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GENUS BUBO — CUVIER. 



HORNED OWL. 



[Bill broader than high at base ; conch of the ear very large, extended semi- 

 circularly from the bill to the top of the head ; disk perfect ; head with elon- 

 gated tufts ; tail rounded.] 



BUBO VIRGINIANUS— GMEL. 



Great Horned Owl, Strix Virginiana, Wils. Amer. Orn. 

 Strix Virginiana, Bonap. Syn. 



Great Horned Owl, or Cat Owl, Strix Virginiana, Nutt. Man. 

 Great Horned Owl, Strix Virginiana, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character — A broad white band on the fore-neck ; upper 

 parts mottled with greyish-white, blackish-brown and yellowish-red j 

 lower parts transversely barred with dusky. Adult with the face 

 reddish-brown, surrounded with black ; bill black ; the tufts are 

 about three inches long", composed of twelve or fourteen black 

 feathers, edged with brownish-yellow; upper parts mottled with 

 grayish-white, brownish-black and yellowish-red ; lower parts light 

 yellow, transversely barred with dusky ; wings brownish-yellow, 

 barred and mottled with blackish-brown ; tail rounded, extending 

 about an inch beyond the wings ; a white band across the fore 

 neck ; space between the bill and eyes dusky, the feathers tipped 

 with grayish white. Length twenty-two inches, wing fifteen and 

 three quarters. 



This large and common Owl is very generally distributed over 

 the different sections of the United States. Its choice of residence 

 is the dark and swampy parts of the forests, where it reigns in soli- 

 tude. Farmers know it well by the frequent thefts committed on 

 their poultry, as well as from the loud and dismal noise it makes at 

 all hours of the night. 



