woon-owLs. 149 



and Central Siberia, where it is locally not uncommon, especially in Scandinavia, 



Russia, South-East Germany, and Transylvania. In Mongolia, China, and Japan, it 



is replaced by the dusky owl {8. fuscescens), which is smaller in size and darker 



and redder in colour. Its habits, according to Mr. Dresser, are still imperfectly 



known; but in the breeding-season it frequents forests and hills, while in the 



winter it seeks the open country. It nests early in April ; and its pairing-call has 



been compared to the bleating of a goat. Occasionally it may be seen hunting 



during the daytime. 



Another well-known representative of the genus is the barred 

 Barred OwL . ^ . . . . „ 



owl {S. nebulosum) of Eastern North America, distinguished from all 



the preceding species by the chest having a regular series of dark cross-bands, in 

 addition to the longitudinal streaks. The general colour of the upper surface is 

 light brown, with white cross-bands ; the dark tail being marked with six light brown 

 bars; and the beak greenish yellow. Captain Bendire writes that the barred 

 owl " is nocturnal in its habits, but nevertheless sees well enough, and even occa- 

 sionally hunts, in the daytime, especially during cloudy weather. The flight is 

 ■easy, and though quite swift at times it is perfectly noiseless. A rapidly passing 

 shadow distinctly cast on the snow-covered ground, is often the sole cause of its 

 presence being betrayed as it glides silently by the hunter's camp-fire in the still 

 hours of a moonlight night. Far oftener, however, it announces itself by the 

 unearthly weird call-notes peculiar to this species, which surpass in startling effect 

 those of all other owls with which I am familiar. It is necessary to listen to such 

 a vocal concert to fully appreciate its many beauties (?), as it is impossible to give 

 an accurate description of the sounds produced when a pair or more of those birds 

 try to outdo one another." The barred owl generally nests in hollow trees among 

 damp forests, the time of laying ranging from February to April, according to the 

 latitude. Occasionally eggs have been taken resting on a solid cake of ice. No 

 matter how frequently the nest be despoiled, a pair of birds will return to the 

 same site year after year ; and if one clutch of eggs be taken, they will soon be 

 replaced by a second. 

 Mottled Wood- The mottled wood-owl {S. ocellatum) of India, which attains a 



Owl. length of 21 inches, may be selected as an example of another section 



of the group with feathered toes, characterised by the under surface of the body 

 being marked with regular cross-bars without any dark longitudinal streaks. This 

 particular species has a blackish beak, the dark bars on the breast very narrow, 

 and the upper surface uniform brown with spots or bars of white. Mr. Hume 

 says that this owl is most commonly met with in moderately dry country, well 

 furnished with large groves. It usually lays two eggs in a cavity or fork of some 

 large tree, at a height of from eight to twenty-five feet from the ground, without 

 attempt to form a nest. Certain other species of the genus, such as S. lepto- 

 graTnmicum of Borneo and several South American forms, while agreeing with all 

 the preceding in having the plumage of the crown of the head either mottled or 

 barred, differ in their more or less completely naked toes. In the second main 

 group of the genus, comprising five species, of which the Indian brown wood-owl 

 (S. indiani) will serve as an example, the crown of the head is, on the contrary, 

 always of a uniform brown ; the toes being either feathered or bare. The Indian 



