Suborder STRIGES. Owls. 



Family STRIGID^. Barx Owls. 



Genus STRIX Linn^us. 



STRIX PRATINCOLA Bonap. 



15 < 



American Barn Owl. ("56.5) 



Tawny or fulvous brown, delicately clouded or mai'bled with ashy or white, 

 and speckled with brownish-l)lack ; below, a vaiying shade from nearly a pure 

 white to fulvous, with sparse sharp blackish speckling ; face, white to purplish- 

 brown, darker or black aliout the eyes ; the disk, l)ordered with dark brown ; 

 wings and tail barred with brown, and finely mottled like the back ; l)ill, 

 whitish; toes, yellowish. Female: — Length, 17 inches; wing, 13; tail, 5|. 

 Male ; — Rather less. 



H.\B. — Warmer parts of North America, from the Middle States, Ohio 

 Valley and California, southwai'd through Mexico. 



Breeds, in hollow trees, frequently in the tower of a church or other high 

 l>uildings. 



Eggs, five to eleven ; soiled white. 



Although this species, so much like the Barn Owl of Britain, has 

 long been known as an American bird, coming as far north as Massa- 

 chusetts, it is only within the last few years that it has been observed 



