ACADIAN OWL— SAW-WHET OWL— LITTLE OWL. 137 



advanced by Mr. Elliott, in the ' Ibis,' of its being the young of the Sparrow Owl 

 (Nydale Tengvialmi) I don't think at all probable ; I have the two side by side and 

 cannot observe any resemblance to warrant such a conclusion, the difference in 

 size alone being sufficient to show the distinction. My own opinion is that it will 

 be found to be the young of the Saw-whet ; but is it not possible that they do not 

 all assume the same garb — that there may be here a freak of nature, so to speak, 

 such as there is in the case of the Screech Owl, where we find both red and gray.'' 



One of the specimens of the Kirtland Owl referred to in the 

 foregoing notes is distinctly said to form one in a case of birds 

 which came from Montreal. This is undoubtedly the one I have 

 already described as being in Mr. Hunter's and afterwards in 

 Mr. Thompson's collection. 



Mr. Anderson's specimen, also alluded to in Mr. Mcllwraith's 

 notes, I have seen. It is undoubtedly the N. Kirtlandii oi Hoy 

 and Cassin, and is a very fine specimen. In general appearance 

 it is very unlike the Acadian or Saw-whet Owl, and indeed has 

 hardly one feature in common with this. This bird was kindly 

 lent me by Mr. Anderson for the present work, but as I had 

 previous to its arrival arranged my book for 30 Plates onl)-, I 

 was obliged to omit it for the present. 



In Canada, besides the Acadian and Kirtland Owl forms, 

 we occasionally hear of another, — the Dalhousie Owl (S. Dal- 

 liousei, Hall). Several specimens of this variety have been 

 taken in the vicinity of Montreal, but I can detect no difference 

 between them and a number of my specimens which I know to be 

 N. Acadica. In describing the S. Dalhousei, Dr. Hall sa)-s : 

 " The whole appearance very much resembling the former species 

 (Acadica).'' He adds, " The spots on the inner vanes of the 

 primaries, however, differing from those on the 6". Acadica in 

 being oval, and scarcely presenting the appearance of bars." And 

 further, in describing the ventral aspect of Dalkousei, he says : 

 " Breast and belly streaked with reddish brown and white, instead 

 of being wholly brown, as in the former (Acadica).'"- I have seen 

 few specimens of the A^. Acadica in which the breast and belly 

 were wholly brown ; and further, have found the spots on the 

 inner vanes of the primaries altogether too irregular a character- 



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