BARRED OWL. 



HOOT OWL. 



Syrnium nebulosum. 



Char. Above, brown barred, spotted, and striped with dull gray or 

 tawny ; below, similar colors of paler tints ; face, gray stripes ; tail 

 barred ; iris brownish black ; bill yellow. Length 19^ to 24 inches. 



Easily distinguished from all other species by its dark eyes. 



Nest. Usually in a hollow tree, but often a deserted nest of Crow or 

 Hawk is re-lined and used. 



Eggs. 2-4; white and nearly spherical ; 1.95 X 1.65. 



This species inhabits the northern regions of both the old 

 and new continent, but with this difference, as in the Bald 

 Eagle, that in the ancient continent it seldom wanders be- 

 yond the Arctic circle, being found no farther to the south than 

 Sweden and Norway ; while in America it dwells and breeds 

 at least in all the intermediate region from Hudsqn's Bay to 

 Florida, being considerably more numerous even than other 

 species throughout the swamps and dark forests of the South- 



