192 



KEY A^'D DESCRIPTION 



or less longitudinal blotches of brownish or rusty color. The 

 tarsus is longer than the middle toe, very bristly with hairs in 

 front, and naked behind. 



Length, 6; wing, 4[ (4-4^) ; tail, 2} ; tarsas, | ; culmen, j\. Southern 

 Texas to southern California, and south to Mexico. 



FAMILY XXVIIL BAKN OWLS (STRIGID^) 



A very small family (8 species) of owls, with triangular- 

 shaped eye disks, a saw-toothed nail to the middle toe, and 

 very downy plumage. Our only species is so nocturnal in 

 its habits, and in the daytime so well able to hide from obser- 

 vation, that, though not rare, it is sel- 

 dom seen. The peculiar form of face, 

 due to the eye disks, gives it some- 

 what the appearance of a monkey. 



1. American Barn Owl (3(55. St fix 

 2>rathicola). — A large night-flying, 

 niDukey-faced, black-eyed, brownish 

 owl, with tine mottlings of white and 

 black and no ear tnfts. It has been 

 said to ai)pear like a closely hooded, 

 toothless old woman with a hooked 

 nose. Its food consists almost entirely 

 of mice and other small mammals. 



Length, 15-21 ; wing, 131 (12J-14) ; tail, 



„ „ , 6), ; tarsus, 2' ; culmen, 1}. United States, 



American Barn Owl - , , ' ^i * x^ i' i i a 



more abundant south of Isew i ork ; breed- 

 ing fnnn Pennsylvania southward, and very rare in southern New Eng- 

 land. Not niigratorj-. 



FAMILY .\X1.\. HAWKS, EAGLES, VULTURES, ETC. (FAL- 



CONID^) 



This is the largest family (350 species) of the birds of prey 

 (Ra2)tores), and roi)resentatives are found in all lands. The 

 American species can be naturally divided into seven groups. 



