646 



SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — RAPTORES — STRIGES. 



wing-quills, with 5 broken bars and one terminal, of pale brownish, whitening on inner webs. 

 Lining of wings white, interrupted with dark brown. Face and region about eye white, below 

 it barred with light and dark brown ; bristles at base of bill black on terminal half. Chin and 

 throat white, forming a broad mark from side to side. General color of under parts whitish ; 

 breast blotched and imperfectly barred with brown, forming toward abdomen large patches, 

 sides more grayish, Hanks plumbeous, tibiae narrowly barred with light brown and dusky. 

 Tarsal bristles whitish ; those of toes yellowish ; bill pale greenish ; iris bright yellow. Length 



5.75-6.25; extent 14.25- 



^v 



Fig. 441. — Bills and feet of Speotyto, nat. size. 

 S. floridana. (Ad. nat. del. R. R.) 



Lower, S. hnpogrea ; upper, 



15.25; wing 4.25-4.50; 

 tail 2.00-2.25; tarsus 0.80- 

 0.90. Southern and Lower 

 California, Arizona, New 

 Mexico, southern Texas, 

 and S. through most of 

 Mexico ; a very curious 

 little Owl, whose general 

 habits, nesting, and food 

 are similar to those of the 

 Gnome Owls ; but it ap- 

 pears to be more noctur- 

 nal, and feeds more exclu- 

 sively on insects. It .is 

 common in the giant cac- 

 tus region, and nests usu- 

 ally in the Woodpecker 

 holes of those strange 



forms of arborescence ; eggs 2-5, oftenest 3 or 4, 1.02 X 0.92, thus very rounded, pure white^ 

 minutely granular, laid in May and June. 



SPEO'TYTO. (Gr. o-Treo?, speos^ a cave ; tuto), txdo^ a kind of Owl.) Burrowing Owls. 

 Of medium and rather small size. Head smooth ; no plumicorns ; ear-parts small, iion-oper- 

 culate ; facial disc incom- 

 plete. Nostril opening in 

 the tumid cere. Wings ot 

 moderate length ; 2d to 

 4th quills longest ; 1st 

 about equal to 5th; 2 or 

 3 sinuate on inner webs 

 near end. Tail very shoit, 

 only about half as long as 

 wing, even or scarcely 

 rounded. Tarsi extremely 

 long ; about twice as long 

 as middle toe without its 

 claw, very scant-feathered 

 in front, bare behind ; toes 



bristly. The long slim 



1 -^ ^^ /-£ Fig. 442. — Burrowing Owl, reduced. (Sheppard del. Nichols sc.) 



legs are quite peculiar (hg. " e > 



441), in comparison with any other N. Am. Owls, though the bareness of the feet is shared 

 to a greater or less extent by the Antillean genus Gymnasia, the Old World Ninox, and somfr 

 other genera. Speotyto is a genus confined to America, where there are several subspecies. 



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