ACCIPITRES STRIGIO.E ULULA. 29 



GENUS ULULA. Cuvier. 



Bill short, robust, very deep ; the lower mandible with a notch on each side. Ear-openings 

 very large, with an anterior semicircular operculum in its whole length. Tarsi and feet 

 with soft downy feathers. Facial disks complete. Wings very broad and rounded. Third 

 quill longest ; filaments of the first half of the second, and terminal part of the third, free 

 and recurved. Tail moderate, arched, slightly rounded. 



THE BARRED OWL. 



Ulula nebulosa. 

 plate x. fig. 21. 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Strix nebulosa, L. 12 ed. 



Barred Owl. Penn. Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 231, pi. 11, fig. 120. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 4, p. 61, pi. 33, fig. 2. 



S. nebulosa. Acddb. folio, pi. 46 (male). Om. Biog. Vol. 1, p. 242; Vol. 5, p. 386. Ndttall, Manual Orn. 



Vol. 1, p. 133. Richardson, F. B. A. Vol. 2, p. 81. 

 Syrnium nebulosum. Aud. B. of A. Vol. 1, p. 132, pi. 36 (male). 

 Syrnium nebulosa. Giraud, Birds of Long island, p: 24. 



Characteristics. Light reddish brown above, spotted with white. Head and neck with 

 transverse brown bars. Primaries and tail barred with light rufous. 

 Length, 18 inches. 



Description. Bill strongly curved from the ■base, compressed. Operculum membrana- 

 ceous. In the specimen which I examined, the fifth primary longest. Legs with short 

 feathers ; the extremities of the toes covered with scales. Tail convex. 



Color. Above light brown, transversely barred with whitish and yellowish. Wings barred 

 alternately with brown and pale rufous. Facial disk obscurely marked with narrow interrupt- 

 ed concentric circles of light brown. Summit of the head barred with brown on a white 

 ground. Upper part of the breast with irregular interrupted bars of brown. Belly yellowish 

 white or buff, with numerous longitudinal dilated streaks of brown. Leg-feathers obscurely 

 marked with pale brown bars. Irides brown. Bill light greenish yellow. Claws bluish 

 black. 



Length, 17" 0-22-0. 



The Barred Owl is a common species in this State. It feeds on rats, frogs, and the smaller 

 birds and quadrupeds, and but rarely disturbs the young broods of the farmer. It is very 

 abundant in the Southern States, and has been seen as high as the 53d degree of latitude. 

 In Europe it is only seen in the high northern latitudes. 



