100 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Family STRIGIDiE.— The Barn Owls. 



Chaii. Inn'T too I'litial to lln' iiiiiUlli- in li'iiKtIi: iiinor •dn'' of miildli' oliiw pi'i'tiiiiil<'d. 

 First ijuill lonscT timn tlip third: nil llir fniill.- willi their liintT wrb I'litiri-, or witliout 

 omarBiuiition. Tail omareinutvd. Feathers of the posterior face of the tarsus rceurved, 

 or pointed upwards. 



The family Strigidfe includes, so far as known, but two genera, 

 Sirix and Phodilus. The former is cosmopolitan, hanng species in 

 nearly all parts of the world, with the exception of the colder 

 regions. Phodilus is restricted to a limited portion of the Indian 

 region, and need not be further mentioned here. 



Genus STRIX Linn^us. 



Strix Linn. S. N. od. 10, 1, 1758, 92. Type, Strixflammea Ldtx. 

 Aliico Gebini. Orn. Met. DIk. 1. 1767. 88. 



Gen. Char. Size medium. No ear-tufts; faeial ruff entirely continuous, very i-on- 

 spicuous. Wine very long, the first or second quill longest, and all without emargina- 

 tion. Tail short, emarginated. Hill elongated, eompressed. regularly eurved; lop of the 

 ocre nearly equal to the eulmen, straight, and somewhat depressed. Nostril open, oval, 

 nearly horizontal. Eyes very small. Tarsus nearly twice as long as the middle toe, 

 den.«ely clothed with soft short feathers, those on the posterior face inclined upwards; 

 toes scantily bristled; claws extremely sharp and long, the miildle one with its inner 

 edge pectinated. Ear-couch nearly as long as the height of the head, with an anterior 

 operculum which does not extend its full length; the two ears symmetrical? 



Strix pratincola Bonap. 



AMERICAN BARN OWL. 

 Poptilar aynonyme. Monkey Owl; Monkoy-faccd Owl, 

 iitrir tiamnua "Linn." Wils. Am. Orn. vl.l812,57.pl. 50,Qg. 2.— Ntrrx. Man. i,1832,i;Ri.- 



AuD. Orn. Biog. ii.l834,in3; v,is«<,;w.s.pl. 171. 

 SIrir jiraliiicola Bp. t'onip. DIst. 1838,7.— Cass, in Baird"s B. N. Am. ISM, 47.-BAinD, 

 Cat. N, Am, B. 18i.9, No. (7. 

 StrUflamiiiea var. iiralinvola B. B. & B. Hist. N, Am. B. iil, 1S74, 13. 

 Alucoflammeus pratincola CoUES, 2d Check List, 1.SS2, No. 161. 

 Strix amerU-aiia AUD. Synop. 1899,25; B. Am. i, 1810. 127, pi. :M. 

 Strix /iamntea aiiierirana ScHLEO. 1862. 

 Strix ftauiiiiea var. nnierirana CoUES, Key,lg72, 2(»1; Chock List, IST.l, No. 316. 



