226 BIRDS OF ONTARIO. 



bii'ds of prey are regarded as enemies by the s|H)itsinaii. wlio allows 

 tione to pass that come within his reach. 



A few remain in summer, and raise their youny; in Southern 

 Ontario, but the greater number pass on farther north. They are 

 tolerably common in Manitoba, and are also reported from Hudson's 

 Bay and Alaska. The examinations of the stomachs of this species 

 made by Dr. Fisher, show that its food consists mainly of field-mice 

 and shrews. It has been placed in Class c, anioiiL;' tliose whose good 

 and evil habits are about equal. 



Genus SYRNIUM SAvi«iNv. 

 SYRNIUM NEBULOSUM (Fousr.). 



160. Barred Owl. (368) 



Above, cinereous-brown, Ijaned with white, often tinged with fulvous : 

 below, siniilai', paler, the markings in Ixirs on the breast, in streaks elsewliere ; 

 tjuills and tail feathers, barred with brown an<l white, with an ashy oi- fulvous 

 tinge. Length, aVjout 18 ; vving, 13-14 ; tail, !l. 



Hab. — Eastern United States, west to Minnesota and Texa.s, norili to 

 Nova Scotia and Queljec. 



Nest, in a hollow tree, or in the deserted nest of a ha\\ k or crow. 



Eggs, two to four, round, white. 



Along the southeiii boundary of Ontario the Barred Owl is by no 

 means rare, but farther north I have not heard of it being oljserved. 

 It does not occur west of the Rocky Mountains, but is very abundant 

 along the south Atlantic and Gulf .States. It is occasionally seen 

 aljroad by day, but at such times its sight seems to be rather uncer- 

 tain, so that the capture of the small animals on \\ liicli it feeds is 

 accomplished during the hours of darkness. 



Regarding its uncertain vision by day, Mr. (iiraud, in liis •• Birds 

 of Long Island," says: "My friend, Mr. J. (i. Bell, informs me that 

 when on a collecting tour in South Carolina, and while looking for 

 the Blue-winged Yellow Warbler whose note he had a moment before 

 heard, he was startled by feeling a sudden i)ressure on his gun. 

 Judge of his surprise when he percei\ed perched on the ban-els a 

 Barred Owl, which, at the same njoment, discovcicd its mistake, 

 but too late to correct the fat<d error, as it was shot down bv the 

 astonished gunner."' 



Audubon mentions seeing one aligiit on tlw l>a(k of a cow, wliich 



