THE GRAY OWLS. 71 



I regret being unable to add any thing to our knowledge 

 of the history of this bird. I have had no opportunities 

 for observing its habits, and know of nothing that has been 

 noted recently which will add to our information. It is 

 not common in any part of New England, and is, I believe, 

 more often met with in the neighborhood of the seacoast 

 than elsewhere. I have never met with its nest, but have 

 no doubt that it breeds in these States, as specimens are 

 occasionally taken here in summer. 



Richardson says that its nest is formed of withered grass 

 and moss, and is built on the ground. Dr. Bryant (" Pro- 

 ceedings of Boston Society of Natural History," January, 

 1857) describes a nest found on an island in the Bay of 

 Fundy as follows : — 



" A nest of this bird was found by Mr, Cabot in the midst of a 

 dry peaty bog. It was built on the ground, in a very slovenly 

 manner, of small sticks and a few feathers, and presented hardly 

 any excavation. It contained four eggs on the point of being 

 hatched." 



The eggs of this species are of a pure-white color, and 

 vary in dimensions from 1.65 inch by 1.25 inch to 1.50 inch 

 by 1.23 inch. 



Suh-Family Syrnin^. — The Gray Owls. 



Head large, with very small and concealed ear-tufts, or entirely without. Facial 

 disc nearly perfect; eyes small for the family of owls; wings rather short, or not so 

 long as in the preceding; tarsi and toes generally fully feathered. This group con- 

 tains some of the largest of owls; generally, however, the size is medium, and fre- 

 quently small. 



SYRNIUM, S AVION Y. 



Syrnlum, Savigny, Nat. Hist. Egypt, I. 112 (1809). 



Size usually large; head large, without ear-tufts; eyes rather small; facial disc 

 somewhat imperfect in front; bill strong, curved from its base; wings moderate, 

 somewhat rounded; fourth and fifth quills longest; tail rather long, wide, and usu- 

 ally rounded at the end; legs moderate, or rather long, which, with the toes, are 

 densely covered with short feathers ; claws long, strong, very sharp. 



