STRIGID.E — THE OWLS — SYRNIUM. 



431 



bands towards and on the head contracted into rounded spots. Bars of white on feathers 

 of body, two; several on the scapulars, axillars, and other long feathers. Quills and tail 

 with 7-9 bars, one terminal. Legs dirty-yellowish, with obscure transverse brown mot- 

 tlings. Toes thickly feathered, exposing only two scutellte at the base of claws. Fourth 



quill longest, fifth and third .•shorter, second between sixth and seventh, first shorter than 

 eighth. Length of male, 18.00 ; extent, 40.00 ; wing, 13.00 ; tail, 8.50 ; tarsus about 2.00. 

 Bill greenish-yellow; iris gamboge ; claws horn-color. 

 Ilah. Fort Tcjou, Calitbrnia (and northward V). 



Thi.s species, of the history of which notliing is yet known, prolial.ily 

 resembles tlie Eastern barred owl (*S'. nehdosum) in halaits, as it does in 

 plumage. It was discovered by ilr. J. Xanttis, at Fort Tejon, March (3, 

 1858 ; but only one specimen was olitained. Tlie allied Eastern species 

 is widely spread, and this will probably be tbimd common in some parts of 

 the State. 



Ssnrnium nebulosum, Forster. 



THE BARBED OWL. 



Strix nebuJosn, FonSTER, Ti-ans. Philos. Soc. London, LXII. 1772. 386, 424. 



Strix varhis, Barton, Frai;. Nat. Hist. Penn. 1799, 11. 



Syrnium nebulosum. Cassis, Birds N. Aincr. IS.'iS, .56. 

 Figures. — Vieillot, Ois. d'Ain. Sept. pi. 17 ; Wilson, Am. Orn. I\^. pi. .33, fig. 

 Birds Amcr. pi. 46 : oct. ed. I. pi. 3G ; Nat. Hist. New York, Birds, pi. 10, fig. L>1 ; 

 of Eur. I. pi. 46. 



2 ; Audubon, 

 Gould, Birds 



Sp. Char. Smaller than the tnlluwiug; head large, without ear-tufts: tail rather 

 long. Upper parts light ashy-brown, frcfpiently tingeil with dull yellow ; with transverse 

 narrow bands of white, most numerous on the head and neck behind, broader on the back. 

 Breast with transverse bands of brown and white ; abdomen ashy-white, with longitudinal 

 stripes of brown ; tarsi and toes ashy-white, tinged with fulvous, generally without spots, 

 but frequently mottled and banded with dark brown. Quills brown, with si.x or seven 



