. The hawks and owls of the United States in their relation to agriculture . 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 asthe 1st of April; Mr. McParlane found a nest containing six eggs inthe Anderson Eiver region April 28. Some individuals have eggs inlatter part of June. The eggs may be placed indifferently in cavitiesof trees, in old nests among the branches, which are relined with mossand feathers, or more rarely among the inequalities in the face of the eggs are deposited in ol
. The hawks and owls of the United States in their relation to agriculture . 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 asthe 1st of April; Mr. McParlane found a nest containing six eggs inthe Anderson Eiver region April 28. Some individuals have eggs inlatter part of June. The eggs may be placed indifferently in cavitiesof trees, in old nests among the branches, which are relined with mossand feathers, or more rarely among the inequalities in the face of the eggs are deposited in old woodpecker burrows or naturalcavities, no nesting material is used other than the chips and powderedwood at the bottom of the cavity. The number of eggs vary from fourto eight and, as is the case with many other Owls, the parent begins toset as soon as the first egg is laid; thus each egg is in a different stageof incubation. Both birds take part in the duties of rearing the youngand while the female is covering the eggs the male is near by to defend U r II ilh u lo;^y. n ■-1 V BURROWING OWL. BUREOWING OWL. 189 tlie home. After the young leave the nest the family generally remaintogether until the following spring. The species is tame and unsuspicious and may be approached easilywithout being alarmed; in fact, specimens have been known to returnto 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 oncedashed at Dr. Dall and knocked off his hat as he was climbing to thenest; other similar accounts show that the courage displayed on thisoccasion was not an individual freak, but a common trait of the species. The Hawk Owl is strictly diurnal, as much so as any of the Hawks,and like some of them often selects a tall stub or dead-topped tree ina 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 nev
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