64 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



whitish, as in specimens fVimi tlic Atlantic coast of tiie United States. 

 These specimens cannot, however, he considered as anything else than 

 merely local styles of tiie virginianus, var. virginianiis. 



Bubo virginianus, \ar. arcticus, Swains. 



WESTERN GREAT HORNED OWL. 



! SIrix wajxtciithu, G.MKL. Syst. Nat. 1789, p. 290. UtrU (Bubo) arclim, SwAixs. F. B. A. 

 II, 1831, 86. Ilclmptex arcticus, Swains. Classif. Birds, I, 1837, 328 ; 1b. II, 217. 

 Bubo virginianus arcticus, Cass. Bii'cls N. Am. 1858, 50 {B. virgiuiamis) . — Blakis- 

 TON, Ibis, III, 1861, 320. Bubo vinjiniauus, var. arcticus, CouKS, Key, 1872, 202. 

 Bubo subarclicus. Hoy, P. A. N. S. VI, 1852, 211. Bubo virginianus pacificus, Cass. 

 Birds Cal. & Te.x. 1854, and Birds X. Am. 1858 (B. vinjinianus, in part only). Bubo 

 magcllanicus, Cass. Birds Cal. & Te.\. 1854, 178 (not B. mugcUanicxts of Le.ssox !). 

 Bubo mrginianus, Heerm. 34. — Kenxehly, 20. — CorEs, Prod. (P. A. N. S. 1866, 

 13). — Blaki.sto.v, Ibis, III, 1861,320. ni'apacnthu Owl, Penna.vt, Art-tic Zool. 

 231. — Lath. Syn. Supii. I, 49. 



Char. Pattern of coloration precisely like that of var. rirginiajius, bnt the general 

 aspect much lighter and more grayi.sh, caused by a greater prevalence of the lighter tints, 

 and contraction of dark pencillings. The ochraceous much lighter and less rufous. Face 

 soiled wliite, instead of deep dingy rufous. 



^ (No. 21,581, Camp Kootenay, Washington Territory, August 2, 1860). Wing, 

 14.00 ; tail, 8.G0 ; culmen, l.IO ; 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. 



9 (No. 10,574, Fort Tejon, California). Wing, 14.70; tail, 9.50; culmen. 1.10; tarsus, 

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

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



Hah. Western region of North America, from the interior Arctic districts to the 

 table-lands of Mexico. Wisconsin (Hoy) ; Northern Illinois (Pekin, Mu.>;. Cambridge) : 

 Lower California ; ? Orizaba, Mexico. 



Localities : (?) Orizaba (ScL. P. Z. S. 1860, 253) ; Arizona (CofES, P. A. N. S. ISGG, 49). 



Tlie ahove de.scri]itiiiii covers the averai^e characters of a light grayish 

 race of the B. virginianus, which represents the other styles in tlie whole 

 of the western and interior regions of the continent. Farther nortliward, in 

 the interior of the fur countries, the plumage becomes lighter still, some 

 Arctic specimens being almost as white as the Nyctca scandiitca. The B. 

 arrficus of Swainson was founded upon a specimen of this kind, and it is 

 our strong opinion that tlio Wapecuthu Owl of Pennant (S/ri.r trapccuthu, 

 Gmel.) was nothing else tlian a similar individual, whieli had accidentally 

 lost the ear-tnfts, since there is no other discre])ancy in the original descri)>- 

 tion. The failure to mention ear-tufts, too, may have been merely a neglect 

 on the part of the describer. 



