434 



PREYING 15IRUS — RArTORKS. 



with regular transverse narrow bars of dark brown and ashy-wliifc. Length, 25.00 ; ex- 

 tent, SU.OO ; wing, 18.00 ; tail, 12.00 to 1.5.00. Iris yellow ; bill and claws paler. 

 Uah. Northern North America. Sacramento Valley, according to Newberry. 



This owl i.s common in the dense spruce forests near the C'ohimliia Pdvcr, 

 and northward. It is proliaLly resident throuyliont the year in that lati- 

 tude, and perhaps in the high mountains of California. 



Its habits are to some extent diurnal, or it is active towards sunset, and 

 at times utters a low laughing cry, said to resemble that of the mottled owl. 

 Eichardson found a nest near lat. 60°, built of sticks in the top of a lofty 

 balsam poplar, and lined with feathers. It contained three young, covered 

 with wldtish down. 



Genus NYCTALE, I'.heiim. 



Nyctak, BitEHJi, Isis, 1828, 1271. 



Gen. Char. Size small. Head with very small ear-tufts, only seen when erected ; 

 eyes small ; bill moderate ; facial disk nearly perfect. Wings rather long ; tail short ; toes 

 densely feathered. Conch of ear \ery large, with an operculum. 



iV. acndka. 



Only four or five species of N//rfaIc are kncjwn, most of them in America. 

 They are all of diminutive size, and rarely met witli living, owing to tlie 

 close concealment which tliey practise during the day, in this respect quite 

 different from some of our Americ-an species. 



