BIRDS—ATHENINAE—ATHENE HYPUGZA. 59 
Sub-Family ATHENINAE—The Bird Owls. 
Size small; facial disc very imperfect, or nearly obsolete; tarsi generally partially or but 
thinly covered with feathers ; head without ear tufts. The birds of this group are generally 
small, and are not so nocturnal in their habits as those of the preceding divisions. 
ATHENE, Boie. 
Athene, Bore, Isis, 1822, p. 549. 
Small ; head moderate, without ear tufts ; wings rather long ; tail rather short ; facial disc nearly obsolete. Bill short ; legs 
rather long, thinly covered with short feathers ; toes naked, or with a few hair-like feathers. This genus contains about forty 
species of small owls inhabiting all parts of the world. 
ATHENE HYPUGAIA, Bonaparte. 
The Burrowing Owl. 
Strix hypugea, Bonar. Am. Orn., I, p. 72. (1825.) 
Athene socialis, GamBex, Proc. Acad. Philada. III, p. 47. (1846.) 
Ficures.—Bonap. Am. Orn. I, pl. 7, fig. 2; Aud. B. of Am., pl. 432, fig. 1: Oct. ed. 1, p. 31, (upper figure.) 
Tarsi long, slender, thinly covered in front only with short feathers, generally with its lower half nearly bare, and frequently 
almost entirely naked, and with small circular scales laterally and posteriorly ; toes with a few hairs. 
Adult.—Upper parts light ashy brown, with numerous partially concealed circular, cordate, and ovate spots of dull white, 
whieh spots are enclosed with a narrow edge of dark brown. Throat white ; a transverse band of dark brown and reddish 
white on the neck in front, succeeded by a large patch of white ; breast light brown, with large spots of white, like the upper 
parts ; abdomen yellowish, with transverse narrow bands of reddish brown ; under tail coverts, feathers of the tibia and tarsus, 
and under wing coverts yellowish white. Quills light brown, with semi-circular spots of reddish white on their outer webs, 
and with oval or irregular spots of the same on their inner webs. Tail light brown, with about five or six irregular transverse 
bands of yellowish white. Bill dark blueish at base, yellow at tip and on the ridge of the upper mandible. This is the most 
mature plumage, and is that represented in Audubon’s figure cited above. The most usual plumage is, however. as follows : 
Adult.—Upper parts like the preceding, but lighter colored, and much more tinged with dull yellow, having generally a faded 
or bleached appearance. White spots more numerous and irregular in shape, and frequently giving the predominating color 
to the head. Rump and tail strongly tinged with reddish. Under parts like the preceding, but lighter, and with the reddish 
brown of the abdomen assuming the form of semi-circular or hastate spots. This plumage has very nearly the same characters 
as the preceding, but is lighter and has a faded appearance, and is much the most frequently met with in specimens. This 
plumage is not figured. 
Another plumage is: Upper parts much less tinged with yellow or reddish, being nearly light grayish brown ; white spots 
very irregular in shape. Abdomen nearly pure white, or tinged with yellowish, with traces only or but few spots of reddish 
brown. This plumage is given in Bonaparte’s plate, cited above ; but it is unusual for the abdomen to be so nearly pure white 
and unspotted as represented. 
Total length, female, (of skin,) about 9} inches, wing 7, tail 33 inches. Male, total length, about 9 inches, wing 635, tail 
3 inches. 
Hab.—From the Mississippi river to the Rocky mountains. Mexico. Spec. in Nat. Mus. Washington, and Mus. Acad. 
Philadelphia. 
In this species the feathers on the tarsus are restricted to a narrow longitudinal band or stripe 
in front, generally quite imperfect in the lower half, leaving that portion nearly bare to the 
toes, though it is quite unusual to find the tarsus so entirely uncovered, as represented in 
Audubon’s figure cited above. This bird is rather smaller than the succeeding, and has the 
tarsus shorter as well as much less feathered. It inhabits the countries east of the Rocky 
mountains, while the next species appears to be formed exclusively west of the same range. 
The two species are not difficult to distinguish, on comparison. 
