S3ARN OWL. 
Family Aluconide. Barn OwLs. 
A family related to the Goatsuckers, but sharing with 
the other owls their characteristic habits. 
Barn Owl A southern species rarely found north o. 
Aluco pratincola T ong Island, absolutely nocturnal in habit, 
L. 15=18 inches : ; 
AM ine your and keeping itself well concealed through 
the day. Its physiognomy is triangular 
heart-shaped rather than rounded and is singularly like 
that of a monkey. It is very nearly related to the 
European species Strix flammea which has an almost 
world-wide range. The upper parts are ocher-buff mixed 
with gray and speckled with sepia and white, face and 
under parts varying from white to buff with the marginal 
feathers tipped with brown of an ocherous or ruddy tone; 
wings and tail barred and spotted with sepia, the eyes black. 
Nest in barn gables, towers, and steeples. Egg white 
unmarked. . This species breeds from New York south- 
ward into Mexico. 
The common note of this owl is an unmusical geep, geep, 
similar to that of the Night Hawk, or else the bird on 
extraordinary occasions lets out an unearthly, blood-curdl- 
ing scream which entitles him to be esteemed an evil 
creature. The poet Burns must have had just such screams 
in mind when he wrote of circumspect Tam o’Shanter— 
‘‘Whiles glowering around wi’ prudent cares 
Lest bogles catch him unawares, 
Kirk-Alloway was drawing nigh, 
Where ghaists and houlets nightly cry.” 
There is no questioning the point that an owl’s idea of 
music is writ in blood and tragedy; why not? If you hap- 
pen to have examined the contents of some seventeen owls’ 
stomachs and found therein the remains of mice* are you 
not convinced? 
Family Strigide. Ow.s. 
In this family, aside from several structural differences, 
is included the very obvious ones, the rounded face-disks 
and the large external ears. 
* That is a record of Mr. Fisher’s investigations. 
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