STRIGID^ — THE OWLS. 7 



In their distribution, tlio Owls, as a family, aro cosmopolitan, and most of 

 the genera aro found on both hemispheres. All the northern genera {Njjcfca, 

 Surnia, Nydale, aud Scotiaptai), and the majority of their species, are cir- 

 cumpolar. The genus Glaucidluin is most largely developed within the 

 tropics, and has numerous species in both hemispheres. Otns hrach uotua 

 and Slrix Jlammca are the only two species which are found all over tiie 

 world, — the former, however, being apparently absent in Australia. Uifinno- 

 gJaux, Sj)eofi/fo, Micrathcnc, and Lophostrix are about tlie only well-character- 

 ized genera peculiar to America. Athene, Ketujxi, and F/ivdilus are peculiar 

 to the Old World. The approximate number of known species (see Gray's 

 Hand List of I5ird.s, I, 1869) is about two luindrcd, of whicli two, as stated, 

 are cosmopolitan ; six others {Surnia ululct, Ni/iicn scandiaea, Glaaeld'nua 

 passerinum, Sijnuum cinercum, Of us vulgaris, and Ngefule tengmuiini) are 

 found in botli halves of the Northern Hemispliere ; of the remainder there 

 are about an equal number peculiar to America and the Old World. 



As regards the distribution of the Owls in the Nearctic Realm, a jiromi- 

 nent feature is the number of the species (eighteen, not including races) 

 belonging to it, of which six {Micratheyie xvhitneyi, Nyctede acadiea, Syrnium 

 nehulosum, S. oceidcntalc, Scops asio, and S.Jiammcola) are found nowhere else. 

 Spcotyto cunicuhiria and Bubo virginiunus are peculiarly American species 

 found both north and south of the equator, but in the two regions represented 

 by different geographical races. Glaueidium ferrugincum and G. iufascatum 

 (var. glioma) are tropical species whicli overreach tlie l)ounds of the Neo- 

 tropical Eealm, — the former extending into the United States, the latter 

 reaching to, and probably also within, our borders. Of the eighteen North 

 American species, about nine, or one half (Strix flammea var. j^^atincola, 

 Otus brachyotus, 0. vulgaris var. wilsonianus, Syrniuyn cincrevm, Nycfale 

 acadiea, Bubo virginianus, and Seops asio, with certainty, and Nyctea 

 scandiaea var. arctica, and Surnia uUda var. Imdsonia, in all probability), 

 are found entirely across the continent. Nyctale tengmuiini, var. riehardsom, 

 and Syrnium nehulosum, appear to be peculiar to the eastern portion, — the 

 former to the northern regions, the latter to the southern. Athene eunieularia 

 var. hypugeica, Mierathenc ivhitneyi, Glaueidium jmsserinum var. ealifornicum, 

 Syrnium oeeidcnialc, and Seops flam merjla, are exclusively western, all belong- 

 ing to the southern portion of the Middle Province and IJocky Mountain 

 region, and the adjacent parts of Mexico, excepting the more generally dis- 

 tributed Spcotyto eunieularia, var. hypuejcvct, before mentioned. Anomalies in 

 regard to the distribution of some of the species common to both continents, 

 are the restriction of the American representative of Glaueidium passerinum 

 to the western regions,-^ and of Strix flammea to the very southern and 



1 Tliis case of the restriction of the American rejiresentative of a European or AVestern PahT- 

 arctic .species to the western half of tlie continent has parallel instances amonj; other birds. 

 The American form of Fahokinariiis (var. pohjnijnts), of C'orviis corax (var. caniivorus). Pica 

 caiiikda (var. hudsonim and var. nutlaUl) and of ^-EijinHth crinfinnus (var. nirosu.i), are either 



