SUBORDER STRIGES. OWLS. 

 FAMILY STRIGID^E. BARN OWLS. 



GENUS STRIX LINNAEUS. 

 STRIX PRATINCOLA BONAP. 



157. American Barn Owl. (365) 



Tawny or fulvous brown, delicately clouded or marbled with ashy or white, 

 mid speckled with brownish -black ; below, a varying shade from nearly a pure 

 white to fulvous, with sparse sharp blackish speckling ; face, white to purplish- 

 brown, darker or black about the eyes ; the disk, bordered with dark brown ; 

 wings and tail barred with brown, and finely mottled like the back ; bill, 

 whitish; toes, yellowish. Female: Length, 17 'inches; wing, 13; tail, 5|. 

 Male ; -Rather less. 



HAB. Warmer parts of North America, from the Middle States, Ohio 

 Valley and California, southward through Mexico. 



Breeds, in hollow trees, frequently in the tower of a church or other high 

 buildings. 



Eggs, five to eleven ; soiled white. 



Although this species, so much like the Barn Owl of Britain, has 

 long been known as an American bird, coming as far north as Massa- 

 chusetts, it is only within the last few years that it has been observed 



