THE NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL. ; 
406 
Recognition Marks.—Crow size; strikingly white-spotted; smaller and 
without “horns,” as distinguished from the Dusky Horned Owl. 
Nesting.—Not yet described—doubtless similar to that of S. occidentale, 
viz., nest in hollow tree or built on branch, of sticks, weeds, etc., lined with grass 
and feathers. Eggs: 3 or 4, white, rounded. Av. size 2.05 x 1.80 (52.1 x 45.7). 
Season: April; one brood. 
General Range.—Coast region of Washington and British Columbia. 
Range in Washington.—West-side from summit of Cascades to tide-water— 
rare resident. 
Authorities.—Syrninm occidentale, Rhoads, Auk, X. Jan. '93, p. 17. Rh. B. 
Specimens.—( U. of W.) B. 
SIXTEEN species of Owls are accredited to the avifauna of Washing- 
ton; yet with the solitary exception of the Burrowing Owl, who traffics in the 
open and who is always at home in season, there is none you may lay hands 
upon when wanted, and none whose acquaintance you may cultivate, except 
as favored by fickle fortune. Thus it comes about that certain species, known 
to be in the nature of the case not uncommon, are mere ornithological visions 
revealed in a moment to the lucky (and often unscrupulous) man with the 
gun, and veiled from the unfortunate by great depths of forests. 
Mr. Bowles has seen this species only once, and I not at all. Rathbun, 
of Seattle, and Edson, of Bellingham, are likewise upon the waiting list. 
The first specimen, noted by Samuel N. Rhoads in 1892", was taken by 
Edwards Brothers, taxidermists, at a spot twelve miles east of Tacoma. 
Later’, Dr. C. Hart Merriam elaborated this species on the basis of an adult 
female, taken at Mount Vernon on June 22, 1897, by E. A. Preble, of the 
Biological Survey, and reported its occurrence also in the Olympic Mountains. 
The economy of this bird is quite that of the eastern Barred Owl, of 
which I copy a few notes*: “The birds hunt mainly by night but often avail 
themselves of cloudy days and do not appear so nearly dazed as some in broad 
daylight. It is not unusual for the early bird-man to see the birds coming in 
from the meadows just before sunrise and making rapidly for the woods with 
that smoothly alternating flap-and-sail, which is characteristic of the bird. 
“The ordinary challenge notes, delivered in a deep bass voice, consist 
of the theme, who-whoo, variously modified. MWho-whd', who-whod-who, is 
a common form, and one which may readily be imitated by blowing into the 
hands held conch-shaped. 
“Barred Owls mate in February and nest either during the last week of 
that month or early in March. Usually some hollow tree in the depths of 
a. Auk, Vol. X., Jan. 1893, p. 17. 
b. Auk, Vol. XV., Jan. 1808, pp. 39, 40 
c. From “The Birds of Ohio,” pp. 378, 3790 
