STUKilD.E — THE OWLS. 



41 



white, ami tin- tarsi are more thiii<ly spotted ; no otlior (liir,i.'nees, however, arc appreei- 

 aule. ' Two speeiineiis (Voin Quebec (17,00-4 ami 17,00"); Win. Cooper) are exactly similar 

 to the last, Imt the numerous white .-pots on the foreheiul are circular. 



Il.Mi. Arclin America; in winter .south into northern liordcr of United Stales; 

 Canada (Dr.. Ham.); Wisuonsiu (l)ii. Hoy); Oregon (■!. K. Townsknd) ; Massachu.setts 



(MAYNAI'.n). 



The Njidcdc ?-/t7;fn-f/w«/, tliougli, without doubt, specifically the same as 

 the N. tnxjmnbni of Europe, i.s, nevertheless, to be distiii-^uislied IVoin it. 

 Tlie colors of the European bird ivre very imich i)aler ; the lej^s are white, 

 scarcely varie<:ated. instead of ochraccous, thickly spotted ; the lower tail- 

 coverts have merely shtii't-streaks of brown, instead of broad stripes. Very 

 lierfect specimens Iroiii Europe enalile me to make a satisfactory comparison. 



From an article by Mr. I). G. Elliot in Ibis (1872, p. 48), it would appear 

 that tiie yotnijj of N. taujmalmi is very 

 din'erent from tlie adult in lieino; darker 

 and without spots ; a stripe from tiie 

 eye over the nostrils, and a patch 

 uiuler the eye at the base of bill, 

 white. It is probable, therefore, that 

 the American race has a similar ])lu- 

 mage, whicli, however, has as yet 

 escaped the honor of a name ; more 

 fortiinat>! tiian the young of N. acadica, 

 whicli boasts a similar i)lumaoc. Tiiis 

 {N. ulhlfroHs) jMr. Elliot erroneously 

 refers to the N. (cn;/inalmi, judgino 

 from specimens examined by him from 

 the AljKs, from liussia, and from Nor- 

 way. The most striking dillerence, 

 judging from the descrii)tion, apart 

 from that of size, appears to be in the whiter bill of the titif/mahni 



Habith. Tills race is an exclusively northern bird, peculiar to North 

 America, and rarely met with in the limits of the United States. A few 

 specimens only have been obtained in Massachusetts. Dr. Hoy mentions it 

 as a liird of Wisconsin, and on tlie Pacific Dr. Townsend met with it as far 

 south as Oregon, where it seems to be more abundant than on the eastern 

 coast. 



Mr. I'oardman thinks that this Owl is probably a resident in the vicinity 

 of Calais, where, however, it is not common. It was not taken by Professor 

 Verrill at Norway, Miiine. Mr. J. A. Allen regards it .is a very rare 

 winter visitant in Western Massachusetts, but obtained a specimen near 

 Springfield in December, ISoD. In the same winter another was shot near 

 P)Ostou, and one liy Dr. Wood, near Hartford, Conn. Mr. Allen subsef[uently 

 records the capture of a siiecimen in Lynn, ^latis., by Mr. J. Southwick, in 



VOL. III. G 



Xytlalt richnrrlsoni. 



