NYCTALE ACADICA, ACADIAN OWL. 315 



pally insects, although mice and the smallest birds are also captured. 

 The egg of the present bird is colorless, like that of other Owls, and 

 measures IJ inches in length by 1 inch in breadth. 



NYCTALE ACADICA, (Gm.) Bp. 



Acadiuii or Saw-wliet Owl. 



Strix acadica, Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, '296.— Daud., Tr. Oru. ii, 1800, 206.— Vieilt.., Ois. 

 Am. Sept. i, 1807, 49.— Bp., S\u. 1828, 38; Isis, 1832, 1140.— S\v. & Rich., F. B. 

 A. ii, 1831. 97.— Jard., ed. Wils. ii, 66.— Nutt., Man. i, 1832, 137.— Aud., Orn. 

 Bioij. ii, 1834, 567; v, 1839, 397; pi. 199.— Peab., Eep. Orn. Mass. 1839, 70.— 

 DeKay. N. Y. Zool. 1844, pi. 11, fis?. 23. 



Nyctale acadica, Bp., Comp. List, 1838, 7 ; Consp. Av. i, 1850, 44,— Guay, Gen. of B. 1844, 

 App. p. 3.— Kaup, Tr. Zool. Soc. iv, 208.— Strickl., Orn. Syn. i, 1855, 176.— 

 Newb., p. R. R. Rep. vi, 1857, 77.— Cass., 111. 1854, 186.— Bkew., N. A. 051. 

 1857, 74.— SCE., P. Z. S. 1858, 295 (Oasaca).— Cass., B. N. A. 1858, 58.— Coop. 

 &, SucKL., N. H. Wash. Ter. 1800, 156.— Wheat., Ohio Agric. Rep. 1860, No. 

 27.— COUES & Prent., Smiths. Rop. 1861, 402.— Boardm., Pr. Bost. Soc. ix, 1862, 

 123 (Maine, resident). — Verr., Pr. Ess. Inst, iii, 1862, 144 (Maine, resident). — 

 Allex, ibid, iv, 1864, 52 (Massachusetts, resident).— McIlwr., ibid, v, 1866, 82 

 (Canada West).— CouES, ibid, v, 1868, 260.— Coues, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 50 

 (Arizona).— CouES, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 119 (South Caroliua).—LAWR., Auu. 

 Lye. N. Y. viii, 1866, 281 (New York).— Turnb., B. East Pa. 1869, 9 (rare, 

 chiefly in winter).— Lord, Pr. Roy. Artv. lust. 1864 (British Columbia).— 

 Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870, 436.— Sxow, B. Kaus. 1873, 2.— Ridgw., Am. Nat. vi, 1872, 

 284 (critical).— Hap>t., Brit. Birds, 1872, 95 (England, very doubtfully ; quotes 

 MiLN., Zool. 1860, 8104).— Coues, Key, 1872, 205.— Allen, Am. Nat. vii, 1873, 

 427.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 43.— Ridgw., Auu. Lye. x, 1874, 378 (Illinois). 



Nyctala acadica, Gra\, Hand-list, i, 1869, 51, No. 556. 



ScotopMlus acadicus, Sw., Classif. B. ii, 1837, 217. 



Nocttia acadica, Rich., 1837. 



Uhda acadica, Aud., Syn. 1839, 24 ; B. Am. i, 1840, 123, pi. 33.— Putn., Pr. Ess. Inst, i, 

 1856, 204 (Massachusetts).— ScHLEGEL, M. P.-B., 1882, Strigci^, p. 8. 



{'?) Strix pa-sHriiia, For.st., Phil. Trans. Ixii, 1772, 385 (Penn., Arct. Zool. 1785,236).— 

 Wils., Am. Orn. iv, 1812, 66, pl. 34, f 1. 



Strix acadicHsis, Lath., lud. Oru. i, 1790, 65 (Syn. pl. 5, f. 2).— Shaw, G. Z. vii, 206. 



Strix albifrons. Shaw, Nat. Misc. v, 1794, pl. 171 ; Gen. Zool. vii, 1809, 238.— Lath., Ind. 

 Orn. Suppl. 14. 



Bubo (ilbifroiis, Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. i, 1807, 54. 



Scop>i albifrons, Steph., Shaw's Gen. Zool. xiii, pt. ii, 182G, 51. 



Nifctale albifrons, Cass., 111. 1854, 187.— C.vss., B. N. A. 1858, 57.— Coues, Pr. Pliila. Acad. 

 1866, 50.— MclLWR., Pr. Ess. lust, vi, 1866, 82 (Canada).— Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870, 

 435.— Verr., Am. Nat. 1871, 119 (Maine). 



Xycfaki albifrons, Gray, Hand-list, i, 1869, 52, No. 557. 



jSirix frontalis, Licht., Abhandl. Akad. Berol. 1838, 430. 



NiirhiU' kirtlnndii, HoY, Pr. Phila. Acad, vi, 1852, 210.— Cass., 111. 18.53, 63, pl. 11. 



Sirix pliiilauoidcs. Dathx, Tr. Oru. ii, 1800, 206.— L.vni., Ind. Orn. Suppl. 16.— Vieill., 

 Ois. Am. Sept. i, 1807, pl. 1.5.— Shaw, G. Z. vii, 1809, 268.' 



Athene 2)hakvnoidcs, Gray, Gen. of B. fol. 1844, sp. 43. 



Athene irilsoni, Boie, Isis, 1828, 315. 



"Strix dalhousci, Hall, Ms., Macg. ed. Cuv. R. A. 1829, pl. 8." 



flf<?>.— Temperate North America, from Atlantic to Pacilic ; chiefly, however, Northern 

 United States and adjoining British territory; ranging southward, in wooded mount- 

 ainous regions, into Mexico. Oaxaca (SCL., P. Z. S. 1-56, 295). 



Having been long aware that the so-called "White-fronted Owl," Sirix albifrons, 

 S. frontalis, aud A', hirllandii, of various autluus, was simjjly the yoniig i>f the jireseut 

 species, I was pleased to see tlie case so clearly srt forth as it was in Mr. Ridgway's 

 article above quoted — a \y.i])Qr instigated by Mr. Kliior's late erroneous ideiitilication 

 of these nauH-s as pertaining to tin- young of A. tcniiinalmi. In both species of yi/clale, 

 the i>lumage is mucli the same, aud its changes areentirely corresiioudeut. Tlie young 

 have (lie disc (lark brown, contrastetf witii white supcrc lia, the tbrehcad plain, aud 

 tlie under jiarts uuvariegateU. fading from a dark brown (tu the breast to oc hny-browu 

 on the belly. In tlio adults liie disc is mostly wliite, the for.-liead is sharply streaked, 

 and the uiider i)arts are white, with lengthwise chocolate-browu ui:irkings. Specilic 

 characters of the two l)irds are perceived in the greatly inferior size of acadica, a 

 diftereut rehitive length of wings aud tail, a dilVereiice in the cere aud nostrils, aud 

 the black instead of yellow bill. 



