PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 433 

 Family STEIGIDiE : The Owls * 



* 130. Strix flammea, (3. pratincola, Bonap.— Jmericare Barn Owl. 



The Barn Owl is a common resident of the valleys, especially in the 

 willow thickets near Stockton. I have not seen it in the mountains. 



76612 



ad. 



76613 — ad. 



*Stocktoii. 

 do ... 



Wing only. 

 Do. 



131. Asio accipitrinus, (Pall.).— Short-eared Owl. 



This Owl is common at Stockton and Marysville in winter. It left the 

 former place about the first of April of the present year, and reappeared 

 on or before September 30 following. 



74298 

 74299 



— ad. 

 cT ad. 



Summit Meadow ! Sept. 16, 1877 



Stockton 1 Mar. 3U, 1878 



132. Asio wilsonianus, (Less. ).— Long-eared Owl. 



I have seen this Owl at Marysville in former years, but do not think t 

 have seen it anywhere within the last two years, t 



*133. Bubo virginianus, 6. subarcticus, Koj.— Western Gi-eat Horned Oivl 



This Owl is very common at Big Trees in summer and is occasionally 

 seen in the valleys in winter. I do not remember seeing it in the val- 

 ley during summer, nor did I see or hear it at Soda Springs or Summit 

 Meadowsiu the fall of 1877, though I was informed that it is sometimes 

 found there. There is one mounted at the Big Trees, which I shot there 

 several years ago. It is often seen at Marysville, especially in winter. 



"^134. Scops asio, {!,.).— Little Mottled Owl; Screech Oivl. 



This Owl is quite abundant at Stockton. I have seen it among the 

 foot-hills, but not in the pine forests. [These- specimens, like all others 

 from California and the Western Province in general, so far as known, 

 are in the gray plumage. — R. R.] 



7GG14 

 76615 

 76616 



? ad. 

 ^ ad. 

 — ad. 



Stockton Kov.l2,i878 



,lo Nov.l3,187a 



;'.;;i;do loct. — ,i878 



* I have nevBT shot a bird of the geuus Syrnimi in California, though on October 

 25, 1878, I saw in an oak grove two large ash-colored Owls, Avhich may have belonged 

 to a species of this genus. They were nearly as large as the Great Horned Owl, and 

 appeared to see well in the bright sunlight. No ear-tufts were noticed. At Big Trees 

 Itried several nights to shoot a large Owl, which may have been a*,%r«iMfl(, but didnot 

 succeed. One evening it ilew, at a sharp angle, to the top of a dead pine-tree, out of 

 the reach of shot, where it sat silently for about half an hour. [Note.— In the al)- 

 senco of any other known species to which the above description will apply, an«l 

 allowing for the circumstauces undisr which the birds were seen, it is quite possilde 

 that they were the gravish variety of Bnho vlrgbiianus.—R. K.] 



t While attached to the U. S. Geological Exploration of the 40tli Parallel, I found 

 this Owl very abundant in the willov\- thickets at Sacrannnito CJity, in June, 1SG7.— 

 R. R. 



t Found dead. 



Proc. Kat. Mus. 78 28 Jflarch S3, 1878. 



