In the Woods. 189 



America from Mexico north to Manitoba and British Columbia, and has been 



taken in Illinois and Wisconsin. 

 Western Horned . . ,,.,.,,. , 



^ . It IS much like its ally in general appearance, but 



Bubo virginianu's subarcti- Hghtcr, the yellows aud buff's of that bird being replaced 

 cus (Hoy), j^y grays and white. 



This is another race of the Great Horned Owl, occupying Labrador 



Dusky Horned and the Hudson's Bay country and tracts to Alaska. It 



Owl. is a much darker bird in general tone, the black and 



Bubo virginianus satuiatus i, i •!*— „i.lU — ll£f 



Ridgw. dusky colors prevailing over the browns and buns. 



The Saw-whet Owl is the smallest of the owls found in the region 

 treated of, being about eight inches long. Its size and round head without 

 ears should suffice to identify the bird. 

 Saw-whet Owl. jj^^ adults are a peculiar shade of drab above, freely 



Nyctala acadica (Gmel.). i r i i i i • c ^^ r 



Streaked on the forehead and on the margins oi the lace 

 discs with white. The sides of the head and back of the neck are more 

 broadly streaked with white. The shoulders are broadly marked with white. 

 The tail has two or three narrow broken bars of white, and some of the 

 larger wing feathers are similarly marked. The lower parts are white broadly 

 streaked with drab of a warmer shade than that of the upper parts. The 

 feathers below the tail are white. The feet are feathered to the toes and the 

 eyes are yellow, surrounded by well defined facial discs of obscure white and 

 drab. 



Young birds are plain brown above, rather darker than the adults. The 

 facial discs are dusky with white or buffy edgings. The breast is like the 

 back and the belly and feathers below the tail are yellowish buff. The birds 

 breed in deserted woodpeckers' holes and natural hollows in trees, and at 

 times in abandoned squirrels' nests. From three to five pure white eggs are 

 laid. They are about an inch and a fifth long and one inch in their other 

 diameter. 



This is a migratory species breeding from Northern New York and New 

 England northward through the British Provinces. In winter it is found as 

 far south as Virginia. It is a strictly nocturnal bird, rarely moving about by 

 day, but passing that period asleep in some dark hemlock or cedar grove. 

 So profoundly does it sleep, with its bill and face buried in the feathers of 



