64 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



whitish, as in specimens from the Atlantic coast of the United States. 

 These specimens cannot, however, be considered as anything else than 

 merely local styles of the virgmianus, var. virginianus. 



Bubo virginianus, var. arcticus, Swains. 



WESTERN GREAT HORNED OWL. 



? Strix wajMcutlm, Gmel. Syst. Nat. 1789, p. 290. Striz (Bubo) ardica, Swains. F. B. A. 

 II, 1831, 86. Heliaptex arcticus. Swains. Classif. Birds, I, 1837, 328 ; Ib. II, 217. 

 Bubo virginianus arcfdcus, Cass. Birds N. Am. 1858, 50 {B. virginianus). — Bl.\kis- 

 TON, Ibis, III, 1861, 320. Bubo viryinianus, var. arcticus, CoUES, Key, 1872, 202. 

 Bubo subarcticus, Hoy, P. A. N. S. VI, 1852, 211. Bubo virginianus jiacificus, Cass. 

 Birds Cal. & Tex. 1854, and Birds N. Am. 1858 {B. virginianus, in part only). Bubo 

 magellanicus, Cass. Birds Cal. & Tex. 1854, 178 (not B. viagellanicus of Lesson !). 

 Bubo virginianus, Heekm. 34. — Kenneuly, 20. — CouES, Prod. (P. A. N. S. 1866, 

 13). — Blakiston, Ibis, III, 1861, 320. / JFapacuthu Oivl, Pennant, Arctic Zool. 

 231. — Latii. Syn. Supp. I, 49. 



Char. Pattern of coloration precisely like that of var. virginianus, but the general 

 aspect much lighter and more grayish, caused by a greater prevalence of the lighter tints, 

 and contraction of dark pencillings. The ochraceous much lighter and less rufous. Face 

 soiled whitOj instead of deep dingy rufous. 



$ (No. 21,581, Camp Kootenay, Washington Territory,. August 2, 1860). Wing, 

 I4.UU ; tail, 8.60; culmen, 1.10; tarsus, 2.00. Tail and primaries each with the dark 

 bands nine in number ; legs. and feet immaculate white. Wing-formula, 3, 2 = 4-5-1. 



9 (No. 10,574, Fort Tejon, California). Wing, 14.70; tail, 9.50; culmen, 1.10; tarsus, 

 2.10 ; middle toe, 2.00. Tail and primaries each with seven dark bands ; legs transversely 

 barred with dusky. Wing-formula, 3, 4, 2 - 5 - 1, 6. 



Hab. Western region of North America, from the interior Arctic districts to the 

 table-lands of Mexico. Wisconsin (Hoy) ; Northern Illinois (Pekin, Mus. Cambridge) ; 

 Lower California ; ? Orizaba, Mexico. 



Localities : (?) Orizaba (Scl. P. Z. S. 1860, 253) ; Arizona (Coues, P. A.N. S. 1866, 49). 



The above description covers the average characters of a light grayish 

 race of the B. virginianus, which represents the other styles in the whole 

 of the western and interior regions of the continent. Farther northward, in 

 the interior of the fur countries, the plumage becomes lighter still, some 

 Arctic specimens being almost as white as the Nyctea scandiaca. The B. 

 arcticus of Swainson was founded upon a specimen of this kind, and it is 

 our strong opinion that the Wapecuthu Owl of Pennant (Strix wapecuthu, 

 Gmel.) was nothing else than a similar individual, which had accidentally 

 lost the ear-tufts, since there is no other discrepancy in the original descrip- 

 tion. The failure to mention ear-tufts, too, may have been merely a neglect 

 on the part of the describer. 



