260 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



1893, measure 1.44 x 1.18, 1.46 x 1.17, 1.40x1.20, 1.40 x 

 1.15, 1.45 X 1.20, 1.40 x 1.18. The nest was in an old Flicker 

 hole in an elm tree about twenty-five feet up. The eggs are 

 laid on chips, leaves and other material which naturally 

 accumulate. The food consists of mice, small mammals, cica- 

 dias, grasshoppers, crickets, small birds and most rarely indeed 

 poultry. 



Genus BUBO Dumeril. 



375. Bubo virginianus (Gmel.). Great Horned Owl; 

 Hoot Owl; Cat Owl. 



Plumage of adults: face ochraceous buff; ear tufts nearly two inches 

 long, black with ochraceous or buff streaks ; above mixed and mottled with 

 ochraceous buff, grayish and blackish ; throat with white spot or patch in 

 center; below ochraceous buff, barred with black. Immature plumage: 

 huffy barred with dusky or grayish. Wing 14.50 to 16.00. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern North America from Labrador to Costa Rica and 

 west to the Mississippi Valley ; resident throughout range. 



County Records. — Androscoggin; fairly common resident, (Johnson). 

 Aroostook; fairly general resident of the wooded portions of the county, 

 (Knight). Cumberland; common resident, (Mead). Franklin; common 

 resident, (Swain). Hancock; generally distributed resident of the county, 

 (Knight). Kennebec; rare, (Gardiner Branch). Knox; resident, (Rack- 

 liff). Oxford; breeds commonly, (Nash). Penobscot; generally occurring 

 resident of the wooded sections, (Knight). Piscataquis; common resident, 

 (Homer). Sagadahoc; common, nests, (Spinney). Somerset; not common 

 resident, (Morrell). Waldo; quite rare resident, (Knight). Washington; 

 common resident, (Boardman). York; breeds, (Adams). 



Though generally distributed throughout State as a resident 

 species there does not seem to be any good reason for calling 

 the species common. The actual number of individuals occur- 

 ring is not great, but such large, conspicuous, noisy birds are 

 readily observed, often shot and brought to taxidermists for 

 mounting so that the impression easily arises that they are 

 really more numerous than is the real truth of the case. 



The specimens of Arctic Horned Owl recorded in List of 

 Birds of Maine, page 69, seem better treated as extremely pale 

 or faded individuals of the typical Horned Owl. The Horned 



