THE GREAT GRAY OWL. 467 
the woods is utilized, but not infrequently deserted nests of hawks and crows 
are pressed into service. 
“The female attends chiefly to the duties of incubation, while soon after 
the young are able to leave the nest the male takes himself off to some hollow 
tree, there to gloom in sullen solitude for another year.” 
No. 185. 
GREAT GRAY OWL: 
A. O. U. No. 370. Scotiaptex nebulosa (Forster). 
Description.—Adult: No ear-tufts; general plumage mottled, dusky, gray- 
ish brown, and dull whitish, darker above, lighter below, where the dusky mark- 
ings are indistinctly longitudinal on breast and belly, and transverse on flanks, the 
whitish impure and with a fulvous element on the margin of the facial disk, hind 
neck, wings, tail, etc.; wing-quills and tail indistinctly barred; facial disk about 
six inches. across, dusky gray, with numerous dusky lines imperfectly concentric 
about each eye; the edge of the disk dark brown and fulvous, and with more white 
below ; the eyes bordered by black on the inner margin; iris yellow; bill pale yel- 
low; feet and toes heavily feathered. ee aR: (635-762) ; wing 16.00- 
18.00 (406.4-457.2) ; tail 11.00-12.50 (279.4-317.5); bill with cere 1.40 (35.6). 
Recognition Marks =-Sir- largest,—Brant size; gray face; absence of ear- 
tufts will immediately distinguish it from the Horned Owls. 
Nesting.—Not known to breed in Washington. Nest: of sticks and moss, 
lined sparingly with down, placed high in trees, usually coniferous. Eggs: 2-4, 
white. Av. size, 2.16x 1.71 (54.9x 43.4). Season: April-June, according to 
latitude; one brood. 
General Range.—Arctic America, straggling southward in winter thru the 
northern tier of states and on the Pacific slope south to northern California. 
Range in Washington.—Rare winter visitor both sides of the Cascades, pos- 
sibly resident in the mountains. 
Authorities.— ? Orn. Com., Journ. Ac. Nat. Sci. Phila. VII. 1837, 193. 
Syrnium cinereum, Gmelin, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX. 1858, p. 56. T. 
C&Sa lr Ranke 
Specimens.— Prov. B. C. BN 
THIS giant Owl lacks the fierce aspect which horns impart and 1s really 
more mild-mannered than the Great Horned representatives. His domain is 
the forest areas of the ‘““North Countree” up to the very limit of trees, and 
from thence he occasionally, but not commonly, flutters out upon the open 
marshes and tundras. Mr. Dall, while stationed upon the Yukon, found the 
birds “remarkably stupid,” and declares that he has caught them by hand in the 
daytime. Certainly their flight is heavy and their motions far from graceful ; 
