BIRDS OF KANSAS. 



293 



Sp. Char. ^'Average plumage: Ground color of the upper parts bright or- 

 ange ochraceous; this overlaid in cloudings, on nearly the whole of the surface, 

 with a delicate mottling of blackish and white; the mottlings continuous on the 

 back and inner scapulars, and on the ends of the primaries more faint, while 

 along their edges it is more in the form of fine dusky dots, thickly sprinkled. 

 Each feather of the mottled surface (excepting the secondaries and primaries) 

 has a medial dash of black, enclosing a roundish or cordate spot of white near 

 the end of the feather; on the secondaries and primaries, the mottling is con- 

 densed into obsolete transverse bauds, which are about four in number on the 

 former and five on the latter; primary coverts deeper orange rufous than the 

 other portions, the mottling principally at their ends. Tail orange ochraceous, 

 finely mottled— most densely termijially — with dusky, fading into whitish at 

 the tip, and crossed by about five distinct bands of mottled dusky. Face white, 

 tinged with wine red; an ante-orbital spot of dark claret brown, this narrowly 

 surrounding the eye; facial circle, from forehead down to the ears (behind which 

 it is white for an inch or so), soft orange ochraceous, similar to the ground color 

 of the upper parts; the lower half (from ears across the throat) deeper ochra- 

 ceous, the tips of the feathers blackish, the latter sometimes predominating. 

 Lower parts snowy white, but this more or less overlaid with a tinge of fine or- 

 ange ochraceous, lighter than the tints of the upper parts, and (excepting on the 

 jugulum, anal region and crissum) with numerous minute but distinct specks of 

 black; under surface of wings delicate yellowish white, the lining sparsely 

 sprinkled with black dots; inner webs of primaries with transverse bars of mot- 

 tled dusky near their ends." 



Length. 



Male 15.50 



Female... 16.25 



Iris dark brown to bluish black; bill dull pearl white; feet 

 light brownish yellow; claws brown. 



These birds, from their peculiar facial disk, are known as the 

 ' ' Baboon " or " Monkey-faced ' ' Owl. They are rarely met with 

 at or north of latitude 42°, but are not uncommon south, in- 

 creasing in numbers southward aud westward. In southern 

 California they are quite abundant. In habits they are noctur- 

 nal, but if flushed during tlie day fly without hesitation, and, as 

 their .eyes are rather small for night Owls, may see at all times 

 passably well; though I have never noticed one flying about of 

 its own accord, or hunting, until after twilight, when they leave 

 their secluded retreats, and with noiseless wings actively course 

 about over the ground in search of food, which consists chiefly 

 of mice, rats, moles, gophers, rabbits, bats and nocturnal in- 

 sects. They occasionally kill small birds, but in their stomachs, 



