254 STRIX FLAMMEA. 



GENUS I. STRIX. THE BARN OWLS. 



GEN. On. The sternum is shott and well arclied, with the coracoids set on at an angle. Furcula, quite well developed. 

 Tail, rather short. There are no ear tufts. 



Members of this genus have the plumage very soft and lax. The small eyes are dark in color. The sterno-trachealis 

 is stout but there are no other laryngeal muscles. The oesophagus is straight, wide, and opens into a medium sized pro- 

 ventriculus with simple glands arranged in a zonular band. The stomach is large, globular in form, with rather thin walls. 

 The coeca a"re long. Both lobes of the liver are nearly equal in size. There is but one species within our limits. 



STRIX FLAMMEA. 



Barn Owl. V 



Strix flammea LINN., Syst. Nat., I; 1766, 131. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. CH. Form, rather slender. Size, medium. Sternum, stout, very broad, with the keel well arched, thick, and short, 

 for it does not reach the posterior border. The marginal indentations are wide scallops, quite shallow, measuring in the 

 specimen before me about '20 in depth. 



COLOR. Adult. Above, including rump and upper tail and wing coverts, brownish-yellow, and nearly all the feathers 

 haveacentral spot of deep-brown preceded terminally by a smaller one of white. Wings and tail, brownish-yellow, trans- 

 versely banded witli brown. Under parts, pale yellowish-white, with each feather tipped with a small, dark-brown spot. 

 Under wing and tail coverts, white 'spotted with black. The face is white tinged with red near the angle of the eye. The 

 edge of the facial disk is pale reddish -brown. 



Young. Birds in this stage appear to be considerably yellower than the adult and are, perhaps, darker above; other- 

 wise, similar. 



Nestlings. Are covered with a yellowish down. Iris, dark-brown, bill, horn color, claws, brown, in all stages. Sex- 

 es, similar in color. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



The plumage described, gives the average but specimens vary in being much lighter above and below, while others 

 are considerably darker on both surfaces. The feathers above are finely marked everywhere with brown which color oft- 

 en predominates on the middle of the back. The tibia and tarsus are often spotted, while the spots below vary greatly in 

 size. The colored ring around the facial disk is always quite conspicuous and occasionally the eyes are entirely surround- 

 ed by chocolate-brown. Readily known from other species, by the colors as described and by the peculiar character of the 

 plumage which is particularly soft and downy. 



Distributed, as a constant resident, throughout the Southern portions of North America; not common in the Middle or 

 Northern States and Is quite rare in New England. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of male specimens. Length, 17'00; stretch, 45-00; wing, 13-00; tail, 5'25; bill, 1-79; tarsus, 

 2-75. Longest specimen, 18-00; greatest extent of wing, 46'50; longest wing, 14-00: tail, 5'40; bill, 1'78; tarsus, 3'00. 

 Shortest specimen, 16-00; smallest extent of wing, 44'00; shortest wing, 12-50; tail, 5' 10; bill, 1-60: tarsus, 2'55. 



Average measurements of female specimens. Length, 16'00; stretch, 44'25; wing, 12'00; tail,5'00; bill, 1-70; tarsus, 

 2-05. Longest specimen, IT'OO; greatest extent of wing, 45'00; longest wing, 13-00; tail, 5-20; bill, 1'74; tarsus, 2'80. 

 Shortest specimen, 15'00; smallest extent of wing, 43'25; shortest wing, 11-50; tail, 4'85; bill, 1-55; tarsus, 2'40. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in natural cavities of trees, on the ground, or in deserted buildings, composed of ascanty supply of sticks, 

 straws, etc. 



Eggs, four or five in number, rather elliptical in form, yellowish-white in color, surface, not very smooth. Dimensions 

 from 1-65x1-25 to l'69x 1'30. 



HABITS. 



The Barn Owls of the Old World almost invariably inhabit ruins and, although, with 

 us, they often make use of deserted buildings in which to construct their nests, they do not 

 always breed in such places; for example I knew of a pair which built year after year in 



