418 BIEDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Genus BUBO CuvrEB. 



Bnho Cut. Rpg. An. 1S17. 331. Type, Strix bubo Lum. 



Gen. Chae. 8ize varying from mediuna to very large; head with well-developed ear- 

 tufts. Bill blaek; iria ytjllow. orange, or brown. Two or three outer quills with their 

 innor webs emarginated. Third or fourth quill longest. Bill very robvist, the lower 

 mandible nearly truncated, and with a deep notch near the end; cere gradually ascend- 

 ing basally (not arched) or nearly straight, not equal to the culmen. Tail short, a Uttle 

 more than half the wing, slightly rounded. Ear-oonoh small, simple, without opercu- 

 lum; the two ears symmetricaL 



There is but one species of this genus, as restricted, in North 

 America. This, however, varies so much with locahty that several 

 geographical races have been recognized, of which the following 

 appear pretty well characterized: 



OC, virginianns. Dark colored, usually with much ochraceous or tawny, the dark 

 markings broad and distinctly defined. Hab. Eastern North America, south to 

 Costa Bica. 



p. Bubareticus. Light colored, with buff instead of ochraceous, the dark markings 

 narrower and less distinct. Mab. Western United States and interior of British 

 America; east, occasionally, to Wisconsin and Illinois, south to central and west- 

 ern Mexico. 



y. saturatus. Very dark colored, with the dark markings much broader than in vir- 

 ginianus. Sab. Northwest coast, from northern California to Sitka; Labrador. 



d. arcticns. Very light colored, the prevailing aspect white, the dark markings very 

 much reduced in extent. Hab. Interior of Arctic America. 



These races are very strongly characterized in a majority of speci- 

 mens from any typical locahty, but there is a very great amount of 

 individual variation in each. Only two of them {yirginianus and 

 subarcticas) are known to occur in lihnois. 



Bubo virginianus (Linn.) 



GB£AI HOSNES OWL. 



Popular synonyms. Cat Owl; Booby Owl. 



Strix virginianaGli-EL. S. N. i, pt 1, 1788. 287.— Wn-s. Am. Orn. vi. 1812, 52, pi, 50, flg. 1.— 

 NUTT. Man. i, 1832, 124— A UD. Orn. Biog. i, 1832,313; v, 1839, 393, pi. 61. 



Strix [Uuhoi virginianus Sw. & KiCH. F. B.-A. ii, 1831,82. 



£ubo virginianus Bp. 1838.— AUD. Synop. 1839, 29; B. Am. i, 1840, 113, pi. 39.— CASS, in 

 Baird'sB. N. Am. IsSS. 49.— Baikd, Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 48.— CouES, Key, 1872, 

 202; Cheek List, 1873, No. 317; 2d ed. 1882, No. 402; B. N. W. 1874, 300 (a. virginianus; 

 excl. syn. pt.).— B. B. & K. Hist. N. Am. B. iii, 1874, 60, 62 (var. virginianusl— 

 Eroow. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 405. 



Bubo virginianus atlanticus Cass. Illustr. 1854, 178; in Baird's B, N, Am. 1858, 49. 



