ACCIPITRES — STRIGID^E — STRIX. 



GENUS STRIX. 



31 



Upper mandible with its dorsal outline straight to the cere. Ear-openings large, semicircular ; 

 operculum larger than the aperture, and fringed with feathers. No tufts. Tarsus long, 

 feathered, scaly beneath. Toes with tuberculated scales intermixed with bristles, and 

 three broad scutellae at the end. Wings long, ample ; first quill with the filaments recurved. 

 Tail moderate, nearly even. 



THE AMERICAN BARN OWL. 



Strix pratincola. 

 plate xiii. fig. 28. 



White or Barn Oicl. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 6, p. 57, pi. 50, fig. 2.. 



Strix Jlammea. Bonap. Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 38. 



Barn Owl. Nottall, Manual Orn. Vol. 1, p. 139. Add. folio pi. 171 ; Ora. Biog. Vol. 2, p. 403 ; Vol. 5, p. 388. 



Strix pratincola. Bonap. Conip. and Geog. List, p. 6. 



S. americana. Aodcbon, Synopsis, p. 25; B. of A. Vol. 1, p. 127, pi. 34 (male and female). 



Characteristics. Dark tawny above, spotted with white. Tail and wings barred with 

 black ; the latter extending beyond the tail. Beneath whitish, dotted 

 with black. Length, 16 inches. 



Description. Aperture of the ear very large ; the feathers margining the operculum 

 reduced to their tubes, the shafts and webs not developed. Legs long, thickly feathered, 

 becoming like bristles on the toes. Tail nearly even, two inches shorter than the wings. 



Color. Above tawny yellow, minutely varied with white and brown ; and with oblong 

 spots of dark brown, forming parallel series resembling bars, on the wings. Beneath, pure 

 white or greyish, abundantly dotted with black. Tail tawny, with three or more narrow 

 bars of blackish brown. Facial disk whitish, surrounded by a circle or ruff of rufous brown. 

 Leg-feathers whitish, faintly pointed with dusky. 



Length, 14-0-18-0. Alar extent, 42- 0-46' 0. 



The large white or Barn Owl, although it appears to be common in the neighborhood 

 of Philadelphia, is rare in this State. I have never seen but one specimen, and that was 

 brought here about ten years since from Cuba, where it is said to winter. Richardson (Sixth 

 Report of the British Association) states it to be found as far as 44° north latitude, so that we 

 may expect to find it in this State. It is, however, strictly a southern species, occurring as 

 far south as Brazil. It is nocturnal, feeding on field mice, shrew moles, etc. 



This species was first suspected to be distinct from the European Jlammea, by Audubon 

 in his Ornithological Biography ; but he refrained from giving it a distinct name, until he 

 was anticipated by the Prince of Canino. This is to be regretted, as the name which the 

 former proposed, but which can not be adopted, is more appropriate and distinctive than 

 the classical epithet given by Bonaparte. 



