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The facial disc, in front of the eye, is ashy-white, with small black lines ; 
the rest brownish-yellow, tipped with black; a black ring nearly around 
the eye; the disc feathers tipped with black; ear-tufts brownish-black, 
edged with ashy-white and yellowish; quills of the wings yellowish at 
base, brown towards the tip, marked with irregular bars of brown, and 
mottled with the same color; under-wing covert yellowish, sometimes 
white; the larger feathers tipped with brownish-black; tail brown, irregu- 
larly banded with ashy fulvous, and mottled like the wings; iris of the 
eye yellow; bill and claws blackish. 
Length of female, fifteen inches; tail six inches. Male smaller. 
SuB-FAMILY SYRNIN#Z.—THE Day OWLS. 
Have large heads, without ear-tufts or with very small and concealed ones ; 
facial dise nearly perfect; eyes comparatively small; wings shorter than 
the preceding family; tarsi and toes densely feathered; size various. 
GENUS SyrNIuM—Savigny. 
Head large, and without ear-tufts; facial disc almost perfect; bill strong 
and curved from the base; broad at base, and re-curved at tip; wings long, 
with the fourth and fifth quills longest; tail broad, rounded and long; 
tarsi rather short, and with the toes densely covered with feathers; claws 
long, curved and sharp. 
SYRNIUM NEBULOSUM 
Forster—THE ROUND-HEADED, OR BARRED OWL. 
Audubon’s Birds of America, octavo ed., I, plate 36. 
Probably the most common species in Ohio. In the neighborhood of 
Cleveland it is abundant during the whole year. It inhabits the woods, 
and if surprised during the day, it will fly off a short distance to the branch 
of some neighboring tree, where it will perch, and generally wait until 
shot at. During the day it is the most awkward of its family, and the 
saying of ‘solemn as an owl,” will occur to any one who sees it. Night, 
however, puts greater energy into it, and the dull, unmeaning look 
becomes wonderfully changed. It feeds on squirrels, rats, mice, small 
birds and chickens, and prefers living in the woods. We have seen it, 
however, flying during moonlight, over the principal streets of Cleveland, 
probably in pursuit of rats. These owls have the bad habit of visiting the 
barn-yard, and attacking the young chickens. No owl glides on more 
silent pinions than this. Its soft, downy plumage produces no sound in 
