TENGMALM'S HOOTING OWL. 449 



and is very common on the banks of the Saskatchewan. He 

 informs us that it is strictly nocturnal, and " when it acciden- 

 tally wanders abroad in the day, is so much dazzled by the 

 light of the sun as to become stupid, and it may then be easily 

 caught by the hand. Its cry in the night is a single melan- 

 choly note, repeated at intervals of a minute or two." Mr 

 Hutchison states that it builds a nest of grass, halfway up a 

 pine tree, and lays two white eggs. 



Remarks. — This species is undoubtedly in all essential re- 

 spects so similar to the Tawny Owl, that there can be no rea- 

 sonable question as to the propriety of referring it to the same 

 genus. Yet our most recent authors have thought otherwise. 

 Thus, Mr Yarrell refers the Tawny Owl to the genus Syrnium, 

 which he places between Strix and Surnia, of which the Barn 

 Owl and Snowy Owl are typical, while Tengmalm's Owl is 

 referred to the same genus (Noctua) as the Passerine Owl, 

 from which it diifers entirely in the form and size of the ear, 

 which in the latter is small and destitute of operculum, where- 

 as in the former it is very large, and has a distinct anterior 

 semicircular operculum extended along its whole length. 



VOL. III. G G 



