THE AMERICAN BARN OWL. 371 



beaks, and with their feet on the side of their cage. This was repeated 

 night after night of their captivity." 



There is every reason to suppose that the Carolina Paroquet was locally 

 common throughout the state at the beginning of the nineteenth century. 

 In 1831 Audubon notes their marked decrease in numbers: ''Where twenty- 

 five years ago they were plentiful, scarcely any are now to be seen 



At the present day very few are to be found higher than Cincinnati, nor 

 is it until you reach the mouth of the Ohio that Parrakeets are to be met 

 with in considerable numbers." In 1838 Caleb Atwater writes: "A few 

 years since Parrakeets, in large flocks, lived in the woods along the Ohio 

 River from Miller's bottom downwards, and along the Scioto River, upwards 

 from its mouth to where Columbus now stands. They are still in the bot- 

 toms below Chillicothe, near the river, where there is proper food for them 

 to eat, and birds enough for them to torment with their squalling noise." 

 The last authentic record is that made by William S. Sullivant, LL. D., 

 in July, 1862, when he saw a boisterous flock of twenty-five or thirty indi- 

 viduals in the elms of the Capitol Square in Columbus. 



No. 162. 



AMERICAN BARN OWL. 



A. O. U. No. 365. Strix pratincola Bonap. 



Synonym. MONKEY-FACED OWL. 



Description. Adult : General color of upper parts ochraceous yellow ; this 

 lightly overlaid or mottled with gray, the typical mottled gray feathers having 

 dusky centers and white tips ; indistinct dusky bars on wing-quills and tail-feathers, 

 clearest centrally ; entire under parts white, usually more or less washed with ful- 

 vous or tawny, and sparingly but sharply speckled with dusky ; facial disk white 

 or whitish or tinged variously with ochraceous-buff, dark brown, or even claret ; 

 the edges of the disk rusty and dark brown on the tips of the feathers ; bill light ; 

 feet light, nearly naked. The folded wing extends to or beyond the en:l of the 

 tail. Nestlings are covered with fluffy white down. Length 14.00-18.00 (355.6- 

 457.2) ; wing 12.25-14.00 (311.2-355.6") ; tail 5.25-7.50 (iSS-S'^O-S) ', tarsus 2.25- 

 3.25 (57.2-82.6) ; bill along culmen 1.00-1.25 (25.4-31.8). 



Recognition Marks. Crow size; light colors, especially below; strongly 

 marked facial disk ; top-heavy appearance. 



Nest, in hollow trees or in crevices about towers, pigeon-houses, earth-banks, 

 etc., lined scantily with sticks and trash. Eggs, 5-11, white, ovate. Av. size, 

 1.70 x 1.30 (43.2x33.). 



General Range. United States, rarely to the northern border, and Ontario, 

 southward through Mexico; northern limit of breeding range about latitude 41. 



Range in Ohio. Long considered rare in the State. Now found commonly 

 in the lower vallev of the Scioto. Rather rare elsewhere. 



