478 THE W I'.STERN HORNED OWL. 



' No. 192. 



WESTERN HORNED OWL. 



A. O. U. No. 375, part. Bubo virginianiis lagophonus (L)l)cth. ). 



Synonyms. — HooT Owl (par e.Kcellence ) . C.\T Owl. Virginlx ( )vvl. 



Description. — Adult: Ear-tufts conspicuous, two inches or more in length, 

 black, bordered with ochraceous ; entire upperparts dusky or blackish, finely mot- 

 tled with prevailing whitish and ochraceous, the latter color predominant on each 

 feather basally ; wing-quills and tail faintly broad-barred; facial disk ochraceous, 

 sharply bordered by blackish laterally ; feathers whitish with black ti])s centrally ; 

 a broad white sjiace on chest; feathers of remaining underparts tawny at base, 

 changing to white on terminal portit)ns, finely and heavily barred with dusky- 

 brown; the sides of the breast spotted with the same color; iris bright yellow; 

 bill and toe-nails bluish black. Young: Above and below ochraceous barred 

 with dusky. Length 18.00-25.00 (457.2-635) ; av. of eight specimens: wing 15.06 

 (382.5) ; tail 9.60 (243.8) ; hill including cere i.dd (42.2). Female averages two 

 or three inches longer than males. 



Recognition Marks. — Largest, exce])t for the two rarer species Scotiapt\x 

 ncbulosa and Nyctea uyctea. "Horns" and size di■^tinctive ; darker than siiharc- 

 ticus: lighter than satitrafus. 



Nesting. — Nest: in a hullnw tree, or in a deserted Hawk's or Crow's nest. 

 Eggs: 2-j^, rarely 4. white, subspherical. Av. size. 2.20x1.82 ( 55.1) x 46.2 ). 

 Season: February 20-April i ; one brood. 



General Range. — 'AVashington and northern Oregon ( excepting the coast 

 region), with Idaho; north through eastern and central British Columbia to Cook 

 Lilet and the interior of Alaska" ( Oberholser ). 



Range in Washington. — Eastern Washington, not uncommon resident in 

 timbered sections; ])erlia]is intergrading with B. v. saturatiis on eastern slopes of 

 Cascades. 



Authorities. — ? Bubo Z'iygiiiicuuis saturatiis Ridgw.. Brewster, Bull. Xutt. 

 Orn. Club VH., Oct. 1882. pp. 227, 229, 230 (part). ? Ibid. Dawson, Auk, Vol. XIV., 

 A])r. 1897, p. 174. B. T. pallescens. Snodgrass, Auk. XX.. 1903, 205 ; XXL, 1904, 

 228. Oberholser, Proc. Nat. :\lus. \"ol. XX\II., i()04. ^''''- 135-^- PP- 185, 186. 

 D'. D-'. ,^s-. S?^ J. E(?). 



Specimens. — P'. Prov. E. 



BUBO HORRIBILIS sIk.uM have been the name of this feathered de- 

 mon of tlie wiHids, this grizzly nf the midnight air. He loves the darkness he- 

 cause his deeds are e\'il : and after the protecting sun has set, woe betide the 

 mole or ndiliit. Boliwhite, Jay, or Clianticleer, who dares to stir where this 

 monster is ;iwing. When captured in a steel trap, as he often is by aggrieved 

 poultry fanciers, the ruffling of the feathers, the alternate hissing and fierce 

 snapping of the mandibles, and the greenish yellow light which comes flashing 

 from the great saucer eves, all give fair warning of what one may expect troni 

 the free-foot once it gets a chance to cl<ise n|)on a \ictini. 



