•'^"" l>i:i'()i;r ok Statk (J koi.oiiis'I'. 



waUr. and as soon as it sees its t|iiarr\\ stops its lliglif, aiul ivmaius 

 suspem^ed motionless in I ho air for a iiionienl. closes its wings, and 

 ni(>n dnrts downward like an arrow. 11 disa[>pears nnder llie water 

 lor a few seeonds, and when it arises and ai,^aiii lakes wing, a shining, 

 wriggling (ish eaii he plainly seen in the grasj) of its powerful talons, 

 ft. is a curious fact that (his hird will never carry the fish with the 

 tail to the front. Many times have 1 seen them turn the fish around 

 ill mid air" (Bendire, L. IT., N. A. B., I.', pp. 331, 322). 



The Osprey often selects a tree, sometimes mil(>s from anv water, 

 where it rest)rts to devour its food. 



Suborder STJUGKS. Owls. 

 XXVII. Family STRIGID.E. Barn Owls. 



(Miar;uti'is saino :us f.-iinilv. Stimx. SO 



80. Okxus 8T1UX I,iNN.«us. 



H^5. (-J^Jri). Strix pratiiicola I^on.ac. 



American Barn Owl. 



Ivicial disk nol circular, hut somewhat triajignlar. Middle and 

 inner claws of e«iual lenglh; inner edge of middle claw, jagged; wing, 

 long, reaching hcyoml tail when folded: tail ahoul half the length o\' 

 w iug. 



Color, .\hove, ochrati'ous-yellow, more or less marhlcd with whitt' 

 or ashy, and speckled with black, and soMU'(iuu>s with white spots. 

 l»clo\\, varying in every degree from silky white to bright t^iwny, 

 doMc.l with black spots. Kyes, small, black. 



Kengt.h, J5.0()-'>.*0.00; wing, 13.00-H.OO; t^iil. 5.75-7.50. (KisheO- 



b'.VNUE. — Nortli America, from Mexico north to Massachusett.s, New 

 Jersey and Ontario. Michigan, southern Mintu'sola an.l Oregon, 

 i'.reeds from soul hern New York, norlhcrn Indiana, southward. 

 Winters from niu'thern limit of breeding range southward. 



XcsL in steeple or barn loft, or in a hole in tree or bank. /w/vn. 

 5-1 I ; dead white; l.()5 by 1.31. 



Found iliroughout the State; h)eally resident; rare northward; more 

 numerous in ihc Wabash \'alley and southward. Hreeds. 



In IS7!t there were but live known records t>f its occurreiu'c in 

 Ohio. It was then considered a very rare visitor. .\i thai time there 

 was no record o\' its occurrence ii\ imliana. .\nd as far as I have 

 snu'e heard, tlu' (udy oiu' who had nu't it was Dr. F. Stein, who noted 

 it in the lower Wabash ^'alley. In Illinois it was c(msidercd rare in 



