BUBO. 263 



a 1 . Lower parts barred with dusky, but without stripes ; anterior upper parts des- 

 titute of stripes ; iris bright yellow. (Subgenus Bubo.} 



Adult: Above vermiculated with blackish on a dull grayish or grayish 

 brown ground-color (sometimes almost white), the outer webs of quills 

 marked with quadrate spots of lighter and darker, and tail crossed by 

 about seven narrow bands of mottled dusky ; eyebrows and lores whitish ; 

 part of throat and middle of chest white ; rest of lower parts more or 

 less ochraceous or tawny (tips or exposed ^portion of feathers usually 

 whitish), the sides, flanks, etc., distinctly and regularly barred with 

 dusky. Young : Quills and tail-feathers as in adult ; rest of plumage 

 dull buffy or ochraceous, everywhere barred with dusky. Male : Length 

 18.00-23.00, extent about 49.00-52.00, wing about 14.50-15.25, tail 8.25, 

 weight about 3 pounds. Female: Length 22.00-25.00, extent about 

 57.00, wing 16.00, tail 9.00. 



6 1 . Darker colored, with dusky markings more extensive or more numerous (or 



both), the plumage usually with much mixture of tawny or ochraceous. 



c 1 . Moderately dark-colored, the face usually more or less rusty, and the 



plumage usually with an excess of ochraceous or tawny rufous. 



Eggs 2.12 X 1-81. Hob. Eastern North America, south through 



eastern Mexico to Costa Rica. 



375. B. virginianus (GMEL.). Great Horned Owl. 



<?. Extremely dark-colored, the face usually sooty brownish, mixed with 

 grayish white, the plumage usually without excess of ochraceous 

 or tawny sometimes with none. Egg (single) 2.24 X 1-90. Hab. 



Northwest coast, from Oregon north to Alaska ; Labrador. 



375c. B. virginianus saturatus RIDGW. Dusky Horned Owl. 



b l . Lighter colored, with the light grayish and buffy tints of the ground-color 



largely prevailing over the darker markings, the lower parts purer white. 



c 1 . General aspect of plumage above grayish, with more or less of buffy 



" admixture ; dark markings of lower parts distinct. Eggs 2.13 X 1-78. 



Hab. Western United States (except northwest coast), eastward across 



Great Plains (straggling to northern Illinois, Wisconsin, and western 



Canada), north to Manitoba, south over table-lands of Mexico. 



375a. B. virginianus subarcticus (HOY). Western Horned Owl. 

 c 2 . General aspect of plumage above white, through fading of the ground- 

 color and restriction of dark markings ; beneath pure white, with 

 dark markings, usually much restricted. Eggs 2.19 X 1.91. Hab. 

 Arctic America, chiefly in the interior ; south, in winter, to northern 

 Rocky Mountains and Great Plains (Dakota, Montana, etc.). 



3756. B. virginianus arcticus (SWAINS.). Arctic Horned Owl. 

 a 1 . Lower parts striped with black, but without bars; anterior upper parts also 

 striped with black (the ground-color, both above and below, ochraceous) ; iris 

 deep brown. (Subgenus Ehinoptynx KAUP.') 



1 Rhinoptynx KAUP, Contr. Orn. 1852, 114. Type, Strix mexicana < IMI:L. 



