440 



PKEYING BIRDS — RAPTORES. 



ing about Dram Barracks, Wilmington, showing tliat it is not confined to 

 tlie sirring. 



From INIonterey north this species becomes very rare, or entirely absent 

 on the west side of the Coast Eange. 



Athene hypugsea, Bonaparte. 



THE BTJEEOWING OWL. 



Strix hypurjcm, BoNAPAKTE, Am. Orn. I. 1825, 72. — Athrnc hi/pn^a-a, Cassin, Baird, Birds 



N. Amcr. 1858, 59. — Cooper and Sucklet, XII. iii. Zool. of W. T. 151. 

 Athene social is, Gambel, Pr. Acad. Phil. III. 1846, 47. — Sclater, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1857, 201. 

 (Xalapa, Mexico.) — Dresser, Ibis, 65, 330. 

 Figures. — Boxaparte, Am. Orn. I. pi. 7, fig. 2; Audubon, Birds Amcr. pi. 432, fig. I : 

 Oct. cd. I. 31 (upper figure). 



Sp. Ch.vr. Tarsi long, slender, tliinly covered in front only witli short feathers, gen- 

 erally with its lower half nearly bare, and frequently almost entirely naked, and with 

 small circular scales laterally and posteriorly ; toes with a few hairs. 



Adult. Upper parts light ashy-brown, with numerous partially concealed circular, cor- 

 date, and ovate spots of dull white, which spots are enclosed with a naiTOw edge of dark 

 brown. Tliroat white ; a transverse band of dark brown and reddish-white on the neck 

 in front, succeeded by a large patch of white ; breast light brown, with large spots of 

 white, like the upper parts ; abdomen yellowish, with transverse narrow bands of red- 



A. hfpugrra. 



dish-brown ; under tail coverts, feathers of the tibia and tarsus, and under wing coverts, 

 yellowish-white. Quills light brown, with semicircular spots of reddish-white on their 

 outer webs, and with oval or irregular spots of the same on their inner webs. Tail light 

 brown, with about five or six irregular transverse bands of yellowish-wdiite. Bill dark 

 bluish at base, yellow at tip and on the ridge of the upper man<lible. Tins is the most 

 mature plumage, and is that represented in Audubon's figiire cited above. The most usual 

 plumage is, however, as follows : — 



Adult. Upper parts like the preceding, but lighter colored, and much more tinged 



