58 



U. S. p. K. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS — '/OOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



under parts of the body reddish ochre yellow. Quills dark brown, with small spots of white on their outer edges and large spots 

 of the same on their inner webs ; tail dark brown, with two transverse bands of white, and narrowly tipped with the same ; bill 

 and claws dark ; irides yellow. 



Total length about 8 inches ; wing, 5i inches ; tail, 3 inches. 



Hab. — Nortliern North America, Wisconsin, (Dr. Hoy,) Canada, (Dr. Hall,) Western, (Prof. Lichtenstein.) Spec, in Mus. 

 Acad. Philadelphia, and Nat. Mus. Washington. 



This is a species lost sight of by naturalists for upwards of half a century, and until brought, 

 to light through the researches of Dr. Hoy, of Racine, Wisconsin, who is the only naturalist by 

 whom it has been obtained within the limits of the United States. It has been noticed also by 

 Dr. A. Hall in the vicinity of Montreal, Canada. It is given by Professor Lichtenstein in the 

 Transactions of the Berlin Academy, as above cited, as a bird of California ; but he regards it 

 as identical with N. acadica, and with reference to locality may allude only to the latter species. 



This bird is about the size of Nyctale acadica, but is quite distinct, and, in fact, bears but little 

 lesemblance to that species. We have no doubt that it is tbe ime Strix a?6i/Vons, Shaw, as 

 above cited. It is i)robably a northern and northwestern species. 



NYCTALE ACADICA, Gmelin. 



Saw-whet Owl. 



Slrix acadica, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 29B, (1788.) 



Slrix acadiensis, Lath. Ind. Orn. I, pi. 65, (1790.) 



" Strix passerina, Linn." Wilson, Am. Orn. IV, p. (56. 



Strix dalhousiei, Hall, MSS. Macgillivray ed. of Cuvier's Reg. An. Birds pi. 8, fig. 3, name on plate, (Edinburg, 1839.) 



Figures.— Lath. Gen. Syn. I, pi. 5, fig. 2 ; Wilson Am. Orn. IV, pi. 34, fig. 1 ; Aud. B. of Am. pi. 199 : Oct cd. 1, pi. 33 ; 

 Nat. Hist. New York, Birds, pi. 11, fig. 23. 



Small, wings long, tail short. Upper parts reddish brown tinged with olive ; head in front with fine lines of white, and on 

 the neck behind, rump, and scapulars with large partially concealed iipots of while. Face ashy white ; throat while ; under 

 parts ashy white, with longitudinal stripes of pale reddish brown ; under coverts of wings and tail white. Quills brown, with 

 small spots of white on their outer edges, and large spots of the same on their inner webs ; tail brown, every feather with about 

 three pairs of spdls of white ; bill and claws dark ; irides yellow. 



Total length about 7f. to 8 inches ; wing, 5i inches ; tail, 2J to 3 inches ; sexes nearly the same size and alike in colors. 



//a').— The whole of temperate North America. Spec, in Nat. Mus. Washington, and Mus. Acad. Philadelphia. 



This is tbe smallest owl found in the eastern and middle States of North America, and is 

 probably an iiiliabitant of the entire temperate regions of this division of the continent. Speci- 

 mens in the present collection are from Texas and from Washington Territory. We have 

 known it to be found also in California, where very probably it is of as frequent occurrence as at 

 the same latitude on the Atlantic. 



List of specimens. 



