3^4 SPEOTYTO CVNICVLARIA. 



This family of Owls -vhich is characterised hy the long, nearly naked tarsus and short 

 tail, is evidently closely allied to the preceding group; just how closely, I cannot deter- 

 mine in a manner quite satisfactory to myself as I have never made a dissection of one. 

 Nor have T seen any of the bones; I have, however, ventnved to give the number of mar- 

 ginal indentations as four as it does not appea^' probable tbit these birds are related to the 

 Disked Owls which have only two. In prepai'ljg *.hese artiLies on the Owls, I am indebted 

 to Messrs. J. W. Knowllon and F. H. Brac^ctt and the Bangs Brothers for the privilege 

 of using specimens from their collections. 



GENUS <. SPEOTliO. THE LON'ji-l.KfTnKn OWLS. 



(!f,n. C-n. T'lil, short, vol hcinij rqaii tit /rnij/h to one half the winr/a luhich are considerailtj elongated. Tarsus and tiD- 

 ia.vcTjj lony. Head, ima/l. 



Me':i'>firs of Uii.s genus are quite =- .a)' and the jilomago is short and compact Imt not downy. The eyes arc coiiiiiara- 

 tlfjly .siii.tii and arc yellow in color. The legs are strikingly long cnahling the birds to walk with case uixm tlie ground. 

 There is but one species within ou. limits. 



SPEOTYTO CUNICULAEIA. 

 Burrowing Owl. 



JMoLiXA, Sagg. Sti 



DESCRIPTION. 



5p. Cn. Form, slender. She, not largo. Sill and claws, not long, the former is stout liut the latter are slender and 

 are not very shar]i. 



Color. Adult. Above, including wings, tail, upper wing and tail coverts, uniform yellowish-brown, barred and spot- 

 ted everywhere with yellowish-wh:te. The face, is white and dusky, iiiisod. Beneath, including under wing and tail cov- 

 erts, yellowish-"f'>it«, transversely barred, on a liand across the throat and on tlie l)reast, sides, and flanks with light red- 

 dish-brown. 



Younij. liuite snnilar to the adult but are generally darker. Tibia, reddish-white, barred with brownisli andthefeath- 

 ers below show traces of rufous. 



Nestlings. Are at first covered with a reddish down, and in time, gradually assume the plumage last dcscril)ed. Iris 

 and soles of feet, yellow, bill, also yellow, darker at base and on lower mandil)le, cere, greenish, and claws, dark-brown, in 

 all stage.s. Sexes, similar in color. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



There ap)iears to be considerable variation in skins, some being darker than others but this may be due to age. Some 

 specimens also have the tarsus feathered more than others, which character, together with variation in size, has been con- 

 sidered, by some autliors, of sufficient importance to entitle their possessors to specific rank, or at least tv) a varietal name. 

 Known from all other s])ccies by the long tarsus and short tail, together with the coIok as described. Distributed a.s a 

 constant resident, throughout Western United States, Mexico, South America, and in a restricted area in Western irinridn. 

 Accidental in Eastern Massachusetts. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurement.'? of male specimens from Western United States. Length, .7 d«; stretch, -.WSO; wing, 7M)0; tail, 

 i-.W; bill, -sr.; I -iri-u-;, . ? •" ). L I'lgs-'i speci"\en, D'OO; greite-it O'itint of wing, •J.'S-OO; longest wing, 7-.55; tail, -l-on- '"H 

 •00; tarsus, 1 75. Shortest -■^pccaeu, S-00; smallest extent of wing, 22-00; shortest wing, O'SO; tail, ."i 00; l,:ii, -f-; -.iir,.,.-;. 

 1-65. 



Average measurements of female specimens. Length, lO'OO; stretch, 22'50; wing, '/■.-)ii; tan, 4-00; hill, -(ki; lai-sus, 

 1'75. Longest specimen, 1050; greatest extentof wing, 23-50; longest wing, 8-00; tail, 4-.50; liill, -fi.'); tarsus, 1-80. Shortr 

 «st .specimen, y-50; wuUlaut extent of wing, 23-00; shortest wmjf. 7 00: tail. S-.'iO: bill. -.W: htr-oi.-. 1 •-- 



