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GREAT GRAY OWL. 

 Ulula cinerea. 



DESCRIPTION. 



"A very large round headed owl, without ear tufls; althouKh 

 much larger, resembles somewhat the Barred Owl, but can be 

 easily distinguished from the latter. Length (female) 2S; ex- 

 tent about 56; tail 12; bill and eyes yellow; claws long and very 

 sharp and dusky. Above dark-brown, feathers variously 

 spotted, mottled or barred with fine grayish-white markings; 

 lower parts similar but more grayish, with longitudinal 

 streaks on breast, and cross bars of white and dusky on 

 flanks; face grayish-white with numerous narrow rings of 

 dvisky; a patch of black about eyes on either side of bill." 



Habitat.— Arctic America, straggling southward in winter, to 

 the northern border of the United States. Straggler in Penn- 

 sylvania. 



This owl, one of tlie largest, if not tlie largest in 

 North America, is found in Pennsylvania onh' as a 

 very rare and irregular straggler in winter. Twenty 

 or more years ago a specimen was captured in Chester 

 county in midwinter by H. B. Graves. Dr. Isaiah F. 

 Everhart, of Scranton, Pa., has a specimen in his col- 

 lection which he found some years ago in the moun- 

 tains in Lackawanna county. A specimen Avas also 

 taken some years ago from a smoke stack of a steam 

 boat at Erie city. I have also heard of two or three 

 more specimens of this s[)ecies being taken in tliis 

 State. 



ITS DIETARY. 



Froju i)ersO'nal observation I know nothing of the 

 habits of this bird, never having seen one alive. 



Concerning this species Dr Fisher says: "The food 

 seems to consist principally of hares, mice and other 

 of the smaller mammals as well as small birds;. 

 Whelher it destroys many grouse or ptarmigans is not 

 stated bv authors who arc most familiar with llie bird. 



