BIRDS OF KANSAS. 305 



pale ofhraeeoiis (transversely mottled with dusky"), becoiniiie white at tlie tip, 

 crossed by seven bands of mottled blackisli, these about equalina; the light bands 

 ill width; on the middle feathers the bands are broken and confused, running 

 obliquely, or, in places, longitudinallj''. Outer webs of ear tufts pure black; inner 

 shafts almost wholly ochraceous; eyebrows and lores white, the feathers with 

 black shafts; face dingy rufi)us; eye very narrowly encircled with whitish; a 

 crescent of black bordering the upper eyelid, and confluent with the black of 

 the ear tufts. Facial circle continuous black, except across the foreueck; chin, 

 throat and jugulum pure immaculate white, to the roots of the feathers. Be- 

 neath, white prevails, but the yellowish rufous is prevalent ou the sides of the 

 breast, and shows as the base color wherever the feathers are disarranged. The 

 sides of the breast, sides and flanks have numerous sharply defined narrow 

 transverse bars of brownish black; anteriorly tliese are finer and more ragged, 

 becoming coalesced so as to form conspicuous, somewhat longitudinal, black 

 spots. On the lower tail coverts the bars are distant, though not less sharply 

 defined. The abdomen medially is scarcely maculate white. Young: Wings 

 and tail as in adult. Downy plumage of head and body ochraceous, with de- 

 tached, rather distant, transverse bars of dusky," 



stretch of 



Iris yellow; bill, cere and claws black. 



This bird inhabits not onlj the wooded lands, but our broad 

 prairies, resting during the day in thickets, hollow trees, clefts 

 in rocks, or most any secluded spot. I have occasionally 

 started them from a hummock, in a rank growth of tall grass. 

 They are not strictly a night bird, as I have often seen them 

 during the day, while rearing their young, in search of food; 

 but, unless pressed by hunger, seldom venture out until the little 

 day birds, that annoy them greatly, have retired to their roosts. 

 At twilight and on moonlight nights they are the most active, 

 flying noiselessly and with ease through the timber and over 

 the open ground in search of rabbits, mice, and other small 

 quadrupeds that feed and run about at night, doing great dam- 

 age to the farmer in his fields. It is, therefore, one of our most 

 beneficial birds, and not injurious, except to the owners of fowls 

 that are either too lazy, or not thoughtful enough, to house them 

 at night. 



In olden times the Owls, on account of their rounded heads, 

 large bright eyes, and stately mien, were selected by the philos- 

 ophers as emblems of wisdom; but their gloomy habits and^ 



