48o THE ARCTIC HORNED OWL. 



No. 193. 



ARCTIC HORNED OWL. 



A. O. U. No. 375 a. Bubo virginianiis siibarcticiis fHoy). 



Synonym. — White Horxi;d ( )\vi,. 



Description. — .Idiilt: Coloration very light, ochraceous tints absent; gen- 

 eral color white mottled and barred with blackish, heavily above, more lightly, or 

 scarcely, below. In extreme examples similar to Snowy Owl, Nyctea nyctea, 

 from which it is easily distinguished by "horns" and by different proportions. 



General Range. — Arctic America, south irregularly in winter in western 

 United States, Nebraska, Montana, Washington, etc. 



Range in Washington. — Casual in winter — all records happen to be from 

 West-side, but bird should occur east as well. 



Authorities. — Buho virginianiis (arcticus) Cooper and Suckley, Rep. Pac. 

 R. R. Surv. XII., pt. II., i860, p. 154. B. V. satiiratits Brewster, Bull Nutt. Orn. 

 Club \MI., Oct. 1882, pp. 227, 229, 230 (part). 



Specimens. — U. of W. Prov. B. C. 



THRUOUT most of their United States range the Horned Owls are 

 non-migratory; but as we go north there is more or less seasonal shifting, 

 while the northernmost member of the group, B. v. siibarcticiis, if not exactly 

 migratory, is at least nomadic in winter. The behests of an Arctic winter are 

 not to be gainsaid, and this species is occasionally forced to fall back upon our 

 borders, — not so frequently, ]iowe\'er, nor so numerously as the Snowy Owl 

 (Nyctea nyctea), which it has come more or less to resemble both in economy 

 and appearance. 



No. 194. 



DUSKY HORNED OWL. 



A. O. U. No. 375 c. Bubo virginianus saturatus Ridgw. 



Synonym. — P.acii'ic Horned Owl (formerly so called). 



Description. — Adult: Similar to B. v. lagophoniis, but darker, chiefly black 

 and grayish, tawny markings duller, much reduced in area; facial disk ashy gray; 

 feet much darker and more heavily mottled. Very variable in dimensions. 

 Specimens perfectly typical of alleged B. v. pacificus (the smaller tvpe) appear 

 on Puget Sound. Average of four males: wing 13.71 (348.3) ; tail 8.36 (212.3) ; 

 bill 1.57 (39.8). Average of six females: wing 14.75 (^74-7'> ; tail 8.95 (227.2) ; 

 bill 1.58 (40) (Oberholser). 



Recognition Marks. — .\s in B. 7'. lagophoniis : darker. 



Nesting. — Not dift'erent. 



