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Show 261 ner, as they bent themselves to the task of fitting the acorns into the holes, which had served the same purpose the last season, and perhaps many seasons before, the work must be an important one iu their own estimation, whatever the object. With them, however, it is not by any means " all work and no play," bat, on the contrary, the labor, if labor it be to them, is lightened by much gamboling and chasing each other in and out of the branches in circular sweeps, like boys playing at tag. Indeed, there is no reason why they should not make merry, for food is abundant and easily obtained,, not only in the fall, when the acorns are thus laid away, bat during all the winter, a> fact which serves to make their economy appear all the more inexplicable and useless- The species is a resident one wherever found. No. 300 301 Sex. $ ad. rf All 308 1 Q 334186 j < cf* ftaann.- Locality. Fort Tejon, Cal do do do do Date. An*. 7 Aug. 7 Aug. 7 Aug. 8 Aug. 10 Collector. H. W. Henshaw.. Do. Do. Do. Do. 120. Colaptes mexicanus, ( Swains.).- Red- shafted Flicker. This Flicker is found throughout Southern California, without reference to special locality, being common both in the mountains and in the low districts. Its habits-agree essentially with those of the Common Flicker of the East. No,] Sex. I Locality. Collector. 187 I d Jan. Santa Barbara, Cal 319 9 jnn. > Fort Tejon, Cal 624 d" ad. I KernviUe, Cal . . . . .. H. W. Henshaw. Do. Do. STRIGID^ J.- OWLS. 121. Strix flammea, Linn., var. americanaf ( And.).- American Barn Owl. Gtrtxjlammea, Linn., Syet. Nat., i, 1766,133. Strix amtrieana, And., Syn. t 1& T9, 95. BtrixpratincoUi, tfewb., P. R. B. Rep., vl, 1857, 76.- Bd., B. N. A., 1858, 47- Xantos, Proc. PhiTfc Acad. Nat. Sci., 1859,190.- Heerm., P. R. B. Rep., x, 1859, pt. vi, 34.- Coop., B. Cal., i, 1870, Strixjlamnua var. pratinoola, B. f B., & B., N. A. B., ill 1874,13. The Barn Owl appears to be common throughout Southern California, and in some portions, as in the swamps near Los Angeles and again in the San Bernardino Valley, I found it in great numbers. This was in June, and they had gathered themselves into communities numbering, in one instance, at least twenty. They resorted in the daytime to the dense undergrowth of the swamps or the thickest foliage of the oaks, to doze away in quiet the hours of sunlight. Dusk fairly settling down, they may be seen* silently issuing by twos and threes from their shady retreats in quest of food. It becomes less numerous in the northern part of the State, though, according to Dr. Cooper,, it is found to the Columbia River. No. 99 m Sex. tfad. 9 Locality. Los Angeles, Cal Santa Barbara, Cal Date. Jane 17 Jane 14 Collector. H. W. Henshaw. do Wing. 13.33 13.75 Tail. 5.50 6.00 Bill. 1.33 1.35 Tarsus* 2.83 3.85 122. Bubo virffinianus, ( Gmel.), var. arcticus.- Western Great Horned Owl. This Owl is found throughout California, confining itself for shelter to the wooded districts. It is a solitary species, the pairs separating as soon as the young are out of the way. Except during the breeding- season, it hunts only by night, though its powers of vision are excellent during the brightest hours of day. No. 330 Sex. < f Locality. Fort Tejon, Cal Date. Aag. 8 Collector. H. * W. Henshaw. AP. JJ- 17 |
