STRIOID.E — THE OWLS. 



81 



The relationship between the Syrnium cinerevm and the S. lapponicum is 

 exactly parallel to that l)et\veen the Otus vuhjaris, var. wilsonianus, and var. 

 ■vulgaris, Surnia ulula, var. hudsonia, and the var. ulula, and Xijdalc tcng- 

 malmi, var. rkhardsoiii, and the var. icntjiiialmi. In eontbrnnty to the 

 general rule among the species which belong to the two continents, the 

 American race of the present bird is very decidedly darker than the Euro- 

 pean one, which has the whitish mottling much more prevalent, giving the 

 plumage a lighter and more grayish aspect. The white predominates on the 

 outer webs of the scapulars. On the head and neck the white equals 



Syrnium cincrem/i. 



the dusky in extent, while on the lower parts it largely prevails. The 

 longitudinal stripes of the dorsal region are much inore conspicuous in ^r^;- 

 ponicum than in cinereuvi. 



A specimen in the SchlUtter collection, lal>elled as from " Nord-Europa," 

 is not distinguishable from North American examples, and is so very 

 unlike the usual Lapland style that we doubt its being a European speci- 

 men at all. 



Habits. The Great Gray or Cinereous Owl appears to be confined to 

 the more northern portions of North America. It is rarely met with in any 

 part of the United States, and only in winter, with the exception of Wash- 



