BUBO VIRGINIANUS, GREAT HORNED OWL. 



301 



SMx pyfhanles, Bartr., Trav. Fla. 1790, 289. 

 Bilbo lucloL-icianiis, Daui>., Tr. Orn. ii, 1800,210. 

 Bubo pinicola, Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. i, 1809, 51. 



b. pacijicus. 



Bubo virginiaims var. padiicus, Cass., 111. 1854, 178. — CouES, Key, 1872. 202. — B. B. & 

 R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 61, 65. 



c. arcfieus. 



Sti-ix (Bubo) arcticus, Sw. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 86, pi. 30. 



Eellaptex arcticus, Sw., Classif. B. i, 328 ; ii, 217. 



Bubo virginianus var. arcticus, Cass., 111. 1854, 178. — Blak., Ibia, iii, 1861, 320. — CoUES, 



Key, 1872, 202.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 60, 64. 

 Bubo sub-arcticus, Hoy, Pr. Phila. Acad, vi, 1852, 211 (Wisconsin). — Cass., 111. 1854, 117. 



d. magellanicus. 



Strix magellanicus, Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 788, 286 (Hibou des terres Magellan iques, P. E. 385). — 



Dacd., Tr. Orn. ii, 1800, 210.— Less., Voy. Coquille, i, 617 ; Isis, 1833, 76. 

 Bubo magellanicus, Gray, List B. Br. Mns., 1844, 46. 



Bubo virginianus var. magellanicus, Cass., 111. 1S54, 178. — B. B. »fe R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 61. 

 Strix bubo var. (5., Lath.," Ind. Orn. 1790, 52 (Magellanic Eared Owl, Gen. Syn. i, 118). 

 Strix nacurutu, Vieill., N. D. d'Hist. Nat. vii, 44 ; Enc. iii, 1281 (Nacurutu, Azara, i, 192. 

 Bubo crassirostris, Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. 1807, pi. 19. 

 Bubo macrorhynchus, Temm., Pi. Color. 62. 



Eab. — The Western Hemisphere. Common and generally distributed in wooded 

 regions in the United States. V.ar. magellanicus in South America. 



List of specimens. 



19126 

 19127 

 19128 



179 

 202 

 183 



Powder River. 

 Deer Creek . . . 

 Powder River. 



9 



Oct. 5, 18.59 

 Nov. 21, 1859 

 Oct. 1. 1859 



G. H. Trook. 



....do 



....do 



23.00 

 19.50 

 21.00 



56.70 

 49.00 

 52.00 



17.00 

 14.00 , 

 15.00 i 



Lieutenant Warren's Expedition. — 5180-81, Fort Union, Dakota. 



I divide the synonymy of this species in the conventional method, without feeling , 

 in any considerable degree impressed with the necessity of so doing, but rather believ- ' 

 ing that, with the exception of the alpine and boreal var. arcticus, the races are 

 variously inter-related, and not satisfactorily co-ordinated with geographical distribu- 

 tion. This appears to be Mr. Cassin'.s later view ; for after establishing the racts in 

 1854, he subsequently remarked : " These varieties are evidently not to be recognized 

 as at all strictly geographical, nor so much so as intimated in our notice of them 

 alluded to above." I have not myself critically examined the Soutii American bird, 

 which appears to average daiker ; but Dr. Schlegel states that some specimens arc like 

 North American ones in every respect. Var. pacijicus would also api)ear to be a dark 

 form, but it is not confined to the coast whence the name is derived, nor are all the 

 b'.rds of that region alike, some being entirely indistinguishable from the ordinary 

 Atlantic styles. In the " Key," I adopted the variety entirely at the instance of Mr. 

 Ridgway, who has made our raptorial birds a special study, and followed him in pre- 

 senting it as a dark, littoral form, " extending from Oregon northward, coastwise, to 

 Labrador," although I confess that I do not quite comiirehend this i)ecnliar alleged 

 distribution. Var. arcticus is the most easily recognized, being very pale-colored. tVe- 

 (|Uci)tly (piite whitish, and not distantly resembling the Snowy Owl. This peculiarity 

 of coloring seems to mark, in varying degree, alpine specimens, even so far south as 

 New Mexico. 



Tlio Great Horned Owl occurs in suitable localities tliroujjbout the 

 Missouri regjion, as elsewhere in Nortli America. It is by no means 

 rare, and, con.spicuons in its size, falls uiuler frequent observation. It 

 occurs chiefly in wooded regions, where the various animals it preys 

 upon find shelter, and where it is itself in a measure concealed from view. 

 It is not mi<,aatory. In temperate latitudes, the ej;gs are laid in winter; 

 and even in the fur countries, according to Sir John Richardson, the 

 young are hatched in .March. It breeds indifferently, according to cir- 

 cuiustauces, in hoUow trees, or even in the crevices of rorks ; in such 

 cases the eggs are simply dej)oslted on some grass or feathers. But, 

 perhaps oftener, a large, bulky, rude nest, of sticks aud twigs, lined with 



