BUBON1IXE THE OWLS. 421 



Bubo virginianus subarcticus (Hoy). 



WESTERN HORNED OWL. 



Bubo subarcticus HOY, Proc. Phila. Acad. vi. 1852, 211 (Wisconsin). 

 Bubo virginianus subarcticus RIDGW. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 405a. 

 Bubo virginianus var. arcticus (part) COUES, Key, 1872, 202; Check List, 1873, No. 317a. 



B. B. & R. Hist. N. Am. B. i, 1874,60, 64. [Not Mrix (Bubo) arcticus Sw. & RICH.] 

 Bubo virginianus c. arcticus COUES, B. N. W. 1874, 301 (excl. syn. pt.). 

 Bubo virginianus var. pacificus (part) CASS. Illustr. 1854, 178; in Baird's B. N. Am. 



1858,49. 

 Bubo virginianus AUCT. (all citations from western United States, and western and 



central Mexico). 



HAS. Western United States, interior districts of British America, and table lands of 

 Mexico. (Replaced in western Oregon and Washington Territory, and northern coast 

 region of California, by the very dark-colored B. virginianus saturatus RIDGW.) 



SP. CHAE. Pattern of coloration precisely like that of var. virginianus, but the gen- 

 eral aspect much lighter and more grayish, caused by a greater prevalence of the lighter 

 tints, and contraction of dark pencilings. The ochraceous much lighter and less rufous. 

 Face soiled white instead of deep dingy rufous. 



Male (No. 21,581, Camp Kootenay, Washington Territory, August 2, 1860) : Wing, 14.00; 

 tail.S.GO; culmen, 1.10; tarsus, 2.00. Tail and primaries each with the dark bands, nine in 

 number; legs and feet immaculate white. "Wing formula, 3, 2=4-5-1. 



Female (No. 10,5 4, FortTejon, California): Wing, 14.70; tail, 9.50; culmen, 1.10; tar- 

 sus, 2.10; middle toe, 2.00. Tail and primaries each with seven dark bands; legs trans- 

 versely barred with dusky. Wing formula, 3, 4, 2-5-1, 6. 



The above description covers the average characters of a light 

 grayish race of the B. virginianus, which represents the other styles 

 in the whole of the western and interior regions of the continent. 

 Farther northward in the interior of the fur countries, the plumage 

 becomes lighter still, some Arctic specimens being almost as white 

 as the Snowy Owl. 



The paler-colored race of the Great Horned Owl, like other 

 western and northern birds, sometimes strays to Illinois during its 

 winter migrations. There is a specimen from Pelun, Tazewell Co., 

 in the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Cambridge, Mass., which 

 the writer had the opportunity of examining in 1872. Its habits are 

 of course essentially, if not exactly, the same as those of the typical 

 form. 



