oil 

 SYRNIUM NEBULOSUM. ' 



The Barn Owls are constantly resident wherever thoy occur but do not appear to be 

 very common anywhere in the section which wo have under consideration, yet, as they 

 are of a retiring dispoistion, they may escape notice. They are southern birds, being rare 

 north of Virginia and are found in INIassachusetts and the other New l^lngland States only 

 as occasional stragglers. One specimeii was taken at Lynn and one or two in the vicin- 

 ity of Springfield, some years ago. 



The breeding habits of the Barn Owls are not very well known; Audubon states that 

 they lay at irregular times throughout the year but my correspondent, Mr. Chas. Nauman, 

 who has spent many years in Florida, says that they nest in March, April, and May. The 

 pair of which I have spoken on the preceding page, which had a home in the hollow stub, 

 brought out their young in the spring, depositing their eggs about the first of March, while 

 the birds at the old fort appeared to breed in the spring. Thus we may judge that the 

 majority begin their household duties about that time, bringing out, at least, two broods 

 in a season. 



FAMILY II. BUBONIDiE. THE HOOTING OWLS. 



Marginal indentations , four , quite wide but deep. Tarsus, short. Eyes, rather large. 

 Facial disk, nearly perfect. 



The marginal indentations arc wide and deep but the two inner, are shallower than 

 tliG outer. The size is usually quite largo. The bill is not very long but is strong. The 

 tai'si ai-e comparatively short and the feet strong. The plumage is rather dark in color 

 and, although soft and lax, is not of that peculiar, downy structure observable in the pre- 

 ceding family. 



GEISrUS II. SYRNIUIM. THE (^RAY OWLS. 



Gex. Cii. The. sternum is short and wc/l arched, with the coraeoids set on at an anr/Ie. Furcula, not very welt devel- 

 oped. Tail, rattier long. There are no car tufts. 



Mombci-s of this genus liave t!ie jjlumiigo very long nnd full. The eyes arc rather large and dark in eolor. Tlie sterno- 

 trachealis is stout l)ut there are no other laryngeal muscles. Tlie oesopliagus is nearly straiglit, I)ut is a little wider in the 

 middle, and opens into a medium sized proventriculus with simple glands arranged in a zonular band. The stomach is 

 lai-ge, glol)ular in form, with rather thin walls. The cocca are quite long. Both lobes of the liver are nearly equal in size. 

 There are two species within our limits. 



SYENIUM NEBULOSUM. 



Barred Owl. 



Symium nebuldsum Foster, Trans. Philos. Soe. London, LXII; 1772, 386, 424. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Form, robust. Size, medium. Sternum, stout, rather broad, with the keel well arched, thick, and short, but 

 it roaches the posterior border whic!i is emarginate. Tlio marginal indentations are quite deep. Tongue, thick and 

 fleshy, horny at the tip wliioh is rounded and slightly biiid. 



CoLoi!. Adult. Above, including rump and upper tail and wing coverts, dusky-brown and all the fcathcrsare tran-s- 

 vorscly banded with wliite. Wings and tail, dusky-brown, transversely banded with bro\vn. Under parts, white, trans- 



