. Birds of Massachusetts and other New England states. Birds; Birds. SHORT-EARED OWL 199 delight its daylight hunting, or have had three or four at a time floating erratically about me in the dusk of early evening. In some regions it is called the Marsh or Bog Owl be- cause of its apparent predilection for marsh hunting, and it quarters over marshes as assiduously as a Marsh Hawk; but like the latter it is by no means confined to marshes, for it hunts and even rears its young on high dry plains and desert dunes. Its only re- quirements are open lands and an abundance of mice — its favorite pre
. Birds of Massachusetts and other New England states. Birds; Birds. SHORT-EARED OWL 199 delight its daylight hunting, or have had three or four at a time floating erratically about me in the dusk of early evening. In some regions it is called the Marsh or Bog Owl be- cause of its apparent predilection for marsh hunting, and it quarters over marshes as assiduously as a Marsh Hawk; but like the latter it is by no means confined to marshes, for it hunts and even rears its young on high dry plains and desert dunes. Its only re- quirements are open lands and an abundance of mice — its favorite prey. It nests on the dry plains of Marthas Vineyard in the Heath Hen country, and on sandy islands in the sea, where there is no fresh water; and it is fond of cruising along sandy beaches and hunting insects over the water, sometimes pursuing them at some distance from land, as does the Laughing Gull. In hunting it may fly only a few feet above the ground, its SHORT-EARED OWL • BREEDING-aSUMMER "WINTER. KET Distribution of the Short-eared Owl in Massachusetts flight at such times resembling the light and airy progress of the Marsh Hawk, or it may pursue its way from fifty to one hundred feet above the earth, eagerly scanning the surface below. Its aerial movements appear to be effortless. It flaps and hovers about, now and then sailing lightly along. When it sees a favorable opportunity, it may hover for a moment or may drop directly on its prey and remain there to devour it; or if flying low it may snatch the unlucky victim from the ground, and pass on without even check- ing its speed, so swift and skillful is its stroke. If three or four are cruising about to- gether and one stops to kill and eat a mouse, the others are likely to alight also, either on the ground or on near-by bushes as if curious to see what their neighbor is doing. If in hunting, one hears or sees a mouse that escapes to its hole or some other concealment, it may alight on a stump, bush or post whe
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