428 



PREYING BIllDS — llAPTOKES. 



Brachyotus Cassinii, Brewer. 



THE SHORT-EAEDD OWL. 



Strix hrachjptus, Forster, Pliil. Trans. LXII. 1772, 3S4. — Wilson, Am. Orn. IV. 64 ; pi. 

 33, f. 3. — AuDuiiON, Birds Ainer. ; [il. 410, oct. cd. I. 140; pi. 38 (Otus).— Nut- 

 tall, Man. I. 141. 



Brachjotus palustris Americamis, BoN.\p.\RTE, Cousp. Av. 1S49, 51. — Otus hrar]ii/otus Ameri- 

 canus, Pk. Max. Cab. Jour. 1858, 27. 



Brachyotus Cassinii, Brewer, Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist. 1855 ? — Newberry, P. I{. Rep. 

 VI. iv. 1857, 76. — Cassin, P. R. Rep. Birds, IX. 54. — IIeerman.v, X. vi. 34.— 

 CoorER and Sockley, XII. iii. Zool. ofW. T. 155. 



Sp. CH.\n. Ear-tufts very short. Entire plumage buff or pale fulvous; cacli feather 

 above with a wiile dark brown stripe, this eolor predominatino; on the baek. Under jiarts 

 paler, frequently nearly white on the abdomen, with bruwnish-blaek stripes, most numer- 



^4 



i?. pnluslris.* 



ous on the breast, very narrow and less numerous on the abdomen and flanks ; legs and 

 toes usually like the abdomen. Quills pale reddish-fulvous at base ; brown at their ends, 

 with wide bands and large sjiots of darker shade ; tail similar, with about five irregular 

 transverse dark brown bands, this color predominating on the central l(.'atbers ; under tail 



* Tlie figure is talicn from tlic European bud. The American is not distinguishable in a 

 cut. 



