BIRDS OF 



quills and tail feathers barred with brown and white with an ashy or fulvous 

 tinge. Length, about i8 ; wing, 13-14 ; tail, 9. 



Hab. Eastern United States, west to Minnesota and Texas, north to 

 Nova Scotia and Quebec. 



Nest, in a hollow tree, or in the deserted nest of a hawk or crow. 



Eggs, 2 to 4 ; round, white. 



Along the southern boundary of Ontario the Barred Owl is 

 by no means rare, but farther north I have not heard of it 

 being observed. It does not occur west of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, but is very abundant along the south Atlantic and Gulf 

 States. It is occasionally seen abroad by day, but at such times 

 its sight seems to be rather uncertain, so that the capture 

 of the small animals on which it feeds is accomplished 

 during the hours of darkness. 



Regarding its uncertain vision by day, Mr. Giraud, in his 

 Birds of Long Island, says : " My friend, Mr. J. G. Bell, 

 informs me that when on a collecting tour in South Carolina, 

 and while looking for the blue- winged yellow warbler whose 

 note he had a moment before heard, he was startled by feeling 

 a sudden pressure on his gun. Judge of his surprise when he 

 perceived perched on the barrels a Barred Owl, which, at the 

 same moment, discovered its mistake, but too late to correct the 

 fatal error, as it was shot down by the astonished gunner." 



Audubon mentions seeing one alight on the back of a cow, 

 which it left so suddenly, when the cow moved, as to 

 show that it had mistaken the objeci. on which it perched for 

 something else. 



In former years I used to find the Barred Owl regularly 

 every fall in the ravines along the south shore of the Dundas 

 Marsh, but now many of the pines and hemlocks which formed 

 an inviting retreat are cut down, and the bird has sought for 

 greater seclusion elsewhere. Its black eyes are at all times a 

 ready mark to distinguish it from any other member of its 

 family. 



154 



