The Snowy Day Owl. 447 



open and close in quick succession, and the feathers of its body, 

 being raised, swell out its apparent bulk to nearly double the 

 natural size. " This bird is found all over the United States and 

 the British Provinces, from Texas to the Artie regions. They are 

 frequently caught in traps set for other animals in Canada or 

 otherwise killed, and when a bird strictly nocturnal in its habits 

 is thus often met with it may be considered abundant. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Upper part of the head brownish black, mottled with light 

 brown, the tufts of the same colours, margined with brown ; face 

 brownish red, with a circle of blackish brown ; upper parts 

 iindulatingly banded and minutely mottled with brownish black 

 and yellowish red, behind tinged with grey ; wings and tail lio-ht 

 brownish yellow, barred and mottled with blackish brown and 

 light brownish red ; chin white ; upper part of throat light 

 reddish, spotted with black, a band of white across the middle of 

 the fore neck ; its lower part and the breast light yellowish red 

 barred with deep brown, as are the lower parts generally ; several 

 longitudinal brownish black patches on the lower fore neck • 

 tarsal feathers light yellowish red, obscurely barred. 



Male 23, 56. Female, 25, 60. 



Synonims^ great Horned Owl, Striae Virginiana, of Wilson 

 in American ornithology, and by other authors. 



ARTICLE LIX. The Snowy Day Owl. Surnia Nyctea. 

 Genus Surnia. — (Dumeril.) 



Generic Characters. — Bill very short, strong, its upper out- 

 line decurved from the base ; lower mandible abruptly rounded 

 with a sinus on each side. Nostrils elliptical, rather laro-e. A- 

 perture of ear elliptical, simple, not more than half the heio-ht of 

 the head. Feet strong ; tarsi very short or of moderate leno-th. 

 Plumage rather dense ; facial disks, incomplete above. "VVin^s 

 very large, the third quill longest, the first with the filaments 

 thickened, and a little free, but scarcely recurved at the end. 

 Tail varying in length. (Audubon Syn, page 21.) 



Audubon in his synopsis recognises in the family Strigidae 

 (the owls) siae genera, Surnia the day owl ; Ulula, the Night owl • 

 Stri^, the Screech owl ; Syrnium, the Hooting owl ; Otus the 



