers. Table showing bounties paid on Spermophiles by Counties of North Dakota. Total amount Total C paid on bounty ounty. Rate. | Date. |spermophiles ido bh Remarks. and other - Gung y animals. y- Cents 1887 *$9, 000. 00 eerie 2... ..02-.-- Sea ercsn) etpouon,| fim eoue00 ce ae 2 1886 300. 00 uly 7 to Aug. 6. Benson..-...-------. ; 3 | 1887 1, 200. doe| 1,500. 00 yer 11 to June 11. ; 3 1886 400. 002 Bottineau ......-.-.- ; 3 1887 1, 100. 0US 1,500.00 | May 1 to July 1. 1887 1, 800. 00 Wayalier 2o.c..5.... - +20 1888 700. 00 6, 000. 00 1889 3, 500. 00 STIS 3 1887 5, 200. 60 5, 200.60 | Bounty withdrawn. 0 Se as-lncs 8s eS] (Rae IE eee eee et ene ‘* County has expended thousands of dollars to destroy the gray ae ph er.’—George R. Fralick, cures N. Dak., Aug., 1888. 4 1886 177. 32 July to eptember. Nelgon ....-...--.-.. ; 3 | 1887 4, 363. oR 4, 540.57 ; April to July. Ramsey ...... See 3 1887 774. 05 774.05 | May and June. No bounty in 1888. ind RVR 4 1887 1, 940. 85 1, 940.85 | June 8 to nop ee gray gophers pre- dominated about 4 to 1. 92 | 1888 396. 21) TLC 3) ee eee ; 3 1889 395. 885 792. 09 CMI SE SG pS oeoEl BOSSE nese eee Eee ea ene ee 37, 248. 16 * Approximate. + Per dozen. Table showing bounties paid on Spermophiles by Counties of South Dakota. Total amount Total paid on County. Rate. | Date. |spermophiles bounty Remarks. and other ue aa y animals. y Cents. Meminds 3o......--. 3 1888 $1, 800.00 | $1,800.00 | 3 per cent pocket gophers. WMil@ceat etc siccewso- 2 1887 412. 00 412.00 | 5 per cent pocket gophers. SOUUCK. cisjossies cacce S 1 1886 35, 86 eae 86 20 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. Towa.—Sections 1487 and 1488 of the Code of Iowa (1873) provided for the payment of bounties on wolves and other large animals but not on gophers or spermophiles. Elsewhere the power was conferred on the board of supervisors at any regular meeting ‘‘To determine what boun- ties, in addition to those already provided by law, if any, shall be of- fered and paid by their county on the scalps of such wild animals taken and killed within their county as they may deem it expedient to ex- terminate. But no such bounty shall exceed five dollars.” (Code of Iowa, 1873, Title N, Chap. 2, Sec. 303.) Under this law eight counties expended $14,031.96 for the destruction of Gray and Striped Spermophiles previous to the year 1890, as shown in the following table: Table showing bounties paid on Spermophiles by Counties of Iowa. Total amount Total paid on County. Rate. Date. | spermophiles pir Remarks. and other animals. county. nas eo BOON yo aciecccee ss. 5 cents, striped -.- 1888 $2,000.00 | $2, 000. 00 | Cerro Gordo ......- 3 CONtS..o..2-c0-5- 1864-1865 954. 45 954.45 ; June9, 1864, toOct. 18, ; 1865. ‘ 2 cents, striped -.- ee ve . Franklin’. -.---2-- 1888 1. 193. 00 4, 456.00 | 75 per cent for striped 3 cents, gray....- 1889 1’ 546.00 and gray in 1889. PET aN COC Kees setisinc|| eleisieiele saree sere ore 1888 1, 150. 00 1, 150. 00 3 cents, striped -- 1888 2, 198. 01 Humboldt ......... Pe ae oF i 3400, 00¢| 4598-01 | June 1 to July 1, 1888, IU Pye caseeenenScEoae 10 cents, gray....| 1878-1882 *700. 00 700.00 | Bounty 'in force 1878— 1882. ee 5 cents, striped - O’Brien....-...---.- ‘3 cents, gray... $ 1874? | pated Mi a Toles lak a | Rina eres Coe 23 cents, striped.) = Plymouth ......... ; Se eath graye. -.¢| 1875-1876 #560. 00 560. 00 ata es mace Rohe th | Fume ee als enee wiear alll scm sec 14,418.46 | Includes $386.50 for other species. * Amount paid in one month. t Approximate. Kansas.—No attempt was made to ascertain the amount expended in Kansas, but it is probable that bounties were offered in several coun- ties. Mr. J.S. Betzer, of Copeland, Kans., reported that the county of Thomas paid a bounty of 3 cents per scalp during the spring of 1890. The total amount expended was more than $5,000, which, however, included a small sum paid for bounties on wolves. Minnesota.—In the spring of 1887 the State of Minnesota passed the following bounty laws: AN ACT TO PROVIDE BOUNTIES FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF GOPHERS AND BLACKBIRDS. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Minnesota— SECTION 1. That gophers and blackbirds are declared public nuisances and any person who shall kill or destroy said gophers in this State shall be entitled to receive five (5) cents each for every pocket gopher so killed by him, and three (3) cents each for all other kinds of gophers so killed. Src. 2. That it shall be the duty of the chairman of the board of supervisors of each town, on the production to him of the dead bodies of all such gophers * * ¥ a % a “i BOUNTIES. 21 killed as aforesaid in the town of which said chairman is supervisor, and of which he shall have satisfactory evidence were killed by the person so producing such bod- ies, to issue his certificate under his official signature to the county auditor of the county * * * giving the number of said gophers so killed and thereupon the county auditor shall draw and issue a warrant on the county treasurer for the amount such person is entitled to receive under the provisions of the preceding section of mapeach. ~ * Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. "(General Laws of Minnesota for 1887, Chap. 144.) This act was approved March 8, 1887, and under it bounties were paid by sixteen counties to the amount of $46,197.53. In many of the counties the money was paid largely or exclusively for the destruc- tion of pocket gophers and blackbirds. Those which paid bounties in part for the destruction of spermophiles are shown in the following table. In this State the bounties for spermophiles were paid mainly on the Striped Gopher (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus). Table showing bounties paid on Spermophiles by State of Minnesota. Totalamount maiden | aa County. Rate. | Date. |spermophiles) | 0.4 re Remarks. and other us int y animals. 4 Y- : Ce 1887 $ fa 1, 630. 2 pets Becker ......... 15 55c Se Sssaee ; ‘Qa9 10¢e| $4,612.39 | Probably not more than $100 paid for 1888 2, 982. ca | Hldeleuieds: iiterbiarth....:.-+.-|---...-. 1887 2, 190. 28 2,190.28 | 10 per cent expended for pockot gophers ($219.02). Fionbbard ..-...-.--.. *3 ae 294. 00 294. 00 188 79. 89 Bie Sneur.......----- *3| 31889 195 cor] 264.89 MMiciheod -.....----2-- oR 1887 222.11 222,11 | For six months. IME GIMNSs ce ks cces sos =o 1887 13, 000.00 | 18,000.00 | About $225 paid for pocket gophers. Meeker ..--2...-.--. *3 1887 $81. 84 981.84 | May 1 to Oct. 1. Nicollet Jo2:..26.5-5: *3 1887 2, 025. 00 2, 025.00 | May 3 to Dee. 31. ITIOR ASS ben eees Seana 1887 1, 997. 24 1,997.24 | May 18 to Aug. 28, 90 per cent for Striped Spermophiles. IN GTTNE NY GS Sheoe SS ae Ss EeEeeeee 1887 1, 071. 71 1,071.71 | June 1 to Nov. 15. This includes a few dozen blackbirds. if 3 ; 1887 f 2, 000. one Pope.--------------- 2 42 1889] +2100. 00¢| 4100.00 rermvill@’..-2--.------ 3 1887 4, 200. 00 4,200.00 | $200 paid for pocket gophers. 5 May 16 to Dee. 31. Scott 3 |) 188s 774, 36¢ 2,149. 63 |JAD- 1 to Dee. 31. eee =n = === 1889 1078.34 areas Jan. 1 to Oct. 26, 35 per cent for ie ee gophers ($377.41). ee , 1887 ay 18, 1887, to Jan. 15, 1888; $250 for loo ae Aiaeeee | 2eo000 |) «2,450,002 Sk ee VND ASN ecs sense as|wicoscess 1887-89 5, 279. 28 5, 279.28 | 90 per cent for pocket gophers ($4,751.35). DWANOMAiasaccccc slo. 3 1887 1, 366. 16 1, 366,16 | May 1 to Nov. 1; 75 per cent for pocket gophers ($1,024.62). fo dhivea 2 <5 20 Ss be ere eee 46, 197.53 MesSswWOuUNblESs ioe ei. slacets os los Sislew ose eee 7, 147. 40 on pocket gophers, etc. PRTG E SOL, 15. ors< |. alla scl enceccices sees 39, 050. 13 mophiles. * For Striped Spermophiles. +t Approximate, Montana.—In 1887 Montana offered a bounty of 5 cents each on ground Squirrels and prairie dogs. The law took effect March 5 and remained in operation about six months. On September 12, 1887, bounties had yp SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. been paid on 698,971 ground squirrels, making the total expenditure $34,948.55. During the same period more than $15,000 had been paid for the destruction of prairie dogs, and the money in the treasury hay- ing been exhausted the law was repealed without having diminished the number of spermophiles or prairie dogs to any perceptible extent. Washington.—During the year 1892 the county of Lincoln paid $31,071.06 for the destruction of Townsend’s Spermophiles (Spermophilus townsendi), according to the report of the auditor dated October 8, 1892. This bounty was paid from February to June, inclusive, at the rate of 5 cents per scalp in February, 4 cents in March, 3 cents in April, 2 cents in May, and 1 cent in June. It is estimated that 1,035,702 scalps were presented. In addition to this a large number of animals undoubtedly escaped only to die in their holes or were killed during the hot weather and their scalps not presented, so that the figures do not show the total number actually destroyed. The total amounts paid by the seven States for the destruction of spermophiles, as shown by the very incomplete returns received, are as follows: 1864-1865 TOW sess elena oto. sone cee a eee eee 1878-1882 $14, 031. 96 1885-1889 ° WRAMS AS Sot Sec eci Sate ek a oe ee ee 1890.. 5. 000. 00 Martnesuid 2 eS ee ee 1887-1889.. 39, 050.13 © NMomiana, 2 i205: cS tS ee eee Se) ee 1887.. 34, 948.55 North Dakota 2235820 25s ee ee 1886-1889.. 37, 248.16 South “Dakota: to s22 ly. = ois. meee ae ne 1886-1888 . - 2, 173. 23 Wiashimehows ono tee. Ss oes Cece eo ee ee 1892.. 31, 071. 06 Total 22222 522-45 = -2/s-2- G53 == 5G 2 OBJECTIONS TO THE BOUNTY SYSTEM. The experience of nearly all the States which have paid bounties for the destruction of injurious animals has been that the system is not only very expensive, but unsatisfactory. In the case of Montana the money in the treasury was exhausted before the act had been in operation six months, and yet the numbers of ground squirrels were not perceptibly diminished. The experience of Benton County, lowa, with pocket gophers also shows the disastrous effects of offering high bounties: In 1866 a bounty of 10 cents per scalp was paid. The following year the bounty was increased to 20 cents, amounting to $10,000. This caused the county to borrow $3,000, and still left gopher warrants unpaid to the amount of $3,000 additional. The bounty was then reduced to 12 cents for six months, then to 10 cents, and was finally abolished in January 1, 1869, the entire amount paid out in three years being about $18,000, but the gopher, although greatly reduced in numbers, was not exterminated. The result was hardly more successful in the Dakotas and Minnesota, and in several cases the bounties were withdrawn within a few months OBJECTIONS TO BOUNTIES. — 23 of the passage of the law. The report received from Nelson County, N. Dak., showed that $4,363.25 had been paid for the destruction of spermophiles between April and July, 1887. The report states: ‘The attempt to put down the gopher raid was a failure, as it was impossible to follow the 1887 bounties without bankrupting the county. The county has twenty-eight full townships and 227,000 acres under culti- vation, which gives too much gopher lands.” The county of Griggs, — N. Dak., offered a bounty of 3 cents per tail for gophers during the spring of 1887, and reported $5,200.60 paid out before the bounty was withdrawn. Mr. George R. Fralick, of La Moure, N. Dak., wrote in 1888: ‘This county [La Moure] has expended thousands of dollars to destroy the Gray Gopher, and there are thousands of them yet to de- stroy our crops.”’ In Minnesota, under the act of 1887 Meeker County paid bounties from May 1 to October 1, when the payments were discontinued as it was said that there were aS many gophers as before, although $14,056.34 had been expended for the destruction of pocket and Striped Gophers. In Nobles County the act of 1887 was accepted May 18, but _ the bounty was ordered discontinued after August 28. During this pe riod the amount paid was $1,997.24, about 90 per cent of which was for Striped Gophers and the balance about equally divided between pocket and Gray Gophers and blackbirds. Several counties reported fraudulent payments of bounties. In Ram- say County, N. Dak., tails were received as evidence. ‘This was unsat- isfactory, as “it was proved that some of our clever young Americans divided the caudal appendage in two pieces and claimed bounty for each piece, or caught breeders, cut their tails off, and let them go, so as to give them a chance to raise more bounty-producing gophers.” The report from Madison County, Iowa, which offered bounties on the several species of gophers indiscriminately, showed that bits of gopher hide with holes cut in them to imitate scalps were presented for pay- ment. ‘ This involved the county in lawsuits, and the bounty on scalps was repealed.” Dissatisfied with the effects of the bounty laws, the commissioners of several counties in North Dakota offered poison free of charge to the farmers for the destruction of gophers. In the year 1888 Benson County distributed $100 worth of strychnine and reported the results satisfactory so far as the extermination of the pests was concerned, although some stock was poisoned. The number of gophers killed during this year was Said to be larger than during the previous year under the bounty act. In the spring of the same year Nelson County furnished $200 worth of the strychnine to the farmers, but reported the experiment unsuccessful. Wheat soaked in a solution of poison was used during May and June. These months were wet, and it was Supposed that the moist ground destroyed in some measure the effects of the poison. During the years 1887 to 1889 Wells County furnished $500 worth of strychnine and reported the result successful. 94 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. In the State of Washington a large amount of money has also been expended in poison for the destruction of Townsend’s Spermophile (Sper- mophilus townsendi). Dr. J. W. Lockhardt, of Saint John, Whitman County, under date of June 8, 1892 writes: “I think it no exaggera- tion to say that the farmers of this county [Whitman] spent $3,000 this year for the poison for this pest and yet many acres of grain arealready __ destroyed. ” ; Evidently a bounty can be but a temporary expedient for the exter- mination of these or other animals. Even if a sufficient amountof . money were appropriated to completely exterminate aspeciesinagiven — locality, its numbers would soon be reduced to a certain limit where it would cease to be profitable to hunt the animals, and the bounty would consequently become inoperative. ‘‘ Bounties offered for the destruction of harmful species seldom accomplish the desired end, and if success does finally result it is only after vastly larger expenditures than were at first thought necessary. After a harmful species—the wolf, for example—has become rather scarce in any section of country the offer of a bounty may lead to its complete extermination; and to attain such a result, it is certainly good economy to make the bounty large. Obviously, it is better to pay a large sum at once for the last few pairs of wolves in a district than to offer a bounty so small that it is little inducement to a hunter to spend his time in their pursuit. In this latter case the wolves easily hold their own for many years, or even increase slowly, while. the aggregate bounties paid will far exceed all expectation. In order to be effective a bounty should be large enough to assure the destrue- tion of the great majority of the individuals during the first year, and this is especially true of species which are very numerous and prolific. And yet the amount of money required for the payment of bounties in such cases would be so enormous as to make the plan impracticable.”* A full discussion of this phase of the subject may be found in a sec- tion devoted to the question of bounties on the English sparrow.t METHODS OF DESTROYING PRAIRIE DOGS AND SPER- MOPHILES. Experience has shown that in many ways spermophiles render val- uable service to the farmer, but when they are numerous about grain fields they must be disposed of or in some way prevented from attacking the crop, else great loss will be sustained. Still, a wholesale destruc- tion is not to be recommended; unless they do serious damage, spare them for the good they do, and at least let them remain on the prairies and in the meadows and pastures. The injury which they do to crops, however, is an evil of such magni- tude over more than two-thirds of the total area of the United States, *Bulletin No.1, The English Sparrow in America, 1889, pp. 153-154. t Loe. cit., 153-163. METHODS OF DESTROYING SPERMOPHILES. 25 that there is a general demand for some economical means of destroy- ing them. The various means used with greater or less success may be divided into four general classes: (1) fire arms, (2) fumigation, (3) traps, (4) poisoning by strychnine and bisulphide of carbon. Fire arms.—Under certain circumstances, where not too numerous or too shy, limited areas may-be freed from spermophiles by shooting the animals. In California, where the large ground squirrels (Spermo- philus beecheyi), fairly swarm in some of the valleys, hunters make good wages by shooting them for themarket. The meat of the young animals is tender and delicate in flavor and brings almost as high a price as that of rabbits. Ordinarily, however, where the spermophiles are sufficiently _ abundant to make it worth while to hunt them for profit, they soon be- come exceedingly wary and difficult to shoot, and it is necessary to resort to some other less expensive and more efficient method to destroy them entirely. Fumigation.—Various devices have been patented for destroying burrowing rodents, especially ground squirrels, by suffocation. Thisis accomplished by forcing the smoke of burning straw or sulphur into the burrows by means of ‘smokers’ or fumigating machines, and the fumes soon overcome the inmates. When the holes have more than one entrance it is necessary to take the precaution to close all but one to prevent the escape of the smoke. When the work is done thoroughly this is often a very efficient means of destroying the pests. The disad- vantages, however, arising from the fact that the fumigating machines are more or less expensive, as well as somewhat unwieldy to carry about, render this method of less value than the simpler ones of trap- ping or poisoning. Traps.—Trapping is slower than poisoning, but has the advantage in being simple and safe. Few animals are more readily taken in this way. Several special kinds of traps are in use, but for ordinary purposes the No. 0 steel trap with the spring under the pan will be tound as good aS any. This is the smallest steel trap made, and is quite an improve- ment over the ordinary steel trap with side springs, as it is equally strong and much more easily concealed. The trap securely fastened by its chain should be set at the mouth of the hole, lightly covered with fine earth, and baited with almost any kind of grain. Bait is not always necessary, and in the case of a few of the species it is unnecessary even to cover the trap. POISONING. Strychnine and bisulphide of carbon are the most speedy and effective poisons for the destruction of prairie dogs, ground squirrels, and pocket gophers. Strychnine.—In general, the scattering of strychnine about promiscu- ously is to be avoided on account of the danger to animals other than those for whom it was intended. In certain cases, however, it may be 26 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. used to advantage, as shown by the practical experience of Mr. Rollin C. Cooper, of Cooperstown, N. Dak. He writes, under date of Novem- ber 28, 1888: “JT am farming 7,000 acres,-and the gopher question has been one of great interest to me. I now think that [have the best of them and can rid my farm of them at little expense. I send men overmy fields about twice in the spring, the first time as soon as the animals commence coming out of their holes, with wheat soaked in strychnine water. I use one ounce of floured strychnine to each bushel of wheat. Every farmer can flour his own strychnine with a caseknife on any piece of iron or glass; it should then be put into quite warm water, dissolving the strychnine fully.. Pour on water until the wheat is nicely covered, let- ting it stand the necessary time. Soak the wheat twenty-four to thirty- six hours, or until somewhat soft. When sufficiently soaked each man takes a teaspoon and a small can and walks over the fields, putting one teaspoonful into each hole. This being carefully done a couple of times each year will soon clean the animals out, and will greatly repay the farmer, even if repeated every year, aS one man can go over 50 to 100 acres per day.” Under this head should be mentioned the numerous brands of squir- rel poison or squirrel exterminators which have been put on the market during recent years. These consist of grain, usually wheat, prepared with strychnine or other poison ready for use. The different brands have proved of varying value, but several of them have been highly recommended, and in use have proved eminently successful as well as economical. Bisulphide of carbon.—One of the simplest means and probably the most effective and cheapest method yet devised for destroying these animals is by the use of bisulphide of carbon. This compound when pure forms a colorless, mobile iquid having a peculiar odor, and | when taken internally is a violent poison. As usually obtained it con- tains impurities in the form of other compounds of sulphur which give it a Strong and extremely offensive odor, and when inhaled it soon causes death. For the purpose of destroying gophers or ground squirrels the crude bisulphide is better and muchcheaper than the pure article. Care should be taken in using the liquid, as it is both inflammable and explo- sive. Its efficacy depends on the fact that its vapor is heavier than air and when introduced into burrows flows like water into all the recesses. This should be borne in mind in using it on sloping ground or in places where there is reason to suppose that the holes contain water, for un- less the poison is introduced at the highest opening of the burrow a certain part of the hole will remain free from it and here the animals may take refuge. Ifthe holes contain water, this may act as a water trap preventing the diffusion of the vapor. The method of use for burrowing mammals is as follows: A small quantity (about 45 cubic centimeters or 3 tablespoonfuls for prairie Loe EXPERIMENTS WITH BISULPHIDE OF CARBON. yay dogs, and 30 cubic centimeters or 2 tablespoonfuls for spermophiles and pocket gophers) should be poured upon a bunch of rags or waste, which should be immediately placed within the mouth of the burrow, and the hole closed. EXPERIMENTS WITH BISULPHIDE OF CARBON. A few simple experiments have been made in killing small mammals with bisulphide of carbon. The species upon which the experiments were tried were such as could be readily procured—skunks, prairie dogs, striped spermophiles, pocket gophers, and the common rat. In most cases far too much of the liquid was used, but the object was mainly to determine the quantity necessary to kill animals of various sizes. The animal after being caughtina trap, was fastened by a string and allowed to enter its hole. A measured quantity of liquid bisulphide of carbon was then poured into the hole, the mouth of which was usually covered, and the time required for the animal’s death noted. By means of the string they were drawn out of the holes, and if not dead, re- placed until they were. Following are some of the experiments: Wichita Falls, Tex., August, 1892.—(1) A prairie dog, fastened by a strong cord, was allowed to enter its hole. It carried down 12 feet 10 inches (3.9 meters) of cord. The hole measured 4 inches (100 milli- meters) in diameter. I poured in 49 cubic centimeters of bisulphide (about 3 tablespoonfuls), and in eight minutes drew out the prairie dog, dead. (2) Another prairie dog fastened by a cord was allowed to enter its hole 8 feet 3 inches (2.5 meters). The hole was 52 inches (145 milli- meters) in diameter. I poured in 49 cubic centimeters of bisulphide and in five minutes drew out the prairie dog, dead. (3) Another was allowed to go down its hole about 10 feet (3.04 meters). I poured in 49 cubic centimeters of bisulphide, and in five minutes the prairie dog was apparently dead, but caught in the hole, and I broke the string in trying to draw it out. (4) Another prairie dog with string attached entered its hole 4 feet 3 inches (1.3 meters). Poured in 49 cubic centimeters of bisulphide, and in six minutes drew out the dead prairie dog. (5) Another with its foot in a trap went down the hole 14 inches (395 millimeters). I poured in 29 cubic centimeters (2 tablespoonfuls), of bisulphide and covered the hole. In five minutes the prairie dog was still alive. The gas had passed by it and filled the lower part of the hole, but had not filled it high enough to reach the prairie dog. From the effects of the gas it was nicely anesthetized and did not revive for two or three hours. (6) A Striped Spermophile (8. tridecemlineatus) was allowed to go down its hole 14 inches (355 millimeters). Poured in some bisulphide, and in six minutes drew out the spermophile dead. (7) Caught a skunk by one foot in a steel trap. It had crawled a. )).)) Ca the rat died in four minutes. 150 cubic centimeters, With 100 cubic centimeters the rat survived. These experiments were entirely satisfactory so far as properly car- ried out, but were too few to afford a basis for definite conclusions. The results are shown in the accompanying table: | BISULPHIDE OF CARBON, 29 Tabular statement showing results of experiments in poisoning small mammals with bisulphide of carbon. Distance - j ve hae : trom iameter mount o No. Species. mouth of | of burrow. | bisulphide. dame: burrow. Inches. Inches. Cubic em. | Min. 1 | Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) ...-..-.-------- 154 4 49 & eee =~ - - 2.2 eg Sigs RE eer er ts 99 3 49 5 3 ae UD 2 de SSS SSE ERS oe eR Se 120" > se eaeeeee se 49 5 | BD 2 beck SES ASSES AE Cee Ea are ee a 5) ae ies esti SEC 49 6 i | ae PRP ean see cite oe tec aa cece s eee ce Ai es (ee EEN 8 29 (*) 6 | Striped Gopher (Spermophilus 13-lineatus).....----- ] WARS po a Ben ees Re aoe eee 6 7 | Common Skunk (Mephitis mephitica) ....--..------- 1 aaa [aes eae ay = mie 83 (t) 8 | Little Spotted Skunk (Spilogale) ...-..------------- 2 5 eee eee ee eggh) | eae ego Se 18 6 9 | Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius)....--..--------- 60 [ev eS a eee reine aes i oe RPS soe wens inte so Su Sow sk's Sais kes OGuer ||" ae se cereoe 36 6 LE Eee TD. 2 ee SHARES tere Seen ae A Or imal see erm ee pers 29 g 2) (ease EDs stGsnee tye ee ies ee eee ee inners enna 120 2 44 §10 eins = = =i DT - ccd 55e SOCEM USO CHE ER AC One me == ees Ga beast eae came 29 x * Vapor passed by and did not completely fill burrow. At end of time the animal was anesthetized, but revived. t Anesthetized in five minutes; revived three hours later. + Not quite dead. § Not affected. Prof. E. W. Hilgard, of the University of California, deserves the credit of originating the bisulphide method of destroying burrowing mammals. Ina bulletin ‘On the destruction of Ground Squirrels by the use of Bisulphide of Carbon,’ published in 1878, he gives the results of experiments made on the California Ground Squirrel (Spermo- philus beecheyt) as follows: “It is hardly necessary to enlarge upon the importance to California agriculture of devising some ready, safe, and effectual means of put- ting an end to the constantly increasing inroads of the ground squirrel upon the grain fields and pastures of the State. Unlike most other wild animals, whose range diminishes as culture advances, the ground squirrel finds an improvement of the conditions of its existence as the area of cultivation increases. Each year we hear of its taking pos- session of ‘fresh fields and pastures new,’ while rarely loosening its grip upon any district once invaded; and the tax it levies upon the grain-growers of some counties exceeds all the other taxes combined. The damage done during the past season in Contra Costa County alone was estimated by the board of supervisors of that county at not less than $150,000, while in many individual cases from 30 to 50 per cent of the crop was harvested by the squirrels before the reaper could take the field.” After describing the properties of bisulphide of carbon and some of its uses he goes on to say: ° ‘It is curious that in no case have I known a squirrel to run out of the holes before the gas; when it meets it face to face in a run, death seems to be almost instantaneous. Butin most cases the animals seem to retire to their nests to die there in a stupor. The mode of proceed- ing is simply this: Select one or two of the freshest holes in a ee | introduce into it, as deep down as you can reach, a wide-mouthed ounce vial full of the liquid, upset the vial, and withdraw it. * * * The holes may all be closed at once, with earth, which need not be rammed; 30 _ SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. ‘the only object being to keep the gas in, and to see if any of the inmates - idig out afterwards. * * * The dead animal is thus buried and out of sight in his own burrow, creates no stench and poisons nothing; its ‘flesh would not be injurious evenif dug up. No other wild or domestic ‘animal runs any risk, unless it be the gopher. The holes retain an offensive odor for some time, and remain closed and untenanted. * * * As for the expense of this method, I have freed the most thickly-peo- pled portions of the University campus (level ground) from every ves- tige of squirrels with about a pound of the liquid per acre; about half an hour being spent by two men in closing the holes with shovels.” * During the past five or six years this remedy has been recommended ‘by the Division, and has been used with success by numerous corre- spondents. Mr. Joseph Conaster, of Sunset, Wash., who was much troubled by the depredations of Townsend’s Spermophile, after using ‘the poison, wrote under date of July 20, 1892: ‘¢T think your bisulphide will exterminate the squirrels. Have anni- hilated two towns of them that I have been shooting and poisoning for three years, Did it all in two hours and am satisfied that the bisul- eee will be the grand remedy of all.” KEY TO THE SPECIES. The area covered by this bulletin includes the ranges of five sper- mophiles. One of these, Kennicott’s Spermophile, is a sub-species of the peculiar Sonoran Spermophile (8S. spilosoma). A sixth form, the Wyoming Spermophile, closely related to Spermophilus richardsoni, will be mentioned and its distribution included under the latter species, as data is wanting to limit the ranges of the two animals. These five species differ widely from one another in coloration, and may be readily distinguished by the colors and markings of the back. For convenience in identification they are here divided into three groups as shown below. . KEY TO THE FIVE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY SPERMOPHILES. 1. Back striped lengthwise. (a) With solid stripes alternating with rows of spots, Spermophilus tridecemli- neatus. (b) With rows of spots without any solid stripes...... Spermophilus mexicanus. 2. Back irregularly and indistinctly spotted. Size small, tail short and slender.-.--...--... Spermophilus spilosoma obsoletus.t 3. Back not distinctly striped or spotted; size large. (a) Paildong and ‘bushy,/eray..-22- 252-- 5-22 5.06 eee ee Spermophilus franklini. (b) Tail short, buff below, blackish above.-.--....---- Spermophilus richardson. * Bulletin of the University of California, No. 32, April, 1878. tThis spermophile inhabits western Nebraska, and is gray in color, with blackish ;edgings to the spots. It belongs to the Spermophilus spilosoma group, most of the members of which are yellowish brown in color. They are not mentioned in the ‘present report because the main part of their range is to the south and west of the area here treated. Representatives of the group however occur in southern and western Texas and eastern Colorado. ; A 1 ee Oe Se a ae ON a Si aha Meee Ss een a aS: nee D aX 1 eee, ae a mi SE LTS eee MR he . g : g STRIPED SPERMOPHILE. 31 STRIPED PRAIRIE SPERMOPHILE. Spermophilus tridecemlineatus (Mitchill). [Plate I—Map 1.] Description.—This is the slenderest of the spermophiles, with ears about an eighth of an inch long; the tail is about half as long as the head and body, flattened and slightly bushy. The belly and lower sides, including legs, feet, throat, nose, and lower half of cheeks, are dull buff or ashy buff; the back is striped with six narrow buff colored lines and seven wider lines of dark brown, each brown line inclosing a row of small spots. Along the middle of the back the stripes extend from the top of the head to the tail, becoming shorter on the sides.* Specimens inhabiting the arid plains are considerably paler than those from the prairies of the Mississippi Valley proper, and have been separated as a SIDS DUCISS under the name Spermophilus tride- cemlineatus pallidus. The following measurements were taken from a specimen selected from fifteen adults as representing the average size: Total length from end of nose to tip of tail vertebra, 252 millimeters (10 inches) ; length of tail (turned at right angles to back and measured with dividers from angle at base to tip of vertebre) 88 millimeters (34 inches) ; length of hind foot from point of heel to tip of longest claw, 33 millime- ters (14 inches). Range.—This well-known little animal is widely distributed through- out the central part of North America, ranging continuously from east- ern Michigan to Montana and Colorado, and from central Texas north to the plains of the Saskatchewan in Canada, where it reaches latitude 53° N. Its range embraces all of the five States of North and South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas, and practically all of the Territory of Oklahoma. North of the United States recent observations have failed to carry it beyond Carlton House, Saskatchewan, where it was found more than sixty years ago. Its eastern limit may be indicated by a line following the Red River valley southward to Pembina, N. Dak., and then running diagonally across Minnesota through Crookston, Park Rapids, and Fort Ripley, to the Wisconsin border near Pine City. Wisconsin records are mainly confined to the southeastern part of the State, although it has been found at Sparta and reported as far north as Ripon. In Michigan the northernmost records are Big Rapids, Byers, Palo, and Matherton. Spermophilus tridecemlinea- tus barely enters Ohio and is restricted to the northwestern part of Indiana, not passing east of the Wabash River according to Mr. F. C. Test. The most southern point in [linois from which it has been reported is Belle Prairie. Harrisville and Golden, Mo., and Ardmore, Ind. Ter., are near its southeastern limits, while Point, Meridian, Clyde, and Epworth, Tex., mark the southern limits of its * An animal frequently confused with this species is the chipmunk (Tamias stria- tus), which has the middle of the back striped with black, buff, and brown, but no spots, and is further distinguished by a more bushy tail and longer ears. Itis a for- est animal and climbs trees, while the Striped Spermophile belongs to the prairies and does not climb trees, oe SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. distribution so far as known. The western limits of its range are — roughly indicated by Fort Garland, Twin Lakes, South Park, and Denver, Colo.; Green River and Douglas, Wyo.; and Fort Custer, Park City, and Chief Mountain Lake, Mont. Specimens have been taken by Mr. E. W. Nelson, at Springerville, Ariz., and the species has been recorded from several places in western New Mexico and Colorado, but the relation of these points to the main area of distribution is not at present clear. In short, it occupies all of the prairie region east-of the Rocky Mountains and is a true prairie-dweller, never entering a timbered region any more than the tree squirrels wander from their forest homes. But as the timber is cleared off and the country brought under eculti- vation, it frequently follows the fields and spreads to considerable dis- tances from its original haunts. In Michigan forty years ago it was restricted to the few small prairies of the southern part of the State; to-day the southern half of the State is nearly as open as the original prairie country and the spermophiles have spread over it as far north as Big Rapids in Mecosta County. In Minnesota [have observed a similar extension of range, though on a smaller scale. When the timber was removed the spermophiles came in from adjoining prairies and were found about fields previously unoccupied by them. The westward range of the species is limited by the Rocky Mountains, over which they do not pass, although they have penetrated well into the valleys on the east slope and even into some of the mountain parks. Habits.—Throughout the prairies of the Mississippi Valley the little Striped Spermophile is a familiar object as it darts through the grass to its hole, or is seen standing upright on its hind feet, straight and motionless as a stick. With its short ears, smoothly rounded head, and the forefeet drooping at its sides, there is no point about its out- line to catch the eye, and at a little distance it is impossible to (distin- guish it from an old picket pin or tent stake. While hunting sper- mophiles I have frequently passed what I mistook for a stake only to hear from it a shrill chatter, and as frequently have cautiously approached within 3 or 4 rods of a supposed spermophile before dis- covering that it was only a pegof wood. Standing thus, the animal will often allow one to approach within a few yards, then quickly drop- ping on all fours it utters a shrill chatter and dives into a hole close by. Remain quiet for a few minutes, and its head reappears at the entrance of the hole and the little black eyes peer at you curiously. Walk away from the place and it will soon come out and, standing up again, watch you as long as within sight, uttering an occasional note of alarm or warning to its friends. Its note is a rapid trill or trembling whistle, a long drawn-out chur-r-r-r-r in a high key. Richardson ascribes to this species a quarrelsome disposition, and says: ‘The manners of the Leopard-marmot are similar to those of A, richardsont, but it is a more actiye animal and of a bolder and more / STRIPED SPERMOPHILE. So irritable disposition. When it has been driven to take shelter in its burrow it may be heard expressing its anger in a shrill and harsh rep- -etition of the syllable seek-seek. * * * The males fight when they meet, and in their contests their tails are often mutilated. I observed several individuals which had been recently injured in this way, and _ it is rare to meet a male which has a tail equaling those of the females inlength.” (Fauna Boreali-Americana, 1829,‘ po 277) Iéis not surprising that an animal so characteristic of prairies should not take kindly to trees. I never saw one try to climb a tree, and did “not suppose that-such an attempt would prove successful, but Mr. _ Ernest E. Thompson, in writing of their habits, says: ‘Although the _ species is supposed to be strictly terrestrial, Mr. R. M. Christie and mnyself twice observed a gopher climb up alow spruce tree in pursuit of a _ bay-winged bunting (Poocetes gramineus), that was perched on the top.”* - The Striped Spermophile depends for shelter and protection on bur- _ rows which it digs in the ground. These burrows are about 2 inches "in diameter, descend steeply for a short distance, and then extend off = Lo Re horizontally. Sometimes a hole longer than usual rises nearly to the surface and then dips down siphon-like, leaving a wall between the entrance and the nest. Many of them are short, and seem to be used - only to dodge into atthe approach of danger, and a bucket of water _ poured into one will often force out the occupant half drowned and - gasping for breath. The tunnels leading to the nests in which the animals spend the winter and raise their young commonly extend 15 or 20 feet, but are not more than a foot, or at most 2 feet, below the surface. Though many of the burrows open on smooth bare ground with nothing to conceal them, the entrances are more commonly hidden _ by a bunch of grass, and sometimes a dried weed, a piece of paper, or an old rag is drawn over the entrance. During the breeding season these spermophiles are quiet and shy, but in June and July when the half-grown young begin to make their appearance above ground their voices are most frequently heard. The parent and her young at this time are constantly calling back and forth, and never wander far from one another. The number of young in a litter seems to vary from seven to ten. In some cases higher numbers still have been reported. Mr. W. W. Gilman, of Stoughton, Dane County, Wis., writes that while in Freeborn County, Minn., he exam- ined a number of pregnant females of this species, and found the embryos to number from nine to fourteen. None of those which I have examined contained more than eight embryos, and the number of mammary nipples of the female varied from eight to twelve. Richardson mentions a female killed, May 17, at Carlton House, on the Saskatchewan River, that contained ten young.t Mr. Ernest E. Thompson, who has carefully observed the habits of eee ee *Trans. Hist. and Sci. Soc. of Manitoba, No. 23 (1886), 1887, p. 14, + Fauna Boreali-Americana, 1829, p. 178. 4032—No,. 4——3 ® ie, 2 Oe ee ee, ee ee ee ee Oe en oe re = e j ~ ns fat m. Ecos Bate 34 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. this species in Manitoba, both in captivity andina wild state,saysthatthe young are born late in May and usually number eight or nine. Robert Kennicott says: ‘The young are produced at the end of May or early - in June. I have observed from five to nine brought forth at a birth, | and I am informed of two instances in which ten were found in a nest; but the number is variable, the usual number being six or seven. The young at birth are naked, blind, and remarkably embryonic. Dr. Hoy, who has observed them in confinement, says that they have no hair on the body before they are twenty days old and the eyes do not open till the thirtieth day. They continue to require nourishment and care of the mother for a much longer period than most rodents. During sum- mer they begin to dig shallow burrows and leave her before winter to shift for themselves. Hibernating mammals require to be in good con- dition when they retire to winter quarters, which females could scarcely be did they rear young late in the season. This spermophile and prob- ; ably the rest of the genus produce but one litter a year.” (Rept.Comm. ~~ Patents for 1856, pp. 76-77.) Appearance in spring.—Towards fall the spermophiles become very fat, and after afew frosty nights, long before snow comes or the ground freezes, they vanish into their holes and do not appear again until the © eround thaws in spring. In southern Minnesota they are rarely seen above ground later than the 1st of October or in spring before the 1st of April. Dr. Thomas 8S. Roberts, of Minneapolis, reports their first . appearance in the spring of 1877 on April 5; in 1878, March 17; and — in 1879, April 5. Robert Kennicott says: “To Mr. William Webb, of Fountaindale, Winnebago County, Il, I am indebted for the following dates of this spermophile’s first appearance in spring, as noted in the meteorologt- eal register of Mr. Edward Bebb: ‘1851, April 10; 1852, April 11; 1853, April 2; 1854, March 29; 1855, April 12.’”” (Rept. Comm. Pat- ents for 1856, p. 77.) Mr. Plummer L. Ong, of Hennepin, Putnam , County, Ill, reports the first one seen at that place in the spring of 1884, on March 24. Mr. O. A. Kenyon, of McGregor, Clayton County, Iowa, reports them as active on April 13, 1887, and Mr. Evelen Brown gives the dates of their first appearance at Bathgate, Pembina County, N. Dak., as March 29, 1889, and April 16, 1890. At Beloit, Kit Carson County, Colo., Mr. H. G. Hoskin reports their first appearance in the spring of 1890 on March 10. In Manitoba Mr. Ernest E. Thompson reports their first appearance at Carberry in spring about April 20, and says that they are not seen after the 1st of October.* | Whether they remain dormant all of the six or seven months which 4 are spent underground is difficult to determine, but it seems probable that they do not. Large stores of grain and nuts are carried intothe holes in autumn and stored close to their nests. Whether these are ‘. eee \ re Te Fae en ae r £ * Rept. Dept. Agl. and Statistics, Prov. of Manitoba, 1882, pp. 169-172. . ; STRIPED SPERMOPHILE. _ 35 eaten during the winter or saved for use in the spring when grain and seeds are scarce remains to be ascertained. Hibernation.—The observations of the late Dr. P. R. Hoy on the hiber- nation of this spermophile add much to our knowledge not only of its habits but to the subject of hibernation. He states: “The following are the results of many observations and experiments on the Striped Gopher (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) dur- ing active life as well as when under the profound stupor of hiberna- tion. During activity the gopher’s pulse is 200; respiration, 50; tem- perature, 105. : ‘¢On the second of October, having procured a Red Squirrel (Sciurus hudsonicus) and a gopher, animals of nearly equal size, the one active during the coldest weather, while the other is a characteristic hiberna- tor, I cut out a part of the gluteal muscles of each, and after dividing and bruising, so as thoroughly to break up every part, I took 50 grains of each and placed in a test tube, into which I put 2 ounces of cold water. After freely agitating, the mixture was left to digest for eight hours, at the expiration of which time I carefully decanted and renewed the water, agitated and left twelve hours, then filtered and rolled the residuum on blotting paper, in order to remove all excess of moisture. When weighed they stood: gopher, 50-15; squirrel, 50-10. These ex- periments were repeated with substantially the same results. Gluteal muscles of the squirrel contained 20 per cent of albumen, solub!e in cold water, while the same muscles of the Striped Gopher treated in like manner, at the same time, yielded 30 per cent. “As itis well known that the flesh of reptiles is rich in albumen, [ procured several marsh frogs and subjected the gluteal muscles to like analysis, which resulted in 40 per cent of loss. The following will con- vey to the eye these results: Per cent of soluble albumen: Frog, 40; gopher, 30; squirrel, 20. “On the 15th of December, the gopher being thoroughly torpid, tem- perature of the room 45, gopher rolled up like a ball, no visible evidence of life, I opened the abdomen and inserted the bulb of a thermometer which indicated 58°. I next turned back the sternum in such a man- ner as to expose the heart and lungs. The remarkably congested con- dition of these organs first attracted my attention; in fact, it would appear as if all the blood had collected within the thorax. The pulsa- tion of the heart was reduced to four each minute, the auricles would slowly and imperfectly contract, followed immediately by the ventricles. These slow pulsations of the heart occupied four seconds. There was no visible respiration, the lungs remaining almost entirely passive. The heart continued to pulsate, without perceptible change, for fifteen minutes, and then when raised from its position it continued to pulsate for some time, being almost reptilian in this respect. During hiberna- tion the circulation is so feeble that when a limb is amputated but afew drops of blood will slowly ooze from the fresh wound. The stomachs 36 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. -and bowels empty, and the body was inclosed in a thick adipose layer. I was not able to excite the least motion or contraction. of the muscles in any way, even by pinching or cutting nerves, showing the most per- — fect condition of anesthesia possible. “During hibernation the gopher is not able to endure more than 6° or 8° of frost. The manifestations of life are so feebly performed that a few degrees below freezing is sufficient to convert apparent death into the reality. On the 10th of April, at which time the first gopher appeared above ground, I repeated the experiment of the previous autumn. Body emaciated, hair dry and lifeless, flesh perceptibly less _ . moist than it was in the fall. On subjecting the gluteal muscles to like treatment as in October, I was surprised to find only 18 per cent of loss instead of the 30, as exhibited in the previous autumn. | “The large amount of soluble albumen found in the flesh of the Striped Gopher in the fall, and the lesser amount found after its pro- tracted hibernation, go far to prove that albumen somehow fits the animal for its long sleep. Is it not probable that albumen is a stored- up magazine of elaborated nutrition to be used when no food can be assimilated by the digestive organ ?’”* INJURY TO CROPS. Many replies have been received to letters sent out by the Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy inquiring as to the injury done by Striped Spermophiles and other species in the Mississippi Valley. — Reports from correspondentsin all the States where these animals occur agree that they cause serious damage to the crops. The following extracts from letters will give some idea of the extent and nature of their ravages. . Minnesota.—Mr. George Little, county treasurer of Lyon County, reports: ‘Striped Gophers increase or decrease very rapidly according to favorable or unfavorable conditions. A succession of dry years is especially favorable to their increase, while a succession of wet seasons reduces their numbers very rapidly, probably by flooding their nests. They have been very numerous this season [1888] and very destructive to corn immediately after planting; whole fields, in some instances, have been entirely destroyed, and it is a rare thing to see or hear of a field that has not been damaged.” Peter Skoglund, of Lake Andrew, Kan- — diyohi County, writes under date of November, 1889: “The common Striped and Gray Gophers do more injury to our grainfields than any other mammals. They begin before the grain ripens, cutting down, con- suming, and storing away for winter use. I have lost about 20 bushels from this cause.” Towa.—In Butler County Mr. W. Head, of Bristow, writes under date of January 5, 1887: “The common Striped Ground Squirrel or Gopher *Proc. Am. Ass. Adv. Sci. Aug. 1875, pp. 148-149. STRIPED SPERMOPHILE. 37 is a great pest on the farm. When corn is just peeping through the ground they will follow a row and pull up the hills and eat off the kernel. Last year I found the hills pulled up for rods in one place. They are also destructive to wheat. My father had a wheatfield by the side of a new piece of ground which was full of gopher burrows. I was set to trapping them and found in their holes heads of wheat which had been entirely shelled out. The breaking was strewn with straws and wheat heads which had been shelled out and the grain carried into their holes.” Mr. John N. Houghton, of Grinnell, Poweshiek County, says (March 23. 1891): “Spermophilus tridecemlineatus is very abundant. During the past summer I have seen twenty-five during a walk of a quarter of amile. As to its destructive traits, it is promi- nent chiefly in destroying young corn. * * * The past summer it destroyed a half acre in a piece of 4 acres belonging to me. I have ‘seen it catch and consume the cabbage butterfly repeatedly, and have also watched it digging for cutworms. These are cases of traits ben- eficial to the farmer, I am positive.” Nebraska.—Mr. Lawrence Bruner, of Lincoln, reports three species present, Spermophilus tridecemlineatus, 8. spilosoma obsoletus, and S. Franklini, of which the first is by far the most common and very _ destructive to young corn. In Buffalo County Mr. R. W. Thatcher, of Gibbon, says: ‘‘The Striped Gopher, ‘Line-tailed Spermophile* and badger are all destructive to grain. The first two are very much -. more common this year than ever before. They work much alike and mostly upon corn, digging down to the seed and then eating it. They have been known to follow the planter and dig up every hill for several rods. They do not stop when the corn sprouts, but continue to dig until the seed has all been absorbed. Formerly they lived in holes on the prairie, and worked only on the edge of a field, but this year [1888] they have dug their holes in the fields, eating the corn all around them. They occasion great damage to the corn crop and are killed mercilessly by all the farmers. We have a field of corn which was planted May 23. Owing to the cold, backward spring it was late in - coming up, and we could not begin working it until June9. During the first day’s work I counted the number of hills dug up in several rows. I found the average to be about forty-five hills to the row of 120 rods. The next time I was at work I saw a gopher catch and kill a field mouse, which is something I have never seen them do before. I do not know what caused the gopher to do so, for as soon as I approached it, it dropped the mouse and ran into its hole. The mouse was badly bitten.” [Letter dated June 19, 1888.] From Turlington, Otoe County, Mr. William N. Hunter writes: ‘¢‘The Striped. Gopher (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) is the worst enemy of * The true Line-tailed Spermophile (Spermophilus grammurus) is a Rocky Mountain species and does not occur in Nebraska. The species here referred to is undoubtedly Franklin’s Spermophile (S. franklini). Gibbon is near the western limit of its range. | 38 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. the farmer in this county during the time of corn planting, digging up large amounts of corn just after it is planted. I know of one instance this spring where a farmer had to plant over 10 acres, so completely — had the gophers destroyed the field. In spite of the constant warfare on these gophers by farmers they continue to increase. I found one | / female that would have produced twelve young, and seven to ten is a common average.” [Letter dated May 29, 1891.| Kansas.—In Kansas Mr. George Briggs, of Reeder, reports that m Kiowa County, Striped Gophers live on the prairie around the edge of the fields and dig up seed corn in the spring. Patches of from 1 to 5 — rods in extent were destroyed around the outside of all the cornfields in the: neighborhood of Reeder in 1888, and the damage was so great that in some cases the farmers had to replant. Prof. L. lL. Dyche, of — Lawrence, Douglas County, writes: “‘The Ground Squirrel (Spermo- philus tridecemlineatus) digs up corn, squash, melon, and other seeds soon after they are plauted. Farmers say that these Ground Squirrels can smell the seeds, for they always dig straight down tothem. Some watermelon farmers report that the squirrels frequently stop the growth of a vine by nibbling or cutting off the tender runners near the end. Cases were reported where they cut holes in the nearly ripe si melons and watermelons and ate the seed out.” Colorado.—Mr. Horace G. Smith, jr., of Denver, writes under date of September 16, 1888: “I have resided some fifteen years in Denver. - The Striped Gopher (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus or an allied species) is common everywhere on the plains and is occasionally seen in timber __ along the streams. It does more or less damage by digging up seeds, particularly corn and melons. They skip about over the field, dig- ging up a hill here and there. I have known instances where it was necessary to replant melons in order to get a stand, though three or four times the required seed was planted the first time. These sper- mophiles are easily killed by placing poisoned grain at the entrances - to their burrows. Their natural food seems to be grasshoppers, grass, and leaves of other plants, seeds, etc. The cactus furnishes a large amount of food for them; the cap of the ovary is cut away, exposing a thimbleful of seeds on which they feed. I have seen them occasionally in the top of Psoralea lanceolata, a bushy plant of the pea family, on — 3 the seeds of which they feed. ‘‘{ have found the feathers of the shore lark (Otocoris alpestris arent- cola) about the entrance to their burrows on one or two occasions, but whether killed by the squirrel or not I do not know, though I have known it to turn cannibal when several were kept together in confine- ment. The shore lark evidently regards them as enemies, for I have often seen them try to drive the spermophiles from the locality of their nests, and have found the eggs of this species, as well as those of the © lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys), destroyed, as I supposed, by Os, ; this spermophile.” STRIPED SPERMOPHILE. 39 FOOD. The name Spermophilus, meaning seed-lover, is particularly appro- priate for this species. Scarcely a seed or grain grows where they live that they do not eat. The following list includes only such as I have seen them in the act of eating or have found in their cheek pouches or stomachs: Wheat, oats, barley, rye, corn, acorns, hazelnuts, seeds of mountain rice (Oryzopsis micrantha), feather grass (Stipa spar- tea), pigeon grass (Setaria), millet (Setaria ctalica), wild sunflowers (Helianthus), pigweed (Chenopodium), bindweed and knotweed (Poly- gonum), puccoon (Lithospermum), three species of prickly pear (Opuntia missouriensis, O. fragilis, and O. rafinesqui), ragweed (Ambrosia), buf- _ falo peas (Astragalus caryocarpus), Hosackia purshiana, and common locust (Robinia pseudacacia). But their food is by no means restricted _ to seeds, for they are fond of various fruits, roots, insects, lizards, mice, and any kind of fresh meat. They eat the fruit of the prickly pear (Opuntia rafinesqui), strawberries, green foliage of numerous plants, roots of sorrel (Oxalis violacea), and wild larkspur (Delphiniwm azureum),. | Animal food forms a part of their diet and they feed especially upon Such insects as grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, and ants. They seem to like any kind of fresh meat and have troubled me a great deal by eating small mammals caught for specimens. In traps set with much care for various kinds of mice (Sitomys, Perognathus, or Arvicola), I have frequently found only the strips of skin with feet and tail at- tached to show where a rare specimen had disappeared; and on open- ing the stomach of the spermophile caught near the place have found in its stomach the flesh of the lost specimens. Moreover, they are true cannibals, devouring the dead bodies of their own species. They tear the skin in strips and eat out the flesh. Mice are usually eaten bones and all, and frequently nothing but bits of torn skin and the feet and tail are left. L[-once shot a spermophile as it was sitting up eating something that it held in its paws. On picking it up apartly devoured lizard (Humeces fasciatus) was found, and several joints of the lizard’s tail were in the spermophile’s cheek pouches. Prof. F. E. L. Beal in- forms me that at Ames, Story County, Iowa, he once saw a Striped Spermophile with a large hairy caterpillar in its mouth, and on another occasion Saw one carrying a field mouse. Prof. Herbert Osborn, of Ames, Iowa, contributes the following interesting account of their food habits: ‘‘ Early in June I noticed the Striped Ground Squirrels on the college lawn digging into the turf and eating something which they withdrew. Examining the places thus dug up I always found the peculiar cocoon of a Crambus, and the place would also show the deserted web and burrow of the larva. These squirrels’ burrows were very numerous in some parts of the lawn; and in one place I counted twenty-five in the space of a square yard, | ee ee ee ee ee Oh ee ee ee a ee ee ee ee 2 er re a © . - : iets “3 Ae Bilas Ue oie an r i : a ? " # 40 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. indicating that the ground squirrel had disposed of that many larve | or pup of Crambus within the given area. At another time I counted fifty to the square yard. Evidently when sodworms are plenty the ground squirrel is not an unmixed evil.” (Ann. Rept. U.S. Dept. Agriculture, 1887, p. 155.) . Prof. C. P. Gillette, in Bulletin No. 6 of the Iowa Experiment Sta- tion, published in 1889, gives the results of the examination of twenty- two stomachs of this spermophile, made at Ames, Iowa. The animals — from which the stomachs were taken were killed on various parts of — the college farm, and at intervals from April 19 to August 2. As a result of this examination it was found that insects formed 46 per cent of the stomach contents, with an average number of thirteen cutworms and webworms in each. ‘The webworms in these stomachs were, in the great majority of cases, the larvee of Crambus exsiccatus which is very injurious to corn and grass in Iowa, its work in corn being very — often mistaken for that of cutworms.” In conclusion it is stated that “the insects which the squirrels feed on are almost exclusively in- jurious species, chief among which seem to be cutworms, webworms, and grasshoppers. As grass, clover, and other green stuff has been abundant wherever the squirrels were taken, and as their stomachs were often gorged with insects that must have given them much trouble to catch, it would seem that they prefer the latter food” (page 242). {n Bulletin No. 30 of the Agricultural College andi Fixpornenieie maaan tion of Brookings, S. Dak., are given the results of an examination, by J. M. Aldrich, of the cures of fifteen stomachs of the Striped Sper- mophile. As relative amounts of the different materials found in the stomachs are not given, it is impossible to compare the results with those of other examinations. The stomachs were taken from animals killed from June 19 to 23: “June 19 and 22, corn was well up, but the planted kernels were still in condition to invite the gophers. There were — few ripe seeds of any kind, so that the stomach contents were generally classified into insects, corn, and ‘ green stuff,’ the last being apparently grass and other plants, a mixture difficult to analyze and not of great importance from our standpoint. The corn was readily distinguish- able, while the insects were usually represented by legs, antenne, elytra, and other hard parts, more or less fragmentary. In the case of cutworms and other larve, the whole or a large piece of the skin was generally found, the soft parts having been crushed out. It was not possible, as a general thing, to make out the species of the insect, but the genus or family is sufficient to indicate pretty well wheules the species is injurious or not. ‘¢Nos. 1 to 7 were killed on the A eeaon of June 19 between 1:15 and | 4:30. ‘¢ No. 1.—In the road near the corner of pasture. Only grass and small grain in the immediate vicinity. Stomach quite full, mostly A " by q 3 “ , ‘ a pr ‘a ag Byte mist oe : ot. te nae erie. SAY, aby Lo \ ere Fo Saat ee ee STRIPED SPERMOPHILE. Al grain, a little green stuff, and remains of at least one beetle (probably earabid). Another gopher near this one was observed to pick era out of horse manure in the road. “6 No. 2.—Near No.1. Stomach not very full; grain and grass; one beetle (Chrysomela). “¢ No. 3.—Near a little stream. Tall grass and weeds all around. A young gopher, two-thirds grown; stomach half full of green stuff; re- mains of one beetle (Harpalus ?). “ No. 4.—By an old straw stack; weeds, potatoes, and pasture near by. Stomach very full, mostly grain and seeds; about one-third beetles (carabid, and Phas chrysomelid). ‘¢ No. 5.—Also killed by the straw stack; stomach full; more grass than No. 4; one beetle (carabid). “Ne o. 6.—Same place; stomach full, mostly green stuff; several heanlen! three pieces of skin of lepidopterous larvee, of which two seemed to be cutworms. ““ No. 7.—Same place; stomach full; grain, grass, one cricket, two beetles (chrysomelid and carabid). “The next four gophers were killed June 22, between 9.15 a. m. and pom. “6 No. 8.—At edge of grass plat, 10 rods from cornfield. Cheeks full of corn. Stomach full, two-thirds corn, rest insects; one beetle, one cricket (?), about six cutworms. “ No. 9.—At edge of creek. Stomach nearly empty; one lepidopter- ous larva, not a cutworm; one or two beetles (Chrysomela); the rest vegetable. “< No. 10:—Same place (40 rods from cornfield). Stomach moderately full of corn; one beetle (carabid ?). , “No. 11.—Same place. Stomach full; mostly insects, numerous beetles (carabid and chrysomelid), one grasshopper, one larva, not cutworm. “The remaining four were killed June 23, about noon. “ No. 12.—At edge of timothy field, near millet, 30 rods from corn. Stomach moderately full, half corn, a little grass, about four cut- worms, two or three chrysomelid and as many carabid beetles, one grasshopper. “No. 13.—On campus, grass all around. Stomach moderately full; one-third grass, the rest insects. About eight lepidopterous larvae, of which one or more were cutworms. ‘6 No. 14.—In raspberry patch. Stomach full, mostly corn and grain; one grasshopper; three cutworms; one carabid beetle. ‘“‘ No. 15.—In road nota great distance from cornfield. Stomach full; half full, corn; one beetle; three or four lepidopterous larve, of which two were cutworms. ‘Summing up the insects, we have nineteen or twenty cutworms, eleven other lepidopterous larve, three grasshoppers, and two crickets. — ewe fe ee a - 700 eae eee eee a ey ee) ce _— ” i * ae : A BAK ie Oe) i en be. Gees bk Oe re et 4 ‘ ° be ee” al : 4 te > ; j 5 Ne “* - , é PAV ¥ pr eee: et ~ ~ ea’ Lone Z a “ ‘ L th ‘ 42 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. _ “aos te all of which may be set down as injurious. The number of beetles of 3 _ all kinds could not be definitely ascertained, but was thirty to thirty. __ five. None of them were species which are noted either for benefiting or injuring the farmer. Those marked carabid and Harpalus belong to a family that are generally beneficial, while those marked chryso- melid and Chrysomela belong to the leaf-eaters, of which group many species are injurious. As the beetles found in the gophers’ stomachs were of both classes, there is no great preponderance on either side” (pp. 9-11). | Undoubtedly the good which the Striped Spermophiles do by destroy- ing insects, and seeds of noxious weeds is of no small importance, but it is doubtful if it is sufficient to offset the damage perpetrated by them in grain fields. In many localities it is impossible to raise a full field of corn without first killing the spermophiles. As soon as the corn is planted they begin to dig up the seed, but do most mischief after the corn begins to come up and until a week or ten days old, or until — all the nutriment is drawn from the grain. They dig down by the side of the stalk and eat the swollen, starchy grain, of which they seem very fond, leaving the stalks to die. As a single spermophile will dig up many hills of corn in a day and continue digging for nearly two weeks, it is not difficult to see that serious damage is done where they are numerous, averaging as they often do four or five to an acre. Large fields of corn are sometimes entirely destroyed by them and have to be planted over several times. A great deal of wheat, oats, barley, and rye is taken in the same way, making it necessary to sow an extra amount of seed. Kven this means is not effectual, and frequently fields of sowed grain suffer materially from their attacks. As the small grains begin to fill soon after blossoming the spermophiles cut down the stalks and eat the ovules, and in order to find the best heads they cut down a great deal more than they eat. As the grain becomes hard — they carry large stores of it into their burrows to be eaten at leisure, probably when they awake from their winter’s sleep. The amount of damage done depends upon the abundance of the animals, and is often serious. If a field is small and isolated the spermophiles some- times collect and destroy almost the whole crop. Dr. A. K. Fisher in notes on this species and Franklin’s Spermophile says: ‘Where abundant, as they arein many parts ofthe West, they de- stroy large quantities of corn, wheat, oats, and the seeds of flax. They also feed to some extent on the seeds of wild plants, even when grain is plenty. A Striped Gopher shot at Heron Lake [Minn.], near a field of wheat stubble had its pouches full of the seeds of the ragweed (Ambro- sia artemisicfolia). *‘In view of the fat that large numbers of these ani- mals are shot and handled it is surprising that they are not used as an article of food. Their flesh is as sweet and delicate as that of the arboreal squirrels, which are held in high esteem as a game dish in many parts of STRIPED SPERMOPHILE. — 43 the East. The farmers agree that they ought to be good to eat, but it was impossible to learn of any one who had tried them.” (Annual Re- port Dept. Agriculture, 1887, pp. 455-456.) | In studying the food of the Striped Spermophile eighty stomachs and eleven cheek pouches were collected and their contents carefully ex- amined. Since the stomachs were taken from specimens collected at var- ious dates, ranging from May 19 to August 31, and over an extent of coun. try including Minnesota, the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas, and Texas, it may be reasonably inferred that the average summer diet of the species is represented. Following is a list of the food components found in the stomachs: ANIMAL. VEGETABLE. Grasshoppers. ~ Oats. Crickets. Wheat. Caterpillars (larve of Lepidoptera). Pig-weed (Chenopodium). Beetles. Bind-weed seeds (Polygonum). Ants. Wild sunflower seeds (Helianthus). A small cocoon. Nightshade berries (Solanum). Insects’ eggs. Cactus fruit (Opuntia), Spermophile hairs. : Roots. Feathers of small birds. Herbage. The number of feathers was not sufficient to prove that birds had been eaten. The spermophiles may have picked up stray feathers to . line their nests with and in carrying them home accidentally swallowed afew. Still, from their well-known carnivorous habits, it seems most probable that wounded or dead birds had been found and eaten. Most of the hairs in the stomachs seemed to have come from the animals themselves and were probably swallowed by accident. Summary.—Of the total contents of the eighty stomachs examined, more than half consisted of insects. The percentage of animal matter was 92.9; of vegetable matter 44.4; and of indeterminate matter 2.7. The cheek pouches contained 100 per cent of vegetable matter, being filled exclusively with grain and seeds of various plants. Table showing contents of 80 stomachs of the Striped Prairie Spermophile (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus). Percent- | Percent- Cat. . age of age of No. | ex:| Date. Locality. nial’ le egetable Contents. matter. | matter. 1887. 13 Q May 19 | Heron Lake, Minn.... 3 97 | Small insects; shell of little striped beetle; oats, seeds, herb- age. WAGs |) May, 19s tee. OO ee ee eae 10 90 | Beetles; chewed vegetable fiber; pulp, and shells of seeds. nD er eae gk eee DORE orate 25 75 | Beetles; onesmall striped beetle; vegetable matter, and seeds. 16 o | May 21 |.--..- CB ae reels tas 70 30 | A beetle; a coleopterous larva; other insects; vegetable matter. Galen e ol ele 2 | oom. Wome seecincie seine OOS eameeoerae Insects. 18| Q@ | May 21 |...... UD Sogeéeed seaacbe OO Sastsesoc Crickets; larve, apparently of bumblebees. Hi it 44 Table showing contents of 80 stomachs of the Striped Prairie Spermophile . (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)—Continued. SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. ————- -—-— Eee Sa WX 410GAWAQA 4 4 % 1H A QA WO A A WW © A WO, #010 FV + 100, 0A QA HO QA +0 O,+0 Contents. Beetles and other insects; seed pulp, and hulls. ~ About 18 coleopterous larve; grain; herbage. Some small cocoons; seed shells. Beetles; grasshoppers; caterpil- lars; vegetable matter. Coleopterous and other larve; grain; vegetable.matter. Particles of insects; dirt. Grasshoppers; trace of beetles; some remains of grain. A few bits of ants and other in- sects; herbage, and grain shells. Grasshoppers; beetles; larve; in- sect eggs; seeds; herbage. Grasshoppers; beetles; ground-up __ seeds. Pieces of 3 larve of insects; grasshoppers, and grain. Grasshopper; vegetable fiber, and seed pulp. Beetles; grasshoppers; grain; herbage. Beetles; grasshoppers; shellsand pulp of seeds. Grasshoppers; caterpillars; trace of beetle; bark or roots. — Grasshoppers; beetles; seeds of Polygonum. Grasshoppers; insects; grain; roots. A little finely chewed wheat or oats. A few bits of oat hulls and skin of grains. Bits of small insects and seeds. 1 grasshopper; oats. Insects, mostly grasshoppers. Grasshoppers; wheat. Insects; wheat. Grasshoppers; finely chewed seeds. Grasshoppers; a little grain. Hair of Spermophilus tridecem- lineatus and some indetermin- ate matter. Insects; ants; pupe of ants(?). Insects only; mostly grasshop- pers. Mostly grasshoppers; some vege- table matter. Insects, mostly grasshoppers. small beetles; .| Crickets; small beetles; grass- hoppers. Insects; wheat; some small seeds. hoe grasshoppers; grain; her- age. Insects; ants; herbage. Grasshoppers; hair; grain; herb- age. Taaccint mostly grasshoppers. Grasshoppers; other insects, grain; herbage; Solanum seeds and berries. Insects; rasshoppers; ants; small beetles; larvze; 1 feather; hairs; vegetable matter. Grasshoppers. A few insects; hairs; indeter- minate vegetable matter. Mostly grasshoppers; seeds of grasshoppers; ee Percent- : age 0 age of Date. Locality. animal vegeta le} - matter. | matter. 1887. May 27 | Flandreau, S. Dak ---. 30 70 May. 2723.2 >) DotA Eee 30 70 Mayr s|sonee2 eee ES ep Rb 25 75 June 9 |} Ortonville, Minn...... 80 20 June 9 22. Os Foun cece cu 50 50 June Ul ie = 2-2 CO. eo eee ee Ob eee ieee June 24 | Browns Valley, Minn. 75 25 June 27 |...-.. Ors. heen nae eee 5 95 June 30 |...--- Ci Cs a eee 40 60 onal Giese. Gop steeneaese ae 10 | 90 July 2/| Travare,S. Dak...-.--. 20 _ 80 Daly At) soe: C1 ag Ee oe Oe ae 2 98 Sil ees ea Coe sseee wes oe 30 70 Sulyevoulesaess Gorse sot oe sees ees 50 50 daly vloseeee Gio: cee ee 50 50 July 7 | Browns Valley, Minn. 25 75 July 8/| Travare, 8. Dak....... 30 70 July 18 | Grand Forks, N. Dak.|-..-...-.- 100 Sully wis sts eee LO ee Me hate, celta aia ere ataiere 100 liv, She ae dose eewsee sacs cae 50 50 JuliyeUSs\paeeee COsse see eit See 4 96 July 22 | Pembina, N. Dak ..... VOOR) os sata UL; 123" | eee dolsesers eee: 60 40 Jmilye 25 |eeeae= CC eet eres aes 25 75 duly 265|e-2.2 C6 Co eee a eae 50 50 ily 26s seeece do Saecsenses Secee 90 10 July 28 |.....- Os Fooks eens woes Dulgeleoeme mee July 28 |. 4-2. Oh ee ro Raa AOD Feces AUby ZS | ccc COPE sees aes LOOM aera July 30 |22-.25 do. .s.seeeeee et 80 20 SAMO.” BO | asm dO i sores ees TOO) ee cessene Aug. 8} Devils Lake, N. Dak .. WN demos Seed ATO OMe cenae GON at scurwssesee 2 98 Ae eee ee dois esee ne cere 75 25 Ps 1s eer dO seer ee eee 95 5 PGT Ee eat UT a em aerise sc 50 50 VAT OD | saeene O‘Rt te seeeisceca:2 OOM Ne cena Auge. 16.) 25-= a CO eer osian tereaes 50 50 Aug. 23 | Bottineau, N. Dak.... 90 10 AMP A244 oe dO acacssecens 100 | Sex ose SAS 29 | erate GO os sbsenbadue 50 50 Sept. 6 | Fort Buford, N. Dak.. 80 20 nn Helianthus and Chenopodium. CE atthe? a eee crickets; other Pe ee eee STRIPED SPERMOPHILE.: 45 Table showing contents of 80 stomachs of the Striped Prairie Spermoph@le (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus)—Continued. Percent- | Percent- Cat. : age of age of No. | Sex:| Date. Locality. eee ae eetable Contents. Imatter. | matter. 1887. 266| oS | Sept. 6 | Fort Buford, N. Dak .- 40 50 | Insects; green herbage; 10% in- determinate matter. -284/ oO | Sept. 14 |-..... UD eae SSH CaeOake 90 10 | Mostly grasshoppers; a few Heli- anthus seeds. Boge | sept. 16 |-..... LD soonsceesoso see 25 75 | Grasshoppers; green foliage; Helianthus seeds. 304} of | Oct. 5 | Dawson County, Mont. 50 50 | Grasshoppers; seeds of Helian- thus and of probably Mammi- laria. 1888. si¢ 1 Q | May 21} Pierre, S. Dak......-- 50 50 | Grasshoppers; wheat. Bio, Ge | May 21 |..---- GID SSe5anqcaneHcods 10 90 | Insects; seeds; herbage. Bioniwio, 9| May 23 |. .---- dose essesces-se: 20 80 | Grasshoppers; grain; herbage. aoa og || May 25 |.....-. WW igeocpddoqnceeee 20 80 | Grasshoppers ; Polygonum seeds. 419| o | June 28 | Buffalo Gap, S. Dak. . TOON Sse so Grasshoppers; perhaps other in- h sects; 1 small feather. BO i raja Spullivsents) |e se. NOM Sse. scessesees 95 ’ 5 | Insects; crickets; 4 species of beetles; vegetable matter. 444} © | July 16 | Custer, S. Dak........ 50 50 | Grasshoppers; other insects; seeds; other vegetable matter. 477 | 2 | Aug. 20 | Cheyenne, Wyo.....- 25 75 | A few grasshoppers; 1 black beetle; Chenopodium seeds; ; green stuff. get D | Awe. 21'|...... (eS aagcnceece soe 25 75 | Grasshoppers; 1 larva or pupa; indeterminate herbage and seeds. oS ea ATP. 21 [o.s-5- dOe ea cene= Seiotoos 50 50 | 1 ant; 1 small beetle; grasshop- 7 pers; Ohenopodium remains; other plants and seeds. 1892. Qim.| July 12 | Golden City, Mo...... 20 80 | Wheat and small beetles. O1m:| July 12 )...... UN axe Aoedeaecacse 30 70 | A grasshopper; flowers and herb- age. uum ealy: 12) |}... Ors ee a ekeoee 40 60 | A grasshopper and wheat. Q? | July 26 | Belle Plaine, Kans.... a OY eee ee 1 large grasshopper and its eggs. Q | Aug. 2) Garden Plain, Kans -. 75 25 | Grasshoppers; beetles; wheat. o | Aug. 16 | Wichita Falls, Kans.. 75 25 | Grasshoppers and seeds. See A ue 17 |: --... GE er oi Shee clot 80 20 Grasshoppers; rerckeey purslane eaves. 3867 | ¢ | Aug. 23 | Washburn, Tex ...... W0Osetiaaocisoes Do. 3868 | of | Aug. 23 |...... dO sees stems sees 50 50 | Grasshoppers and oatmeal (used for trap bait). Zaoui cg | Aug. 23 |...-.- HOASR Sei ee aie 90 10 Do. 3871 Oo |) AEE le orees COWS Saeoece coee OOM esse Grasshoppers. Began +) Aug. 23 |..---- domeste ian s ces 60 40 | Grasshoppers and cactus fruit. 3895 | oO | Aug. 31 | Kiowa, Kans ......... 40 60 | Insects and seeds. f Savon oO | Ang. 31 }..---. O38 ac eda tee 50 50 Grasshoppers small insects and seeds. Sone Aue. SL |o.. 0: COR shes acne Se 20 80 | Small insects and seeds. Bevsnie? @) Aug. 31}... Ose sion o snare ate NOOR ates eee hs Grasshoppers. : Boo eOe Aup. Sl |o.2. 5: dome tea Soece 50 50 Grasshoppers; other insects, and seeds. Cpa Aus: dlls eo. Ot eeetesseeak: 80 20 | Grasshoppers; small beetles; lar- vee of insects; seeds. The following tables show that the contents of the cheek pouches differ widely from those of the stomachs, many things being eaten that are never stowed away in the pouches. For instance, more than half of the stomach contents consisted of insects, while no insects were found in the cheek pouches, the latter invariably containing nothing but seeds. This is what might be expected, as the food laid up for winter is carried in the cheek pouches, — a ba ee ee CU [ie re lh eg =” = = = =; Ye —— mL, —_-* ey ee eee Pe. eee ee ‘ \ ¥ . . an 7 " é : in ’ P « \ n s 46 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. Table showing contents of cheek pouches of 11 Striped Prairie Spermophiles (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus). Percent- | Percent- : : age of ace of No, | Sex: | Date. Locality. animal |vegetable Contents. matter. | matter. 84 & | May 27 | Browns Valley, Minn.|.-...-.... 100 | 43 grains of wheat; 400 seeds of : millet; 2 seeds of Stipa spartea; 1 seed of Polygonum. 100 ¢ | May 30]---.... Ce meen SERRE Rte Re reso, © 100 | Seeds of Lithospermum. 137 2 | June 14 | Harwood, N. Dak .....}.......--. 100 | 71 grains of oats. 145 S | June 18 | Grand Forks, N. Dak .|.......... 100 | 31 grains of oats. 265 fot nope 6 | Fort Buford, N. Dak..|.......-.. 100 | 127 seeds of Helianthus. 424 oid eae 3 | Buffalo Gap, 8. Dak...|.........- 100 | Seeds of a Stipa. eeuese Oct. — | Fort Snelling, Minn ..|.......... 100 | 1,388 seeds of bindweed; 30 sesds of pigeon grass; 4seeds of panic- grass (coll. by Dr. E. A. Mearns). Benet leeicets We cc oe cow CO tesco e es oe eile eacioeeee 100 | 1,075 seeds of ragweed; 95 seeds of bindweed; 110 seeds of panic- 1889. z grass (coll. by Dr. KE. A.Mearns). 2 fof ey we Graham County, Kans|.......... 100 | 163 seeds of black locust. 3872 o.) Ame: 23 | Wash burn. ex) 22 sjo5-422 52.05 100 | Seeds of prickly pear (Opuntia — r. cymochila). oo Aug: 31) Kiowa, Kanes. 02.52. .2|-.cnccsecs 100 | Wild peas (Hosackia purshiana). MEXICAN SPERMOPHILE. Spermophilus mexicanus (Licht.). [Map 3, B.] Description.—This species resembles Spermophilus tridecemlineatus. The ears pro- ject but slightly from head, and the tailis long and quite bushy. The sides and legs are buff; the belly and throat whitish; the back light brown with usually nine or eleven rows of white or buff spots, no solid buff stripes, but the spots are ar- ranged in rows extending from head to tail along middle of back and become shorter laterally ; the dorsal stripe is indistinct.* The following measurements are those of an average-sized specimen selected from twelve adults: Total length from nose to tip of tail vertebra, 308 millimeters (124 inches) ; length of tail vertebre, 128 millimeters (5 inches); length of hind foot from point of heel to point of longest claw, 42 millimeters (1 inches). Range.—This Mexican species enters the United States only in south- western Texas and southern New Mexico, extending thence over the table-land of Mexico to Zapotlan, Jalisco, and as far south as the Valley ’ of Mexico and Orizaba. The area shown on the map gives an idea of only about half of its dis- tribution. Itis known to occur in at least nine states of Mexico—Coahu- ila, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Mexico, Nuevo Leon, Puebla, Ta- maulipas,and VeraCruz. Its range apparently extends across the table- land of Mexico from Mt. Orizaba nearly to the volcano of Colima, and from the Valley of Mexico to the mouth of the Rio Grande, and thence northwestward to El Paso. As yet only a few outlying points have been determined and much data is needed to determine accurately the *This spermophile is distinguished from the two species of United States spermo- philes, which it most nearly resembles and with whichit comes in contact, as follows: From S. tridecemlineatus by the absence of solid lines of buff alternating with the rows of spots, and from S. spilosoma by the spots being arranged in rows instead of scattered irregularly over the back. (sn) Sy A aaa a MEXICAN SPERMOPHILE. | LO - eastern and western limits of its range. In the United States its range covers the southwestern third of the State of Texas, extending as far north as Mason, Stanton and Colorado, while it follows up the Pecos Valley as far as Eddy, New Mexico. Habits.—I have met with it in but one locality, Del Rio, Tex., where it was living on low, brushy land and among mesquites. At that sea- son (February), it seemed to keep very quiet as though in a state of semi-hibernation, and was rarely seen. Ifound a hole with the entrance carefully packed full of dirt, evidently filled from within. A careful search failed to discover any other opening to the burrow, so Lremoved the dirt and set a small steel trap in the hole a few inches from the entrance. The next day the trap contained a spermophile caught in such manner as to indicate that the animal had been taken while attempting to leave its hole. It was dead, with its head in the trap and the body back in the hole. I was much puzzled at the time that _a spermophile should close the entrance to its burrow after the man- ner of the pocket gophers, kangaroo rats, and pocket mice, but Mr. Wm. Lloyd has since mentioned the same habit in writing of the species at Mier, Mexico. He says: “They are common about here, and make numerous burrows in the little hillocks at the foot of “haribo: The main hole can always be distinguished, as it is invariably covered up. Their burrows extend for a considerable distance, about 10 inches or a foot, under ground. One that gave way beneath my feet 1 opened up for 2 yards each way and there was no hole near. I hoped that I - was on the track of a mole, but a trap in each section of the tunnel gave me the occupant, a spermophile.” At another locality Mr. Lloyd states that their holes were not covered, but it seems that this species does sometimes at least close the en- trance to their burrows, contrary to the traditions of spermophiles in general. The same habit has been reported in the case of Franklin’s Spermophile, where introduced in New Jersey, though I never knew of their practicing it in their native haunts. I have never heard the voice of Spermophilus mexicanus, nor can I find any reference to it. Their habits seem to be little known. Mr. B. H. Dutcher found these spermophiles at Stanton and Colorado, Tex., and at Eddy, N. Mex. He says: “It is somewhat difficult to observe the habits of this species while on foot, as itis shy, and is hidden by the erass from an observer. Those that I saw running seemed to move both fore feet at once, and both hind feet at once, thus moving in what might technically be called a gallop. Considerable speed is attained, and their motions are in no way sluggish as are those of the prairie dog. I saw none at rest, but the family with whom I lived at Colorado had formerly had one as a pet, and they frequently described to me how this individual used to stand on his hind feet. From this, and also from analogy, I infer that an upright position is a common one in nature.” e ~ . a... m4 - > —” = ee vw : : k i peed 48 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. — “Both at Coloradoand at Stanton this species was trapped with great- est success at the roots of mesquite trees, where the spermophiles seem — to prefer to dig their burrows. The holes were not uniformly regular in outline, but invariably seemed to descend at an angle and not verti- cally. | ‘At Eddy, N. Mex., the species was fairly common, inhabiting the stony or shingly land. I did not find it at all in the sand, except at the edges, where the sand met the shingle. On the lower staked plain, or on what may be termed the ‘large-mesquite plain,’ they did not seem to inhabit the sandy land or ‘shinn’ry,’ but rather confined them- — selves to the hard red soil and mesquite groves.” Mr. E. W. Nelson has observed this species in Mexico, and says: ‘‘Tt is found about the borders of the Valley of Mexico [near Tlalpam], but is restricted in its distribution. It is only found in loose and rather sandy soil, in fields and along the banks of arroyos, near the border of the valley bottom. * * * It is not uncommon in the grain fields about Irolo, Hidalgo. One was found sunning itself early one morning beside a clod of earth in a field. It remained so quiet at our approach ~ that my assistant and myself stopped within eight or ten feet of it and discussed the question whether it might not have one of our small traps on its feet. To make sure, I took a small piece of hard clay and ap- proached within almost arm’s length to strike it, when it darted off across the field with all possible speed, and was only secured by a quick . shot. Asa rule, these animals are very shy, and make for their holes _ long before one gets within gunshot. They are so vigilant and quick to take alarm that but few are seen, even when comparatively common. FRANKLIN’S SPERMOPHILE. Spermophilus franklini (Sabine). [Plate II—Map 2.] Description.—This spermophile has somewhat the appearamce of a small gray squirrel, but has ears less than half as long and a smaller tail.” The hair is coarse and harsh. Incolor, it is gray, lighter on the belly, becoming whitish on thethroat; the back is suffused with tawny or yellowish brown, and marked with fine wavy cross lines of black; the head and tail are usually clear gray. The measurements of an average-sized specimen selected from ten adults are as follows: Total length, from end of nose to end of tail vertebre, 378 millimeters (14¢ inches); length of tail from angle with back to tip of vertebre, 139 millimeters (54 inches). Length of hind foot from point of heel to tip of longest claw, 52 millime- ters (2 inches). Franklin’s Spermophile is locally known under the names of Gray Ground Squirrel, Gray Gopher, Scrub Gropher, Prairie Squirrel, and Gray-cheeked Spermophile. Any one of these is distinctive enougk where the animal is found, but beyond its range the terms Gray Ground Squirrel and Gray Gopher apply just as well to nearly a half a dozen species of somewhat similar animals found in the Rocky Mountain and | | | } | {| 3LVId ‘Kdojews wep pue Asojoyuywi9g jo uOIsIAIg > “ON UlPIINg FRANKLIN'S SPERMOPHILE. 49 Pacific coast regions.* The name Prairie Squirrel, while serving to distinguish it from the arboreal squirrels, does not distinguish it from the other species of prairie squirrels. Gopher, both from general use and origin of the name, should be restricted to the pocket gophers (Geomys and Thomomys). Let us drop all but Franklin’s Spermophile, - which can be confounded with the name of no other animal. When numerous it is an exceedingly troublesome animal, destroying much grain both by digging up the seed and by cutting and tangling down the ripe grain, and occasionally feasting on small chickens from the poultry yard. At the same time, it eats vast numbers of insects _ of the species particularly injurious to crops, and in this way the good it accomplishes may exceed the loss sustained from its depredations. An examination of the contents of twenty-nine stomachs shows some- thing of the character of the food selected and is decidedly favorable evidence of the animal’s usefulness. If by any means its depredations can be prevented without destroying the animals it becomes the most useful protector of farm products. Various means for preventing their attacks on sprouting grain have been employed with some degree of suc- cess. Others more effectual may yet be devised. Range.—The species was first described by Sabine in 1822 from speci- mens collected at Carlton House on the Saskatchewan River in Mani- toba. From this point it ranges south over the Red River and Missis- sippi valleys to central Missouri and southern Kansas, inhabiting the _prairie region from its eastern edge along the line of heavy timber west- ward to central Kansas and the Dakotas. Its eastern limit corresponds closely with that of the Striped Spermophile, but does not reach Michi- gan, nor extend as far south as the range of that species. The bound- ary of its distribution in Minnesota may be indicated by a line drawn from the northwest corner of the State to St. Paul. In Wisconsin the northernmost records come from Plover and Ripon, where it is rare; only two records have been received from Indiana—Kentland and Earl Park—both near the western boundary of the State. Its southern limit is indicated by Bement and O’Fallon Depot, Ill.; Sedalia, Mo., where it was said to occur formerly; and Erie and Kellogg, in south- eastern Kansas. _ . Franklin’s Spermophile ranges west to Belvidere and Kearney in southern Nebraska, and in the Dakotas is not known to pass west of the Missouri River, except at Willow Creek a few miles west of Pierre, S. Dak. Its western limit corresponds closely with the eastern limit of the prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus), the one occupying the moist and fertile eastern prairies, the other the more arid western plains. *Within its range (as shown on the map), there is no animal closely resembling it or that need be mistaken for it by even a careless observer. The Rock Squirrel (Spermophilus grammurus) of the Rocky Mountains and foothills has somewhat the same general appearance, but when full grown is much larger, with longer tail and ears. 4032—No. 4——4 50 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. At Elk River, Minn., where I first made their acquaintance in the — spring of 1872, they were rather scarce, though on a farm with the best of opportunities for observing them, usually not more than six or eight were seen during a summer for the succeeding fourteen years of my residence in this place. As they were not sufficiently common to do much damage, they were rarely killed, and their numbers seemed never to change appreciably. This locality is at the extreme eastern — limit of their range in that latitude. Aapieg uuewynezy, So SEL Et a “Wy aLvid ‘ASopewueyy pue Adojouyiwig Jo uoisiaiq “ ‘ON UneiNg _ RICHARDSON’S SPERMOPHILE. 59 females the teats numbered ten, indicating that larger litters of young may sometimes be produced. _ LThave heard the voice of this spermophile on but one occasion, when I mistook it first for the voice of the Striped Spermophile, but after catch- ing the animal it occurred to me that the voice was higher and more like that of the Sonoran Spermophile (Spermophilus spilosoma), to which this species is most nearly related. However, there is so little differ- ence between the voices of S. tridecemlineatus and S. spilosoma that the one might be mistaken for the other unless careful attention be given them by one familiar with both. Food.—Of the food habits of this species we know very little. The stomach of one specimen that I examined at Kennedy, Nebr., April 24, 1888, contained seeds and the remains of some young mice. The stom- ach of another taken on the same day contained seeds and insects. Other stomachs examined contained seeds, green herbage, and insects. From these few examples it would seem that their food is nearly as varied and of much the same nature as that of the Striped Spermophile. _ From an economic point of view this species is not of great importance from the fact that it is not numerous in farming districts. Most of the country inhabited by it is grazing land and but thinly settled. The most serious complaint against it is that it digs up the tree seeds planted on timber claims on the Nebraska prairies, but this may be obviated by proper care. Those living in the neighborhood of fields or where trees are planted may be easily killed by any of the methods described on pp. 25-27. When once killed off near the fields, others will not spread over the ground for some time, usually not until the crop is beyond their reach. RICHARDSON’S SPERMOPHILE. Spermophilus richardsoni (Sabine). [Plate I1I—Map 4.] Description.—Richardson’s Spermophile, with its short legs, tail, and ears, strongly resembles a small prairie dog in general form and color. It has no distinct markings or pattern of coloration; the outer coat is composed of longer hairs covering the fur; the inner fur is soft and silky, even in August, becoming thick and beautiful in autumn. The lower parts are plain buffy, becoming brighter on the shoulders and sides of neck; the top of the head, cheeks, and back are grayish buffy from a mix- ture of black hairs and the darker under-fur; the tail is plain buff below, washed on the upper surface with black, and bordered by lighter buff. No dark lines are visi- ble in the colors of the tail, but the back is faintly marked with fine dots or wavy crosslines.* *The only animal with which it can be confounded is S. richardsoni elegans, a southern subspecies, somewhat darker colored and less buffy. Specimens from North Dakota and Manitoba are the true richardsoni, while those from Wyoming and Idaho — are referred to elegans. At some future time it may be possible to draw an arbitrary line across Montana separating the two forms. 60 SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. = The following measurements of a specimen selected from eleven adults represent the average size: Total length, from end of nose to end of tail vertebra, 311 milli- meters (124 inches); length of tail vertebre from angle at base to tip, 82 millimeters . (34 inches); length of hind foot, from heel to tip of longest claw, 46 millimeters (2 inches). Range.—Like Franklin’s Spemmnnnnle this species was first Heo ae by Sabine from specimens collected at Carlton House on the Saskatch- ewan River more than 70 years ago, and this locality is sti the north- ernmost known point of its distribution. Fortunately it ranges over a | comparatively small area in the United States, being restricted to | North Dakota and Montana; but in Canada it covers the great plains | of Assiniboia and Saskatchewan. The eastefn limit of its range may be marked by a line passing in a southeasterly direction from Carlton House through Petrel and Carberry, Manitoba, to the United States boundary, some distance east of Turtle Mountain. In the Red River Valley it occurs from Mayville south to Harlem, N. Dak. Aber- | deen, S. Dak., in the James River Valley, is the southernmost pomt at | , which itis known. In North Dakota and Montana we have no records | of its occurrence south of the Missouri River though the species is more or less common at Bismarck, N. Dak., and at the mouth of Milk — : River and Fort Benton, Mont. In the latter State it is found as far | west as the Rocky Mountains, at Chief Mountain, Birch Creek, and | Choteau. : é Its southern subspecies, the Wyoming Spermophile (Spermophilus r._ | elegans), extends over the sage plains of Wyoming from Cheyenne and | | the Laramie Mountains westward to Idaho. ft is also found in north- ern Utah and at Fish Creek in the extreme northern part of Colorado. : | In Idaho it is chiefly a harmless occupant of uncultivated lands; but in Wyoming it does immense damage to crops.* Richardson’s Spermophile is extremely abundant about the little town of Bottineau, where it is } | found only on high prairies, and seems to avoid brushy or low weedy | | land. It is generally distributed over the prairies, but in some places | has collected about grain fields and does considerable damage by | eating, carrying away, and destroying grain. Habits.—Like every species of spermophile that I have observed, these animals are strictly diurnal. From sunrise till about 9 o’clock they are very active, and may be seen running or sitting up all over the prairies, even at the very edges of towns. After 9 a. m. they retire to their burrows and are rarely seen during the rest of the day; but as * Prof. F. J. Niswander, entomologist of the Wyoming Experiment Station, gives the following account of its depredations: ‘‘On the Laramie experiment farm the acre plat, containing several varieties of barley, was so badly injured that, in some instances, the yield was less than the amount of seed sown. The plats containing the different varieties of oats were also badly damaged. Our acre plat was not har- vested owing to the ravages of these squirrels. Of several varieties harvested only enough seed was obtained to repeat the experiment during the present season. “Mr. J. S. Meyer, superintendent of the experiment farm at Lander, Wyoming, says: ‘We are bothered a great deal with gophers; they are death on carrots and alfalfa.’” (Wyoming Experiment Station Bull. No.12, April, 1893, p. 25.) SRA 4 Diwicion of Ormithalocu orc — Milo ina ren cla ostn RICHARDSON’S SPERMOPHILE. 61 these observations were made late in August, it is probable that the animals were then nearly ready to hibernate, and consequently spent more time sleeping than earlier in the summer.* They are the least suspicious and most inquisitive of all the spermo- philesI[ have known. They would stand watching me until I approached within a few rods, and if finally frightened into their holes would soon reappear to watch me from their doorways. Probably as they become better acquainted with man and his gopher-destroying inventions, they will learn to be more suspicious and less inquisitive. When running, they flop their short tails up and down like a woodchuck or prairie dog, and when sitting up they keep shaking them as they chipper, just as prairie dogs do. Their holes are large, with a little mound of earth like a pocket gopher’s hill in front of each. They seem to be quite deep and to - descend with a steep-pitch for the first few feet. Of thirteen specimens taken near Bottineau, N. Dak., twelve were males. All were very fat, and were in good condition to hibernateas soon asthe ground began to freeze. It was too late in the season to learn any- thing of their breeding habits, but Mr. Ernest E. Thompson, in his list of the mammals of Manitoba, says: ‘‘ My notes on the breeding season are very brief and inconclusive, but such as they are, they indicate that the young are born about the middle of May. They number sometimes as high as eleven. About the end of June they are half-grown, and begin to show themselves outside of their burrows.” He also states that they appear above ground in spring before the snow is gone, which is some time before the appearance of the Striped Spermophile , and that they do not hibernate in autumn till about a fortnight later than that species. The spermophiles that do not live near grain fields feed largely upon green vegetation, grass, and various plants. Roots of plants are eaten, and a great many seeds, especially those of pigweeds (Chenopodium album and boscianum) and wild sunflowers, which are abundant and form a considerable part of their diet. They also eat grasshoppers and many other insects. One that I shot as it ran out from under a shock of oats ha@ 269 grains of oats inits cheek pouches. Mr. Ernest E. Thomp- son records 162 grains of oats taken from the cheek pouches of one and 240 grains of wheat and nearly 1,000 grains of wild buckwheat from those of another. Still the loss from ripe grain eaten, stored away, and destroyed in autumn is small compared with that which they cause by digging up the seed after it is sown in spring. Each kernel taken then deducts many fold from the autumn yield. Dr. Coues has written the most complete account we have of the habits of Richardson’s Spermophile, with which he became familiar when attached to the northern boundary survey along the forty-ninth parallel. He says: *That this surmise is correct is proved by the observations of. Dr. A. K. Fisher, who found them active throughout the entire day, earlier in the season. — antes Rus llatin Ma A Dit tO cet ti bee be tre ~Gs ~~" s SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. “Tt is one of the most abundant animals of our country, oceurring by hundreds of thousands over as many square miles of territory, almost. to the exclusion of other forms of mammalian life. Millions of aeres of ground are honeycombed with its burrows. * * * Ineversawany animals—not even buffalo—in such profusion. I have ridden for days and weeks where they were continuously as numerous as prairie dogs vastly greater than I ever ascertained those of S. beecheyi, the pest of California, to be, under the most favorable conditions. Ina word, their name is legion. If Dakota and Montana were the garden of the world are in their populous villages. Their numbers to the square mile are ~ (which they are not, however), either the gophers or the gardeners — 5‘ would have to quit. * * * ‘Traveling among them, how often have — I tried to determine in my mind what particular kind of ground, or ~ what special sites they preferred, only to have any vague opinion I might form upset, perhaps in a few hour’s more riding, by finding the animals as plentiful as ever in some other sort of aplace. Passing over a Sterile, cactus-ridden, alkali-laden waste, there would be so many that — I would say ‘this suits them best’; in camp that very night, in some low ‘grassy spot near water, there they would be, plentiful as ever. One thing is certain, however; their gregarious instinct is rarely in abeyance. A few thousand will occupy a tract as thickly as the prai- rie dogs do, and then none but stragglers may be seen for a whole day’s journey. *s ‘¢ Their choice of camping grounds is however wholly fortuitous, for all that we can discover, and moreover the larger colonies usually inoseu- late. * * * If the animals have any preference, it isa choice of the lighter and more easily worked soils, rather than a question of location. They seem to haunt especially the slight knolls of the prairie a few feet above the general level. There the soil is looser, and the inhabitants have some little additional advantage in their view of the surrounding country. But there are plenty of burrows in the heaviest soil of the creek bottoms. They dislike stony places for obvious rea- sons, yet they will often burrow beneath a single large rock. I have also found nearly horizontal holes of theirs dug from the face of an almost perpendicular bank. In short, there is endless diversity in the details of their habitations. * * * There isone very curious point in the socialism of these animals. Every now and then, in odd out-of- the-way places, where there may not be another gopher for miles per- haps, we come upon a solitary individual guarding a well-used burrow, all alone in his glory. The several such animals I have shot all proved to be males; and what is singular, these old fellows are always larger than the average (some would weigh twice as much), peculiarly sleek and light colored, and enormously fat. The earlier ones I got I sus- pected to be a different species, so peculiar were they in many respects. I suppose they are surly old bachelors who have forsworn society for — a life of indolent case, though if I had found them oftener among their RICHARDSON’S SPERMOPHILE. 63 kind I should have taken them for the Turks of the harem. It seems to be a case somewhat parallel with that of the lonely old buffalo bulls so often met with away from the herd. The female brings forth in June. This I infer, at least, from the circumstance that July brings us plenty of young ones two-thirds grown. The young probably keep closely in the burrow until they are of about this size—I do not remem- ber to have seen any smaller ones running about. * * * The gather- ing and hoarding of seeds seems to be their principal occupation dur- ing the summer. ‘ Amidst thousands that we pass only to see them skurry into their holes in trepidation, there are necessarily some observed which do not notice us or at any rate do not take alarm. I have often watched them, where the grass was taller than usual, gathering their store. They rise straight up on their haunches, seize the grass top and bite it off. Then, settling down with a peculiar jerk, they sit with arched back, and stow away their provender in their pouches with the aid of their forepaws. Their cheek pouches are not very large—both together would hardly hold a heaping teaspoonful. When duly freighted they make for their holes. Their mode of feeding, as they do, upon grass blades or any other herbage, as well as upon seeds, is essentially the same. In their foraging excursions, they seem to have regular lines of travel. From almost every long-used hole may be seen one or more little paths an inch or two wide, sometimes so well worn that they may be traced 15 or 20 feet. These paths often run from one hole to another. No matter how smooth the ground, these paths are never quite straight; they repeat in miniature the devious footpath across the meadow, the mysterious something that prevents an animal from walking perfectly straight being in force here. Though properly a vegetarian, like other rodents, the gopher is fond of meat, and I think that no small share of his summer’s food is derived from the carcasses of buffalo. Wolves do not appear to be numerous, in summer at least, in this region, and the polishing of buffalo skeletons is largely accom- plished by the kit foxes, badgers, skunks, and gophers. Hard by a Slain buffalo a badger’s hole is pretty sure to be soon established, together with a number of temporary gopher burrows. In proof posi- tive of this carnivorous propensity, I have more than once seen the inside of a drying carcass completely covered with the peculiar and readily recognized excrement of the gophers, while the bones and flesh were gnawed in a way that plainly told who had been there. * * * Comical as a gopher is in some of his attitudes and motions, henever looks so funny as when squeaking. He generally gets down on all fours to it, drops his jaw with a jerk, and squeezes out the noise by drawing in his belly —it reminds one of a toy dog. If caught or wounded, they have an energetic chattering outcry, much like that of other species.” * * * (American Naturalist, 1x, 1875, pp. 148-154.) In the interval of eighteen years since Dr. Coues published this ee Patt tg Nb A a ee EN a bn re ee eee ee ee eee ee eee Ce! Pp Age eee ee ee ee Pre ae es < ‘ ! = 2 were 64 . SPERMOPHILES OF THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. account of the spermophile’s habits, changes have taken place. The cs Dakotas and Montana are not yet the garden of the world, though the Dakotas represent a fair share of the world’s wheat field. Mile on mile of waving grain now occupies the ground then held in undisputed possession by the buffalo and spermophiles. The buffalo haye disap- peared and their bleached bones have been gathered up and sold. The spermophiles remain and are apparently increasing, much to the alarm and annual loss of the farmers of the region inhabited by them. The increase may be only apparent from crowding them out ot plowed land to the bordering prairie. As the plow breaks up and fills their burrows and grain springs up high above their heads, they move to the edges of the fields, where more natural surroundings are found and where they can choose their food from either prairie or field. Thus covering a Smaller area their numbers appear greater. At the same time their old enemies, badgers, weasels, foxes, and hawks, are des- troyed or driven back from settlements, and the spermophiles multiply more freely unless a constant war of extermination be waged against — them. As the situation becomes serious various means are employed for their destruction. County officers,in the hope of lessening their ~ . numbers, offer bounties with the only visible result of emptying the county treasury. Men and boys are employed on some of the farms to shoot and poison them, The Department of Agriculture is frequently — appealed to for help or advice in the war against them. Injury to crops.—Many complaints have been received, particularly — from North Dakota, from farmers living in the region where Richard- son’s Spermophile is common. Mr. Rollin C. Cooper, of Cooperstown, Griggs County, writes as follows: ‘ Spermophilus richardson is present in great numbers and very destructive to small grain, doing most dam- age after the grain begins to head out and shade the ground fully; they then pull down the grain and cut off the upper part of the stalk for many rods around their holes, seemingly to let sunlight strike the ground; they do not like damp places and are more numerous on roll- ing than on flat ground. I farm 7,000 acres and I think I can rid my farm of gophers at little expense by using wheat poisoned with strych- nine.” Under date of July 15, 1889, Mr. G. W. Sewell, of Rugby, N. Dak., describes the manner in which this species injures the crops in Pierce county: ‘We have a gopher here that is so destructive that we shall have to do something to protect ourselves or leave the country. I have lived in the grasshopper and chinch-bug countries; the gopher is worse than either. We have a fize stretch of land south of the Turtle Mountains, but the entire community is discouraged by the destruc- tiveness of the gophers which seem to be native to this part of Dakota. They go into the ground in September and October and stay till the — snow melts, say April 20. Then they come in great numbers and seem to be always starved; they will eat anything: grass, grain, meat, potatoes, RICHARDSON’S SPERMOPHILE. : 65 onions, horse manure. When we commence working the land in spring they are all over the fields and eat the seed wheat. ‘They come in from all the vacant land about and eat the wheat from the time it has sprouted until 2 inches high; then they eat the blades. By May 20or the 1st of June they have a litter of about eight young. They destroy wheat, corn, beans, and dig out flax seed and potatoes. They com- mence cutting down stalks of wheat about June 15 and continue to cut them until ripe; then they shell out the grain and carry it into their holes. They cut down the prairie grass where there is no grain. At certain times they eat each other when found dead. They are too numerous to count. They have destroyed from 60 to 80 acres of grain for me, and in some places have destroyed 60 per cent of the crop.” Mr. Elmer T. Judd, writing from Cando, N. Dak., August 1, 1890, gives the following account of the damage done in Towner County and the means adopted for the destruction of this pest: ‘ pa a ae other species of this genus, the damage done by it being more and | more each year. Its chief depredations are committed during the months of June and July when growing grain, especially corn, peas, _ and garden crops are apt to be entirely destroyed by it. It is found in greatest abundance in the agricultural regions lying just west of the Red River Valley and seems to thrive best in the presence of ciy- ilization. For several years it has been encroaching upon the farms in the Red River Valley proper, but the wet season of last year [1891] very nearly or quite exterminated it on the level lands.” FOOD. The following table prepared from the examination of the stomachs of eighteen specimens will give a more definite idea of the character ~ of the food of this species. Unfortunately the dates at which these Specimens were taken cover little more than half of one month, none being taken in spring or early summer, when their diet is of greater importance in relation to agriculture. Summary.—Animal matter, 9.5 per cent; vegetable matter, 90.3 per cent; indeterminate matter, .2 per cent. This shows a diet of less insect and more vegetable matter than that of either the Gray or Striped Spermophile, but the stomachs of this species were all collected during the month of August, when in the latitude of 48° to 49°, insect life is waning and there is a profusion of the rich, oily, and fat-producing seeds and grains. However, the large proportion of green herbage found in their stomachs clearly proves them to be far more herbivorous than is usual with others of the genus and shows a close counection in food habits, as well as in many other respects, with the prairie dog. RICHARDSON’S SPERMOPHILE. 67 e Table showing contents of 18 stomachs of Richardson’s Spermophile (Spermophilus richardsoni). seeds. | Percent- See at. . age of age 0 & Sex. | Date. Locality. | anamal twa getabl fe Contents. | matter. | matter. | 1887. | | | Sati | Aug. is | Devils Lake, N. Dak -.!..-.-..... 100 | Mostly oats; some herbage. epee | Ans: 15 |...... OT Lil eee eee aerear ee 20 80 | A few small insects; mouse hair; 5 | mostly herbage or roots. Paetnece, | Aue. 15 |.-..-- Cli Senta SOE eee 5: 95 A few bits of insects; grain; | | herbage; a Po/ygonum seed. eae |) Aug. 17 |..---- Oe: weet Alene ios 100 | Herbage; Chenopudiuwm seeds; | Solanum seeds and berries. 226 | of JTRS Yi See COs ey we se a a ON oe 100 | Half wheat; nearly half green Pier ake a few small seeds. 227 rot PAO LT: oe 5 ae QO Satdees ten anes eae eeciateiers 100 | Oats. Zion Aug. 24 | Bottineau, N. Dak ..-.|..-.......| 98 | Mostly barley and seeds of bind- | | weed; few particles of indeter- minate material. 234 | oe AM. 24 | 020 Oran ace seisle once 10 90 | Grasshoppers; grain; green foli- age. aval | AUS. 24 |2 2.2. COveveaccneses oc Set 10 90 | Hair; mostly green herbage; | . i probably grass. 236 | co | Aug. 24 |...--- G0 caeesecboocusHe | 75 25 | Finely chewed insects (probably | mostly grasshoppers); plants; | Chenopodium seeds. 237 | oi Aug, 24 (psa fons (0) Geant 5 95 Insect remains; shell of black | beetle; Solanwm seeds; small fs seeds; plants. paola) | Aug. 24 |....-- GOs oes oe sass 5 95 A few insects; a little grain; z mostly chewed roots. Seamed | Ang, 24 |...... Cae oe oe ee 5 95 | Grasshoppers; barley; Polygonum | seeds; green herbage. 240) °o6 | Aug. 24 |-+..... AO iain ciate’ See 20 80 | Grasshoppers; grain and herbage in about equal amounts. ~ cen ecHe ACIS, 240) 25.00 2.0 oc. aoc cece ce 1 99 | One smal) feather; chewed leaves | and seeds; Chenopodium seeds. Poeelerg, | Ane: 26.|...... EID ho RO CRS SACRE BE a OOODE 99 Mostly barley; a few Polygonum ' seeds; someindeterminate matter. Zon} Gd | Aug. 29 |...... UID) coche Sao sete) Gace Seco 100 | Green herbage; seeds of Helian- ; | thus and Chenopodium. asm a AU. 29 |. oo 5 6. UG) Soon scecaodée 15 85 | Grasshoppers; green herbage; | Helianthus and Chenopodium INDEX. Aldrich, J. M., on examination of stomachs of | Montana, bounties in, 21-22. striped spermophile, 11, 40-42' Bounties in Iowa, 20. Kansas, 20. Minnesota, 20-21. Montana, 21-22. North Dakota, 18-19. South Dakota, 19. Washington. 22. Bisulphide of carbon, experiments with, 27-30. success of in destroying spermophiles, 29-30. Circular on distribution, 12. Colorado, injury to crops by striped spermophile, 38. Franklin’s spermophile, 48-57. _ appearance in spring, 5l- 52. description, 48-49. food, 55-57. habits, 51. injury to crops, 52-55. introduction into New Jersey, 50-51. range, 49-50. table showing contents of 29 stomachs, 57. Gillette, ©. P., on examination of stomachs of striped spermophile, 40. food-habits of striped spermo- phile, 10-11. Hawks and owls that feed on spermophiles, 16-17. Hilgard, E. W,, on destruction of ground squirrels with bisulphide of carbon, 10, . 29-30. Iilinois, injury to crops by gray and striped sper- mophiles, 54-35. Iowa, bounties in, 20. injury to crops by striped spermophile, 36-387. Kansas, bounties in, 20. injury to crops by striped and gray sper- mophiles, 38. 52-53. Kennicott’s spermophile, 58-59. description, 58. food, 59. habits, 58-59. range, 58, Mexican spermophile, 46-48. description, 46. habits, 47-48, ; range, 47-48, Minnesota, bounties in, 20-21. injury to crops by striped and gray spermophiles, 36, Nebraska, injury to crops by striped, gray, and Kennicott’s spermophiles, 37-38, 52. North Dakota, bounties in, 18-19. injury to crops by gray and Rich- ardson’s spermophiles, 53, 64 66. % Poison, bisulphide of carbon, 26-30. strychnine, 25-26. free distribution of, 23 Richardson’s spermophile, 59-67. description, 59-60. food, 66. habits, 60-64, injury to crops, 64-66. range, 60. tables showing con- tents of 18 stomachs, 67. South Dakota, bounties in, 19 Spermophiles, enemies of, 15-18. badger, 17. hawks, 16. owls, 16. weasel; 18. found in stomachs of hawks and owls, 17.-: species in United States, 9. Mississippi Valley, 10, 30. Spermophilus tridecemlineatus, 31-46, franklini, 48-57. mexicanus, 46. Tange of genus, 9. Tichardsoni, 59-67. elegans, 59. Spilosoma obsoletus, 58-59. Striped prairie spermophile, 31-46. appearance in spring, 34-35. description, 31. habits, 32-34. hibernation, 35-36. injury to crops, 36-38 range, 31-32. table showing con- tents of 80 stomachs 43-45. table showing con- tents of cheek pouches, 46. Washington, bounties in, 22. injury to crops by Townsend’s spermophiles, 24. Wyoming Spermophile, 30. Wyoming, injury to crops by spermophiles, 60. 69 © DISTRIBUTION OF THE STRIPED SPERMOPHILE (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus) DISTRIBUTION OF FRANKLIN’S SPERMOPHILE (Spermophilus franklini) ia Buu. No. 4, Div. ORNITHOLOGY aND MAMMALOGY Map 3 A. DISTRIBUTION OF KENNICOTT’S SPERMOPHILE (Spermophilus s. obsoletus) B. DISTRIBUTION OF THE MEXICAN SPERMOPHILE (Spermophilus mexicanus) DISTRIBUTION OF RICHARDSON’S SPERMOPHILE (Spermophilus richardsont) and THE WYOMING SPERMOPHILE (Spermophilus richardsoni elegans) Wi! Hii | | \ i} 5 “PREPARED. | ‘UNDER THE Direction or Dr, C. HART MERRIAM. Cuter or Division A 2 x = ‘PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE \ - 4 hi} Sal < ‘| vs >: "WASHINGTON | GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. a . ie 21 keee> relate 4 ao a Ms el SoS, FRONTISPIECE. Bull. No. 5, Division of Ornithology and Mammalogy, Dept. of Agriculture, ZS LISS Vy MI; Yy) if ty S ———_ GEORGIA GOPHER, GEOMYS TUZA (Ord.). BULLETIN No. 5. oe OR PAKTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DIVISION OF ORNITHOLOGY AND MAMMALOGY Ale hi. mm KET GOPHERS OF THE ENTREE STATES PREPARED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF Dr. C. HART MERRIAM CHIEF OF DIVISION BY Wah NON bells EY CHIEF FIELD AGENT PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE WASEIN GLON GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1895 +t ek = LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, Washington, D. C., January 31, 1895. Str: I have the honor to transmit herewith Bulletin ‘No. 5 of this division, treating of the habits, economic status, and means of destruc- | tion of the Pocket Gophers of the United States. It has been prepared by Vernon Bailey, chief field naturalist of the division, and is comple- mentary to a technical paper on the group this day issued by the division (North American Fauna, No.8). Respectfully, | C. HART MERRIAM, Chief of Division of Ornithology and eal Hon. J. STERLING MoRTON, Secretary of Vice iculture. 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EUS TIN So gh A oe Se Sine we ia cl a mp gS ee “1s EDDIE, Ts eS ae a ae eg ae ee ee EE ee eet POISONING S28. oe ape he Gea cies bua ears SA aisfe neta see Use of wire netting Bee Soa es GSS Be Sa e eee se eee wee nu eE erate ae 2 PRED DES SR LA SL a et i a eee eRe eRe AES OO DEI ES 2 32 oS Sets SS ea a me SI Pe eanosconvhe houlby. System. .0 22 6.0 oo joe sk es eee Ae Geographic distribution of the Pocket Gophers......-...--.--.....---+--.+--- LE SDEGLSS CLAD eS A ge a ees A 5 ee ae ne amis of the Georgia Gopher (Geomys tuza).--...-..- 22-2. 2-2 ee we ene aoe BTArleiGOpneEr CG conus sOUrSATIUs) 2. — cageea