76 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



only on the outer feathers ; primaries with about seven transverse series of Vi^hite spots, 

 these obsolete except on the five outer feathers, on which those anterior to the emargina- 

 tion are most conspicuous ; all the primaries are very narrowly bordered with white at 

 the ends. Tail with seven or eight very narrow bands of white, those on the middle 

 feathers purely so, becoming obsolete exteriorly ; the last is terminal. Eyebrows, lores, 

 and face grayish-white, the grayish appearance caused by the blackish shafts of the 

 feathers ; that of the face continues (contracting considerably) across the lower part of 

 the throat, separating a large space of dark brown, which covers nearly the whole throat, 

 from an indistinct collar of the same extending across the jugulum, — this collar uniting 

 the lower ends of the auricular and cervical dusky bands, the space between which is 

 nearly clear white. Ground-color of the lower parts white, but everywhere with numer- 

 ous very regular transverse bars of deep brown, of a tint more reddish than the back, 

 the brown bars rather more than half as wide as the white ones ; across the upper part 

 of the breast (beneath the dark gular collar) the white invades very much and reduces 

 the brown, forming a broad lighter belt across the jugulum ; below this the brown bars 

 increase in width, their aggregation tending somewhat to a suffusion, giving the white 

 jugular belt better definition. On the legs and toes the bars are narrower, more distant, 

 and less regular. 



The whole lining of the wing is barred just like the sides. The dark brown prevails on 

 the under surface of the primaries, etc.; the former having transverse, irregular, elliptical 

 spots of white, these touching neither the shaft nor the edge : on the longest quill are 

 seven of these spots ; on all they are anterior to the emargination. 



^ (49,808, Nulato, Alaska, April 21, 1867 ; W. H. Ball). Wing-formula, 3, 4 - 2 -5 - 

 6-1. Wing, 9.00; tail, 7.00; culraen, .70; tarsus (of another specimen; wanting in 

 the present), .90 ; middle toe, .82. 



9 (49,807, Nulato, April 20; W. H. Dall). Wing-formula, 3, 4-2-5-6-7=1. 

 Wing, 9.00; tail, 6.80 ; culmen, .70 ; middle toe, .80. 



Hab. Arctic America, south in winter into northern United States; Wisconsin (Dr. 

 Hoy) ; Massachusetts (Dr. Brewer ; Maynard) ; Dakota and Montana (Mus. S. I.). 



The Hawk Owl of North America is to be distinguished from that 

 of Europe and Siberia by the same characters which distinguish the 

 American Sparrow Owl from the European, namely, mucli darker sliade of 

 the brown and its greater prevalence. Three perfect specimens of the Old 

 World bird (a pair from Lapland, and a specimen from Kamtschatka, Petro- 

 pawloosk, W. H. Dall) agree in prevalence of the white over the head above, 

 the confluence of the spots on the scapulars forming a larger, more con- 

 spicuous patch, and very broad and almost immaculate jugular belt ; the 

 brown bars beneath are very much narrower than in the American bird, and 

 the tint is not different from that of the back. The legs and toes are scarcely 

 variegated. While acknowledging the identity of the two representative 

 forms, the differences are such as to entitle them to separation as races. 



Habits. The American form of the Hawk Owl inliabits the northern por- 

 tions of both continents, and is common in the Arctic portions. On the Atlan- 

 tic coast of tins continent it lias been found as far south as Pliilaclelphia and 

 the State of New Jersey, btit its presence south of latitude 45° is probably 

 only occasional and rather rare. Tlie European form, according to Mr. Dresser, 

 has not been known to exist in the British Islands, Init several instances are 

 quoted of the occurrence of the American form in Great Britain. One was 



