418 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



GENUS BUBO CUVIEB. 



Bubo Cuv. Reg. An. 1817, 331. Type, Strix bubo LINN. 



GEN. CHAE. Size varying from medium to very large; head with well- developed ear- 

 tufts. Bill black; iris yellow, orange, or brown. Two or three outer quills with their 

 inner webs emarginated. Third or fourth Quill longest Bill very robust, 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 little 

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

 lum; the two ears symmetrical. 



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

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

 geographical races have been recognized, of which the following 

 appear pretty well characterized: 



at. virginianus. Dark colored, usually with much ochraceous or tawny, the dark 

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

 Costa Rica. 



ft. subarcticus. Light colored, with buff instead of ochraceous, the dark markings 

 narrower and less distinct. Hab. 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. 



6. arcticus. 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 locality, but there is a very great amount of 

 individual variation in each. Only two of them (virginianus and 

 subarcticus) are known to occur in Illinois. 



Bubo virginianus (Linn.) 



GEEAT HOBNED OWL. 



Popular synonyms. Cat Owl; Booby Owl. 



Strix virginiana GMEL. 8. N. i, pt i, 1788, 287. WILS. Am. Orn. vi, 1812, 52, pi. 50, flg. 1. 



NUTT. Man. i. 1832,124.-AuD. Orn. Biog. i. 1832,313; v, 1839, 393, pi. 61. 

 Strix (Bubo) virginianus Sw. & RICH. F. B.-A. ii, 1831,82. 



Bubo virginianus BP. 1838. AUD. Synop. 1839, 29; B. Am. i, 1840, 143, pi. 39. CASS. in 

 Baird'sB. N. Am. 1858. 49. BAIBD. Cat N. Am. B. 1859, No. 48. COUES. Key, 1872, 

 202; Check List, 1873, No. 317; 2d ed. 1882, No. 462; B. N. W. 1874, 300 (a. virginianus; 

 excl. syn. pt.). B. B. & R. Hist N. Am. B. iii, 1874, 60, 62 (var. virginianus). 

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

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



