ee OS te 
STRIGIDH, OWLS. —GEN.- 139. 201 
their flight is perfectly noiseless, like the mincing steps of a cat; and no entirely 
fanciful analogy has been drawn between these birds and the feline carnivora that 
chiefly prey stealthily in the dark. ‘Owls feed entirely upon animal substances, and 
capture their prey alive—small quadrupeds and birds, reptiles and insects, and even 
fish. Like most other Raptores, they eject from the mouth, after a meal, the bones, 
hair, feathers and other indigestible substances, made up into a round pellet. They 
are noted for their loud outcries, so strange and often so lugubrious, that it is no 
wonder that traditional superstition places these dismal night birds in the category 
of things ill-omened. The nest is commonly a rude affair of sticks gathered in the 
yarious places of diurnal resort; the eggs are several (commonly 3-6), white, sub- 
spherical. The female, as a rule, is larger than the male, but the sexes are alike 
in color; the coloration is commonly blended and diffuse, difficult of concise 
description. 
Owls are among the most completely cosmopolitan of birds; with minor modifi- 
cations according to circumstances, their general habits are much the same the 
world over. A difliculty of correctly estimating the number of species arises from 
the fact that many, especially of the more generalized types, have a wide geograph- 
ical distribution, and, as in nearly all such cases, they split into more or less easily 
recognized races, the interpretation of which is at present a matter of opinion 
rather than a settled issue. About 200 species pass current; this number must be 
reduced by one-third; out of about 50 generic names now in vogue, probably less 
than one-half represent some structural peculiarity. Notable exotic genera are the 
Japanese Phodilus (P. badius), an ally of Strix proper; the Asiatic MKetupa; and 
the extensively distributed Old World Athene, in its broad acceptation. 
Fic. 134. Foot of Barn Owl. 
139. Genus STRIX Linneus. 
Barn Owl. Tawny, or fulvous-brown, delicately clouded or marbled with 
ashy and white, and speckled with brownish-black ; below, a varying shade 
from nearly pure white to fulvous, with sparse sharp blackish speckling ; face 
white to purplish-brown, darker or black about the eyes, the disk bordered 
with dark brown; wings and tail barred with brown, and finely mottled like 
the back; bill whitish; toes yellowish. Facial disk highly developed, not 
circular; no tufts; ears very large, operculate ; tarsi long, scant-feathered, 
below bristly, like the nearly naked toes; middle claw usually found serrate 
or at least jagged; plumage very downy. @ 17 long; wing 13; tail 53; 
é rather less. U.S., Atlantic to Pacific, southerly; rare in the interior, 
KEY TO N. A. BIRDS. 26 
