THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 169 



of the resorts has almost exterminated them. Mr. C. S. Shick 1 writes 

 that in 1884 fully one hundred pairs nested on Seven Mile Beach, 

 while in 1890 not a quarter of that number remained. To-day I may 

 add that I believe there are none nesting on the island at all. Mr. 

 Crispin tells me they are still fairly abundant breeders in Salem 

 county. Inland they occur as casual visitors during summer. 



Family ALUCONIDJE. 



THE BARN OWLS. 



The Barn Owl is distinguished from the other species by its nearly 

 bare tarsi, which in our other Owls are feathered. It also has the 

 inner toe as long as the middle one, while the inner edge of the middle 

 claw is pectinated. 



365 Aluco pratincola (Bonaparte). 

 Barn Owl. 



Adults. Length, 21-25. Wing, 17-21. Above, ochraceous rufous, overlaid 

 with gray and minutely spotted with black and white ; tail, whiter ; under 

 parts, white or buff ; face, white, with a chestnut spot near the eye ; wing and 

 tail feathers obscurely barred. 



Nest in a hollow tree or similar cavity ; eggs, four to six, white, 1.70 x 1.30. 



Rather common resident through the southern half of the State; 

 less plentiful northward, where it has been found breeding at Prince- 

 ton (Babson), 2 Plainfield (Miller), Summit (Holmes). 3 A specimen 

 was taken by Dr. J. Dwight, Jr., at Chatham, November 8th, 1890, 4 

 and Mr. F. M. Chapman 5 records its presence at Englewood on several 

 occasions, while Thurber records two shot at Whippany, Morris 

 county. 



1 Auk, 1890, p. 328. Cf. also, Shick, Bay State Oologist, I., No. 2, pp. 13-15 ; 

 Norris, O. and O., 1891, p. 162 ; Wheeler, Oologist, 1888, p. 147 ; "Old Salt," 

 Oologist, 1886, p. 49. 



2 Birds of Princeton, p. 50. 



3 Wilson, Bulletin, 1905, p. 9. 



4 Abst. Linn. Soc., N. Y., IV., p. 3. 

 3 Auk, 1886, p. 485 ; 1889, p. 303. 



