STRIGID^: OTHER OWLS. 



611 



Carolinas and Texas ; there being no part of the U. S. where it may not appear at that season. 

 It is far from being exclusively nocturnal, and hunts abroad in the day-time as readily as any 

 hawk. It has never been ascertained to breed in the U. S., though it probably does so in 

 Maine, as is certainly the case little further north. It is capable t>f enduring the rigors of 

 Arctic winters. The nest is usually upon the ground or rocks ; the eggs are 5 to 10, laid at 

 intervals (as is the case with various other owls), so that the nest may contain fresh and incu- 

 bated eggs and young birds at once; they are equal-ended, about 2.50 X 1-90. The bird preys 

 upon grouse, ptarmigan, hares, and smaller game, especiiilly the lield-mice and lemmings 

 which swarm in the Arctic regions. 

 166. SUR'NIA. (Etym. of Surnia or Syrnium unknown.) Hawk Owls. Skull and ear-parts 

 much as in Bubo or Nyctea; latter hon-operculate, the opening of small size ; facial disc very 

 little developed, and eyes not centric to it; no plumicoms. Wings folding far short of end of 

 tail ; third primary longest ; first 4 emarginate on inner webs. Tail remarkably long, little 

 shorter than the wing, much graduated, with lanceolate feathers. Feet thickly and completely 

 feathered to the claws ; tarsus scarcely or not longer than middle toe. Of medium size, with a 

 peculiarly neat and dressy appearance, for an owl, the whole plumage being more strict than in 

 other members of this family. There is but one species, common to northern portions of both 



hemispheres, as hawk-like in habits as in mien, though unmistakably an owl. 

 480. S. fune'rea. (Lat. funerea, funereal. Fig. 358.) American Hawk Owl. Day Owl. 



BiU and eyes yeUow ; claws brownish-black. Upper parts bistre-brown, darkest and almost 



blackish on the head, where profusely 



spotted with small round white marks, 



to which succeeds a nuchal interval less 



spotted or free from spots, then an area 



of larger and lengthened spots ; scapulars 



profusely spotted with white in large 



pattern, fbrming a scapular bar as in 



Scops ; back and wing-coverts more or 



less spotted with white also ; primaries 



and secondaries with white spots in pairs 



on opposite edges of the feathers. Tail 



broken-burred with white or pale gray, 



usually naiTowly and distinctly, on one 



or both webs, and tipped with the same; 



but there is great individual variation in 



this respect, as may also be said of the 



amount and character of the spotting of 



the whole upper parts. Uuder parts 



from the breast backward, including the 



crissum, closely and regularly cross- 

 barred with rich reddish-brown, or even 



reddish-black, upon a white ground, the 



alternating bars of color usually of 



about equal widths — if anything, the 



white the broadest. The lining of the Fig. 358. — Hawk Owl, rediired. (Sheppard del. Nichols sc.) 



wings shares the same character, but is more spotty ; the paws are mottled \vith brown and 



whitish, in different pattern. On the breast the regular barring gives way, the tendency being 



to fonn a dark pectoral band on a white or spotted ground, but this disposition is seldom per- 

 fected. Facial disc mostly whitish, bounded by a conspicuous blackish crescent behind the 



ear. When the dark nuchal collar is perfected, a second bar curves down behind the first on 



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