124 BARRED OWL— COMMON GRAY OWL. 



distinguishable by external characters." Both of these statements 

 are decidedly incorrect. The Barred Owl is universally diffused 

 over the greater portion of British America, and is a resident 

 species in most localities in Canada. They have been met with 

 from Hamilton, Ontario, to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, and 

 extend northward to the fur countries. Mr. Mcllwraith in his 

 " List of Hamilton Birds " gives this species as a resident and 

 common bird ; and Dr. Bernard Gilpin writes me that in Nova 

 Scotia it is the same. I have met with it myself on many of our 

 geological expeditions in both the Provinces of Ontario and 

 Quebec, and have taken a number of specimens during winter 

 on the island of Montreal. Further, in reply to a letter, Mr. Wm. 

 Couper writes me : " The Barred Owl is the most common species 

 throughout the Canadas, where it breeds. I found the young, in 

 the down, in a wood near the city of Quebec." 



These records of the occurrence and residence of the Barred 

 Owl in Canada are more than sufficient to overthrow the above- 

 mentioned rash statement respecting its being " rather sparingly 

 represented." The northern limit of its range, however, does not 

 appear to extend much beyond the southern portions of the fur 

 countries. It was not met with by Richardson on any of his ex- 

 peditions, but is mentioned in his Fauna Boreali Americana from 

 the circumstance that one specimen taken at Hudson's Bay was, 



in the year , sent by Mr. Graham to the Royal Society. 



Hutchins does not give it in his remarks on the birds frequenting 

 the mouth of Nelson river; nor is it included in Ross' list of the 

 birds of the McKenzie River district. 



As to Coues' statement respecting the sameness of size in 

 the sexes, I can but remark that such is not the general rule in 

 Canada, where the female is considerably the larger bird. Wilson 

 also records this fact, but goes to the other extreme in stating that 

 " the difference of size between the male and female of this Owl 

 is extraordinary, amounting sometimes to nearly eight inches in 

 the length." Thus do hasty naturalists fly from one extreme to 

 another, while the quiet but more accurate observer strikes the 



