STRIGIDJE: OTHER OWLS. 



625 



barred with mottled gray, and towards their bases witli tawny, which hitter forms a conspicu- 

 ous area on outer webs of several primaries. Lining of wings tawny, separated by a dusky 

 area from similar bases of inner webs of pri- 

 maries. Tail like secondaries, dusky with gray 

 marbled bars, and more or less tawny toward 

 base ; but from below presenting quite light, 

 with numerous firm narrow dusky bars. Facial 

 disc mostly tawny, framed all around in a black- 

 ish border speckled with wliitish, and more or 

 less blackened about eye; usually a whitish 

 superciliary line ; bristles at base of bill mixed 

 whitish and blackish ; plumbeous-blackish, ba- 

 sally tawny, edged on one side with whitish. 

 Bill and claws blackish ; iris yellow. Length 

 J4.00-16.00; extent about 39.00; wing ILOO- 

 12.00; tail 5.50-6.50; tarsus 1.25-1.50; chord 

 of whole culmen about 1.00. Less variable 

 than many Owls, and always easy to recognize. 

 Temperate N. Am., common, generally dis- 

 tributed, resident as a rule, irregularly migra- 

 tory or roving to some extent, then generally in 

 flocks; perfectly nocturnal, and thus screened 

 from casual observation, even where it is numer- 

 ous, but often surprised in the daytime in shady 

 resorts, as thick bushes along streams, canons, 

 caves, etc. Nesting various, in a hollow tree 

 or stump, rift of rock, or on the ground, but 

 mainly in deserted nests of other birds, as Hawks, 

 Crows, Magpies, or even Herons; usually con- 

 structed with little art, as when in a hollow or on the ground, sojnetimes better built or refitted 

 in l)ranches of a bush or tree, at a varying height of 10 to 40 feet. Eggs J3-7, oftener 4 or 5, 

 wliite, subspherical, 1 .50 to 1 .60 X 1 -30 to 1.40, laid from February to May in different latitudes, 

 usually found in varying stages of incubation of the same set, or with young birds in the nest 

 before all the eggs are hatched; incubation supposed to take about 21 days; nestlings covered 

 with grayish-white down. The food of this Owl is mostly small rodents ; it also eats small 

 birds, frogs, and insects. It is one of our handsomest species, with its trim form, showy plu- 

 mage, pricked-up ears, and general jaunty air; it has the trick (»f drawing itself up tall, stiff, 

 and slim, with close-shut feathers, like a soldier on dress parade, and again of swelling up and 

 fluffing out the plumage, to make itself look big and fierce. 



^. accipitri'nus. (Lat. (tccijntrinus, hawk-like. Figs. 420, 430.) Short-earfd Owl. 

 Mak.sh Owl. Ear-tufts inconspicuous, much shorter than middle toe and claw, few- feathered. 

 First and second primaries einarginate on inner webs. Above, completely variegated, chiefly in 

 streaks, with fulvous or tawny, and dark brown ; breast much the same, but other under parts 

 paler ochrey, usually bleaching on belly, which is sparsely but sharply streaked (never barred) 

 with dark brown ; feet pale tawny or wliitisli, usually immaculate ; lining of wings interruptedly 

 whitish. Wing-quills varied, mostly in large jiattern, and tail pretty regularly barred (about 

 5 bars) with the two colors of upper ])arts. Farial area white or nearly so. but witli a large 

 black eye-patcli ; disc minutely speckled with fulvous and blackisii, bordered with white inter- 

 nally and usually having a blackish patch behind ear; radiating feathers of operculum streaked 

 with blackish and fulvous. Iris bright yellow ; bill an<I claws dusky-bluish; naked granular 



40 



Fio. 428. — Long-eared Owl. 



