156 ZOOLOGY. 



FIGURES. Wilf on, Am. Orn. IV, pi. 33, fig. 3; And. B. of Am. pi. 410; oct. ed. I, pi. 38; Nat. Hist. New York, Birds, 

 pi. 12, fig. 27. 



Sp. CH. About the size of the last, but easily distinguished by its very short ear tufts, (nearly concealed by the feathers/ 

 and by its buff or pale fulvous color. No. , (17,) Spokane Plain, October 30, 1853; male. Length, 15.50; extent, 38; 

 iris, cere, and toes yellow. No. 8791, (164,) North Fork, Platte river, Nebraska, August 20, 1857. Length, 14; extent, 

 41.50; wing, 12 inches. 



I first met with the marsh owl on the Great Spokane Plain, where, as in other places, it was 

 commonly found in the long grass during the day. In fall and winter it appears in large num 

 bers on the low prairies of the coast, though not gregarious. On cloudy days it sometimes 

 hunts, flying low over the meadows, like the marsh hawk, but is, properly, nocturnal. This owl 

 is not often persecuted by small birds, though it no doubt often makes a meal of them. I have 

 not observed it during summer in the Territory. C. 



A bird, apparently the short-eared owl, was seen by me in November, 1858, on a marsh near 

 a small lake, about three miles below Fort Dalles. S. 



Sub-Family SYRNINAE. T h e Gray Owls. 



SYRNIUM CINERUM, Audubon. 



The Great Gray Owl. 



Strix cinera, GM. Syst. Nat. I, p. 291, (178S.) 



ftrix acclamalor, BARTRAM, Travels, p. 289, (1790.) 



Syrnium cinereum, And. Synop, N. A. Birds, p. 26. 



Synium einereum, (Gil ) BAIRD & CASSIN, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 56. 



FIGURIS. Fauna Bor. Am. pi. 31; Aud. B. of Am. pi. 351; oct. ed. I, pi. 35; Nat. Hist. New York, Birds, pi. 13, fig. 20. 



SP. CH. The largest owl of North America, and not easily to be mistaken for any other, being untufted, and of a nearly 

 uniform dark gray color, mottled and barred with ashy white. No. 9138, (80,) Shoalwater bay, June 16, 1854. Length, 

 25; extent, 56 inches; iris, yellow. Female. 



The great cinereous oivl I found common only in one locality near the mouth of the Columbia 

 river. They frequented a brackish meadow, partially covered with small spruce trees, in which 

 they sat concealed during the day, and frequently made short flights from one to another. 

 Though there were many jays and other birds about, they did not attack these owls, as they 

 would certainly have done with the horned owl. The specimen having been shot in June, I 

 have no doubt that some of these owls are constant residents and build near that locality. C. 



NYCTALE ACAD1CA, Bonaparte. 



Saw- whet Owl. 



Slrix acadica, GM. Syst. Nat. I, p. 296, (1788.) 



Strix acadiensis, LATH. Ind. Orn. I, pi. C5, (1790.) 



&quot; Strix passerina , LINN.&quot; Wilson, Am. Orn. IV, p. 66. 



Nyctale acadica, BONAP. Eur. and N. Am. Birds, pi. 7. 



Nydale acadica, (Git.) CASSIN, Gen. Rep. Birds, p. 58. 



FIGURES. Lath. Gen. Syn. I, pi. 5, fig. 2; Wilson, Am. Orn. IV, pi. 3i, fig. 1; Aud. B. of Am. pi. 199; oct. ed. I, pi. 33; 

 Nat. Hist. New York, Birds, pi. 11, fig. 23. 



Small, wings long, tail short. Upper parts reddish brown, tinged with olive; head in front with fine lines of white, and on 

 the neck behind, rump, and scapulars, with large partially concealed spots of white. Face ashy white; throat white; under 

 purls ashy white, with longitudinal stripes of pale reddish brown; under coverts of wings anil tail white. Quills brown, 



