The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-13

corner of Eleventh ard PIKE streets IN
Seattle. G. G. Berg. the fax.sermlst. re-
ports a dozen specimens Brougnt % ~
EtCre during sne past week and dack hlgEs-
ers report seeing nazng % rss%Ae beautiful
birds flying about Eae aaun1s - the mai
Ganfs. Tie snsva-sfty viii probably 49,
cure q fine series - these owls before ne
winter e over.
Ii fact the year Ises vii BE- celebrated
ia the history OF me university museum
- tbe great owl year. On June e re
university newsletter sunOuncea some
rare 1n1s In the owl lire. including the
specimen Of the Idaho dwarf screaen OIL
fMegascOps aaHneoa1s i84SaDensisl which
was k-gs@a on Snake river near pzzco ~
Henry III. HtB9sfaw. curator ~ ss1s Uns-
yerslty museum. This - the F4Eess owl n
America. only one other specimen having
been taken aeS0-e.
Now coTnez the record q snsfh@r rare
acqalsition-z specimen OF Syrnlgm aecg-
dentzte or the western barred owi. ~
zkTlca only ave other Spee NETS have
been recor1ed- This ore ~as killed by g
g. Berg, the tax.aeTrl.ss. and presented
- the university The government re-
ports by DR. C. Hart Merriam give a very
interesting acoount of ms osI. whose
presence n nais Ear northwestern corner
viii be a surprise 20 the ornfta5a0gisss. Il
was GrEt discovered b. xantus fl lss7 near
Fort TETON, and Was not again seen BnEsl
Is7z. when one was shot ~ Cart. Ben
dire. but not preserved. II issz-s3 two more
were taken and more recently TWO other
specimens were taken by ]. GrinneE. OF
Pasadena The Berg specimen row In TIE
university vas carefully pnotograE ssaed ~
Charles l.. Denny and wife. two Of the
best known anna teur photographers Ia g.
attic. They are deeply interested IN nat
uras history work and these photographs
a.
other Photograph vas taken 0f the
mounted specimen.
The eastern barred owl r. very common,
but as the above record SHOWS. this west
ern variety or species IL extremely rare.
a fine specimen or the great horned owl
was captured by Mr.. Roper. OF Ravenna
Park. This specimen seemed 20 have n
prediction for eats meat. as ne came on
Mr. ROpeFs back poreh and carried OF a
black cat, Of which no trace was seen
again. Next night however he wanted
another cat, which be captured near the
same place. but being disturbed this time
the dead cat was recovered and used 10
bait steel trap and the owl Was captured
alive.
There are two varieties Of this owl found
here. One g. a very dark. sooty browntsh
bird. living In the dark couiferous forests
and named Babo ylrg.nianas saturatus-
The other II much lighter marked and -
known a. variety sBbSrcticus
A pair Of Kennicoft's screech owls fAe-
gascops asio kennIccttiD we're killed on
the university grounds In the spring.
The owls are an interesting family OF
birds 10 most people and are among the
most useful Of our feafhcred friends. The
food of the smaller species consists almost
wholly o. mice rats and other small NAM
mails and insects The great horned owl
has a bad habit Of taking chicken occa-
sionaily. but even then he probably does
the farmer more good than harm.
There are not many species % owls. only
fifteen in the United States. bat some OF
them are subdivided into several varieties.
The species which are likely 20 occur here
or have been seen about Seattle are the
barn owi tstrix pratincole). This species
Is common about buildings throughout
California and oregon. The great horned
| owl the long and short-earsd owls. Asio
wllsonsanns and Asio Acclpitrius. are me
| dium-slze species generally common
| about swampy places
| sciaptix cinersurn. the great gray owl.
| a near relative % the spotted owl II liable
| TO be found in the winter. This Is tho
| largest Of the American owls. OF Susky
| gray color. without ear tufts.
| Nyctala t.ngmaimi richardsoni. Rich
| ardson's owl r. a small species nine inches
| long and may come here IN winter
named from IT'S shrfli. rasplng note. has
/ been taken IN Oregon KenuIcott's owl
| and the snowy owl have already been
/ mentioned.
/ The hawk owls. surnia uiula and surnla
| uiula eararoch. are Northern species
| which may occur here IN winter.
The little ELF owl ar plgmy owl, Giau-
/ cidlum snoma. Is common Is this state.
/ One specimen was captured IN the uni
/ versity gymnasium building. and others
/ have boen seen on the campus.
/ The burrowing owl. speotyto cuuicularia
/ hvpogaea e. common IN Eastern Wash
/ ingt0n making is nest iu badger holes.
Mr. Hiudshaw. the curator % the uni
/ verslfy museum. s. trying 20 complete the
set of native birds now IN the museum.
| aud any enc sending specimens 20 thc
university naav feel assured that the favor
/ viii he appreciated and the specimens
/ properly cared for.
Edmond s. Meany registrar 81 the uni
! vcrsity hes accepted Invitations 20 adj
dress the Teachers Institutes 81 Skawit
and King counties ~ their approaching
sessions on The History OF the State OF
Washington"