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bill strongly curved, of moderate size, and covered at base with projecting 
feathers; legs short, and densely feathered to the tips of the toes. One 
American species. 
SurniaA ULULA—Linn—TuE HAwk OwL. 
Wilson’s Am. Orn., VI., plate 50, fig. 6; Audubon’s B. of Am., Oct. 
ed., I, pl. 27. 
This bird is the joining link between the hawks and owls; like the former, 
it hunts by day, pursuing its prey in the same manner. It also resembles 
the hawks in form of body, and length of tail; the distinguishing facial 
disc has almost disappeared, and the head is smaller than that of the owl 
proper. It is an active and couragous bird, and is very abundant in Are- 
tic America, from Hudson’s Bay to the pacific coast. With us, it is, in all 
probability, a winter visitor only. It breeds, however, in some of the 
more Northern States and in Cunada, and is said to feed on small quadru- 
peds, grouse and ptarmigan, and often endeavors to seize the small game 
shot by the hunter. This species is rare in Ohio. Having no specimen, 
we give the following description from Cassin’s ‘‘ Synopsis ;”—“ Size me- 
dium; first three quills incised on their inner webs; tail long, with its cen- 
tral feathers about two inches longer than the outer; tarsi and toes thickly 
feathered. Apvunr—Entire upper parts fuliginous brown; the head and 
neck behind with numerous small circular spots of white; scapulars and 
wing-coverts with numerous, partially concealed, large spots of white; face 
silky, grayish-white; throat mixed, dark brown and white; a large brown 
spot on each side of the breast; all the other under parts transversely lined 
or striped with pale brown; quills and tail brown, with white stripes; bill 
pale yellowish, and claws horn color; irides yellow; color of upper parts 
darkest on the head, and the white markings on the head and body vary- 
ing somewhat in different specimens. 
Female, total length 16 to 17 inches; wing 9, and tail 7 inches; male 
smaller.” 
