310 OWLS 



II. Wing under lO'OO. 



A. Toes heavily feathered. 



a. Wing more than 6"00. 



a 1 . Tail more than 6*00 377a. HAWK OWL. 



a 2 . Tail less than 6'00 371. RICHARDSON'S OWL. 



b. Wing less than 6'00 372. SAW-WHET OWL. 



B. Toes thinly, if at all feathered. 



a. Tarsi heavily feathered; with conspicuous 'horns.' 



373. SCREECH OWL. 373a. FLORIDA SCREECH OWL. 



b. Tarsi partly bare; no 'horns' . . 378a. FLORIDA BURROWING OWL. 



366. Asio wilsonianus (Less.). LONG -EARED OWL. Ads. Ear- 

 tufts conspicuous, an inch or more in length, black bordered by white and 

 buffy; upperparts fuscous-brown mottled with white, the bases of the 

 feathers ochraceous-buff; tail with six to eight fuscous cross-bars; facial disk 

 buffy bordered by black; underparts mixed white and ochraceous-buff, the 

 breast broadly streaked, the sides and belly irregularly barred with fuscous; 

 eyes yellow. L., 14*80; W., 11'90; T., 6'00; B., 1'06. 



Range. Temperate N. A. Breeds from cen. B. C., s. Mackenzie, s. 

 Keewatin, s. Que., and N. F. s. to s. Calif., n. Tex., Ark., and Va.; winters 

 from s. Canada to Ga., La., and cen. Mex. 



Washington, common P. R. Ossining, common P. R. Cambridge, rare 

 P. R., but sometimes common in fall and winter. N. Ohio, uncommon P. R. 

 Glen Ellyn, rare, fall records only, Nov. 7-Dec. 14. 



Nest, generally in an old Crow's, Hawk's, or Squirrel's nest. Eggs, white, 

 3-6, 1'65 x 1*30. Date, Ossining, N. Y., Mch. 31; Cambridge, Apl. 1: 

 se. Minn., Apl. 16. 



"This species, like the Screech Owl, is nocturnal in its habits, and 

 differs from the Short-eared Owl in never hunting during the day- 

 time. It usually spends the day in some evergreen woods, thick wil- 

 low copse, or alder swamp, although rarely it may be found in open 

 places. . . . 



"The bird is not wild, and will allow itself to be closely approached. 

 When conscious that its presence is recognized, it sits upright, draws 

 the feathers close to the body, and erects the ear-tufts, resembling in 

 appearance a piece of weather-beaten bark more than a bird. . . . 



"Like the other Owls, its flight is slow and wavering, but in com- 

 mon with them it is buoyant and devoid of any appearance of heavi- 

 ness. The note of this Owl is said by some to resemble the noise made 

 by kittens, while others state it is like the barking of small dogs. 



"Of 107 stomachs examined, 1 contained a game bird; 15, other 

 birds; 84, mice; 5, other mammals; 1, insects; and 15 were empty" 

 (Fisher). 



367. Asio flammeus (Pont.). SHORT-EARED OWL. Ad. & Ear-tufts 

 very short, difficult to distinguish in a dried skin; upperparts fuscous, the 

 feathers margined with cream-buff or ochraceous-buff, not mottled with 

 white; tail with ochraceous-buff and fuscous bands of about equal width; 

 underparts whitish, the breast broadly and the belly more finely streaked 

 with fuscous; eyes yellow. Ad. 9. Similar, but underparts rich ochraceous- 

 buff. L., 15'50; W., 12'7o; T., 6'05; B., 1'20. 



Range. Nearly cosmopolitan. In. N. A. breeds irregularly and locally 

 from Arctic zones s. to Calif., Colo., s. Kans., Mo., n. Ind., and Mass.; 

 winters from Calif., Wyo., Minn., Ind., Ohio, and Mass., s. to La., Cuba, 

 and Guatemala; common in Hawaii. 



