244 OTUS BRACHYOTUS — THE SHORT EARED OWL. 



correspond in a remarkable deg.ee. All, with the excep- 

 tion of a single genus indiginous to Asia, have the legs and 

 toes feathered, some very densely. The head is apparently 

 very large ; the eyes large and look forward, and the face is 

 surrounded by a more or less perfect disc of short, stiflF 

 leathers. The ears are very large internally, and some of 

 the species have ear tufts that increase their feline appear- 

 ance. The form is short and heavy; wings rather long, and 

 formed for noiseless flight; the outer edges of the- main 

 quills are fringed; tail usually short; bill apparently small, 

 being concealed by projecting bristle-like feathers. The 

 female is larger than the male, and the species vary much 

 in size. All select living prey, and never feed on carrion. 

 The small species feed on insects. 



Genus Otus, Cumer. 



Head moderate, with erectile ear tufts of various sizes in 

 difi'erent species ; bill short, curved from the base, almost 

 coiicealed by the bristle-like erect feathers; facial disc 

 nearly perfect; wings rather long, the second and third 

 quills being longest; tail of moderate length; eyes rather 

 small; legs long; tarsi and toes densely feathered; claws 

 long, curved and sharp. 



Otus Brachyotus, Forster. — The Short Eared Owl. 



Audubon's B. of Am., Oct. ed., I., pi. 38; Wilson's Amer. 

 Orn., IV., pi. 33, fig. 3; DeKay's Nat. Hist. N. Y., Birds, pi. 



12, fig. 27. 



The Short Eared Owl is a very common species in Ohio 

 during the winter, and may also be found in its favorite 



