478 THE W ESTERN HORNED | OWL. 
No. 192. 
WESTERN HORNED OWL. 
A. O. U. No. 375, part. Bubo virginianus lagophonus (QOberh.). 
Synonyms.—Hoor Ow (par excellence). Car Own. Virernta Ow . 
Description.—<Adult: Ear-tufts conspicuous, two inches or more in length, 
black, bordered with ochraceous; entire upperparts dusky or blackish, finely mot- 
tled with prevailing whitish and ochraceous, the latter color predominant on each 
feather basally ; wing-quills and tail faintly broad-barred ; facial disk ochraceous, 
sharply bordered by blackish laterally; feathers whitish with black tips centrally ; 
a broad white space on chest; feathers of remaining underparts tawny at base, 
changing to white on terminal portions, finely and heavily barred with dusky- 
brown; the sides of the breast spotted with the same color; iris bright yellow; 
bill and toe-nails bluish black. Young: Above and below ochraceous barred 
with dusky. Length 18.00-25.00 (457.2-635) ; av. of eight specimens: wing 15.06 
(382.5) ; tail 9.60 (243.8) ; bill including cere 1.66 (42.2). Female averages two 
or three inches longer than males. 
Recognition Marks.—Largest, except for the two rarer species Scotiaptyx 
nebulosa and Nyctea nyctea. “Horns” and size distinctive; darker than subarc- 
ticus; lighter than saturatus, 
Nesting.—Nest: in a hollow tree, or in a deserted Hawk’s or Crow’s nest. 
Eggs: 2-3, rarely 4, white, subspherical. Av. size, 2.20x 1.82 (55.9 x 46.2). 
Season: February 20-April 1; one brood. 
General Range.—‘Washington and northern Oregon (excepting the coast 
region), with Idaho; north through eastern and central British Columbia to Cook 
Inlet and the interior of Alaska” (Oberholser ). 
Range in Washington.—Eastern Washington, not uncommon resident in 
timbered sections; perhaps intergrading with B. v. satwratus on eastern slopes of 
Cascades. 
Authorities.—? Bubo virginianus saturatus Ridgw., Brewster, Bull. Nutt. 
Orn. Club VIT., Oct. — pp. 227, 229, 230(part). ? Ibid. Dawson, Auk, Vol. XIV., 
Apr. 1897, p. 174. oe ens, Snodgrass, Auk, XX., 1903, 205; XXI., 1904, 
= Oberholser, See Nat. Mus. Vol. XXVII., 1904, No. 1352, pp. 185, 186. 
» DA Sstss*. JE ?). 
Specimens.—P'. Prov. E. 
BUBO HORRIBILIS should have been the name of this feathered de- 
mon of the woods, this grizzly of the midnight air. He loves the darkness be- 
cause his deeds are evil; and after the protecting sun has set, woe betide the 
mole or rabbit, Bobwhite, Jay, or Chanticleer, who dares to stir where this 
monster is awing. When captured ina steel trap, as he often is by aggrieved 
poultry fanciers, the ruffling of the feathers, the alternate hissing and fierce 
snapping of the mandibles, and the greenish yellow light which comes flashing 
from the great saucer eyes, all give fair warning of what one may expect from 
the free-foot once it gets a chance to close upon a victim. 
