WOOD OWLS 1913 



little larger than that of the barred owl. The long tail and the loose fluffy plumage 

 of the bird make it look much larger than it really is. ' ' 



The Ural owl (S. uralense), of which a pair are represented in our 



illustration, belongs to a subgroup distinguished from the preceding 

 forms by the feathers of the head and neck having a simple median dark streak, 

 without any lateral bars. In this species the facial disc is dusky white, and the 

 ruff pure white with dark median streaks to the feathers; on the upper parts the 

 general color is dull white, streaked with dark brown, each feather being brown in 

 the middle and white on the sides; on the under parts below the head the hue is 

 whitish, some of the feathers being tinged with yellow, and all of them with a dark 

 median streak. The quills of the wings are brown, with whitish tips, and marked 

 with bands of paler brown, tending to ashy on their outer webs, and the tail feath- 

 ers are very similarly colored. The total length of this fine bird is twenty-seven 

 and one-half inches. The Ural owl is distributed over Northern 'and Eastern 

 Europe, and North and Central Siberia, where it is locally not uncommon, especially 

 in Scandinavia, Russia, Southeast Germany, and Transylvania. In Mongolia, 

 China, and Japan, it is replaced by the dusky owl (S. fuscescens), which is smaller 

 in size and darker and redder in color. Its habits, according to Mr. Dresser, are 

 still imperfectly known; but in the breeding season it frequents forests and hills, 

 while in the winter it seeks the open country. It nests early in April, and its 

 pairing call has been compared to the bleating of a goat. Occasionally it may 

 be seen hunting during the daytime. 



Another well-known representative of the genus is the barred owl 



(S. nebulostim) of Eastern North America, distinguished from all the 

 preceding species by the chest having a regular Series of dark cross-bands, in addi- 

 tion to the longitudinal streaks. The general color of the upper surface is light 

 brown, with white cross-bands; the dark tail being marked with six light-brown 

 bars; and the beak greenish yellow. Captain Bendire writes that the barred owl 

 "is nocturnal in its habits, but nevertheless sees well enough, and even occasionally 

 hunts, in the daytime, especially during cloudy weather. The flight is easy, and, 

 though quite swift at times, is perfectly noiseless. A rapidly passing shadow dis- 

 tinctly cast on the snow-covered ground is often the sole cause of its presence being 

 betrayed as it glides silently by the hunter's camp fire in the still hours of a moon- 

 light night. Far oftener, however, it announces itself by the unearthly weird call 

 notes peculiar to this species, which surpass in startling effect those of all other owls 

 with which I am familiar. It is necessary to listen to such a vocal concert to fully 

 appreciate its many beauties (?), as it is impossible to give an accurate description 

 of the sounds produced when a pair or more of those birds try to outdo one another. ' ' 

 The barred owl generally nests in hollow trees among damp forests, the time of 

 laying ranging from February to April, according to the latitude. Occasionally 

 eggs have been taken resting on a solid cake of ice. No matter how frequently the 

 nest be despoiled, a pair of birds will return to the same site year after year; and if 

 one clutch of eggs be taken they will soon be replaced by a second. 



The mottled wood owl (S. ocellatum} ot India, which attains a length of twenty- 

 one inches, may be selected as an example of another section of the group with 



