56 



U S. p. R. R EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



SYRNIUM CINEREUM, Gmelin. 



The Great Gray Owl. 



Strix cinerea, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 291, (1788.) 

 Slrix acclamator, Babtram, Travels, p. 289, (1790.) 



Figures Fauna Bor. Am., pi. 31 ; Aud. B. of Am. pi. 351 : Oct. ed. I, pi. 35; Nat. Hist. New York, Birds, pi. 13, fig. 29. 



The largest owl of North America. Head very large ; eyes small ; tail rather long. Upper parts smoky, or ashy brown, 

 mottled and transversely barred with ashy white ; under parts ashy white, with numerous longitudinal stripes of dark ashy 

 brown predominating on tlie breast, and with transverse stripes of the same on the abdomen, legs, and under tail coverts. 

 Quills brown, with about five wide irregular bands of ashy white ; tailbrown, with five or six wide irregular bands of ashy white, 

 mottled with dark brown. Feathers of the disc on the neck tipped with white ; eye nearly encircled by a black spot ; radiating 

 feathers around the eye, with regular transverse narrow bars of dark brown and ashy white ; bill pale yellow, claws pale 

 yellowish white, darker at their tips. 



Total length, 25 to 30 inches ; wing 18 ; tail 12 to 15 inches. 



Hab. — Northern North America. Resident in the vicinity of Montreal, (Dr. A. Hall.) Spec, in Nat. Mus. Washington, and 

 Mug. Acad. Philadelphia. 



In the western countries of North America the range of this large owl is not well determined, 

 hut the prohahility is, that it wanders in the winter over nearly the whole of North America. 

 It appears to he a constant resident of Canada and other provinces of British America, and has 

 occasionally been noticed as far south as New Jersey. In the present collection, a single 

 specimen is from Washington Territory. This is the largest owl yet discovered in North 

 America, and is one of the largest birds of this family. 



List of specimens. 



•Iris, yellow. 



SYRNIUM NEBULOSUM, Forster. 



The Darred Owl. 



Strix nebulosa, Forster, Trans. Philos. Soc. London, LXII, pp. 386, 434, (1772.) 

 Slrix tarius. Barton, Frag. Nat. Hist. Penna. p. 11, (1799.) 



FiODRES.— Vicill. Ois. d'Am. Sept pi. 17 ; Wilson Am. Orn. IV, pi. 33, fig. 2 ; Aud. B. of Am. pi. 46 : Oct. ed I, pi. 36 ; 

 Nat. Hist. New York, Birds, pi. 10, fig. 21 ; Gould B. of Eur. I, pi. 46. 



Smaller than the preceding ; head large, without ear tufts ; tail ratlior long. Upper parts light ashy brown, frequently tinged 

 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 l)rown ; tarsi and toes ashy 

 white, tinged with fulvous, generally without spots, but frequently mottled and banded with dark brown. Quills brown with 

 six or seven transverse bars nearly pure white on tlie outer webs, and asliy fulvous on the inner webs ; tail light brown, with 

 about five bands of white, generally tinged with reddish yellow. Discal feathers tipped with white ; face ashy white, with linos 

 of brown, and a spot of black in front of the eye ; throat dark brown ; claws horn color ; bill pale yellow ; irides bluish black. 



Sexes alike. 

 Total length about 20 inches ; wing 13 to 14 ; tail 9 inches. Soxes nearly of the same size. 

 iioi.— Eastern North America. Spec, in Nat. Mus. Washington, and Mus. Acad. Philadelphia. 



