3U0 HISTORY OF THE 



Genus NYCTALA Bkeiim. 

 "Size small. Head very large, without ear tufts. Eyes moderate; Iris yel- 

 low. Two outer primaries only with their inner webs .distinctly emarginated. 

 Tarsi and toes densely, but closely, featliered. Ear conch very large, nearly as 

 high as the skull, with an anterior operculum; the two ears exceedingly asym- 

 metrical, not only externaH^% but in their osteological structure. Forcula not 

 auchylosed posteriorly, but joined by a membrane." 



Nyctala acadica (Gmel.). 



SAW-WHET OWL. 

 PLATE XX. 



A winter sojourner; rather rare. 



B. 56, 57. R. 401. C. 483. G. 185, 141. U. 372. 



Habitat. The United States and southern British posses- 

 sions, from the Atlantic to the Pacific; seklom found in the 

 eastern portion south of Pennsylvania; in the western mountain 

 regions south into Mexico; breeding from the middle United 

 States northward. 



Sp. Char. ''Adult: Upper surface, plain soft reddish olive, almost exactly 

 as in iV". richardsoni; forehead, anterior part of the crown and the facial circle 

 with each feather with a short medial line of white; feathers of the neck white 

 beneath the surface, forming a collar of blotches; lower webs of scapulars white 

 bordered with brown; wing coverts with a few rounded spots; alula with the 

 outer feathers broadly edged with white; primary coverts and secondaries per- 

 fectly plain; five outer primaries with semi-rounded white spots on the outer 

 webs, these decreasing toward the ends of the feathers, leaving but about four 

 series well defined; tail crossed with three widely separated narrow bands of 

 white, formed of spots not touching the shafts on either web; the last band is 

 terminal; 'eyebrow' and sides of the throat white; lores with a blackish suffu- 

 sion, this more concentrated around the eye; face dirty white, feathers indis- 

 tinctly edged with brownish, causing an obsoletely streaked appearance; the 

 facial circle in its extension across the throat is converted into reddish umber 

 spots; lower parts, generally, silky white, becoming fine ochraceous on the tibia 

 and tarsi; sides of the breast like the back, but of more reddish or burnt sienna 

 tint; sides and Hanks with longitudinal daubs of the same; jugulum, abdomen, 

 lower tail coverts, tarsi and tibia immaculate. Young: Upper surface continu- 

 ous plain dark sepia olive; face darker, approaching fuliginous vandyke, per- 

 fectly uniform; around edge of the forehead, a few shaft lines of white; scapu- 

 lars with a concealed spot of pale ochraceous on lower web; lower feathers of 

 wing coverts with a few white spots; outer feathers of the alula scalloped with 

 white; primary coverts perfectly plain; five outer primaries with white spots on 

 outer webs, these diminishing toward the end of the feathers, leaving only two 

 or three series well-defined; tall darker than the wings, with three narrow bands 

 composed of white spots, these not touching shaft on either web; 'eyebrows' 

 immaculate white; lores more dusky; face and eyelids dark vandyke brown; 



