50 NORTH AMKRICAN BIRDS. 



a.s nu'os of nuo species ((S". (tshi), llicir dillbreiitiiil diiimcters iiiivy bo cx- 

 pivtsst'd a.s I'dlldws : — 



Viir. sp III it 11 ri/ II r s} A wcll-dcfiiiiMl iiiicli;il cdllar, of nmUlcil puli' 

 iiclii'iii'i'oiis ; jii^'iiliiiu iiiini!iciiliit(! wliiii' ciMitnilly. I'Vatliors of llic Iowit 

 purls willi tlii'if li'iiiisvi'rso iMMiriHiiiifs i^rowiiiL,' liiiuli'i' towiirds the iiiidillc' 

 line, wliii'li is iinviiiiri:iili'<l wliilc, iVniii llic rriitial Jiiu'illiii' spul lo tliu 

 aiKil ic^'iiiii, Willi;-, (l.lin - 7.I1I ; tiiil, .'j.liO - .'I.T'I ; culini'ii, .110; liirsils, 

 l.i;."> - l.li"; middle toe, .SO ..lilt. (Two sptciiucii.^.) I/uh. .Inpaii. 



\':\v. ken II irnlli, .No \vi'll-dolillo<l luicliiil bund; jiliriiliiiii ulosily Imncd 

 (■(Mill, 'illy ; I'ciillicis of the lower parts willi llieir I nuisver.'so pciieilliii^'s not 

 jriiiwiiij,' fiiinter toward llio luiddk* line, which is unviiiiejj:atcil while only 

 oil llu! abdominal poilion ; Iho iiieilial black streaks to the I'euliiers of llie 

 lower surface much liriKuk'r, and transverse |ieiicilliiiL's rather coarser. 

 Wiiif;, (!.!)0-7.;!0; tail, li.oO --t.oO ; eiilnien, .(iO-.Im; tarsu.s, 1.;!.")- l.-l'i ; 

 middle toe, .80 -.00. (Three specimens.) Jfah. .North Pacific coast of 

 North Aineiica from Sitka to Washiiifijtoii Territory, and Western Idaho. 



Till' zo()li)i,'ical chamcters of tlio iliflofoiit vaviotios of tlic .SVoyw nsio liaviii<j 

 lieon tliit.s iiKlicaUul, wo pi'occcil to coiisitltT llio .sjn'cies as a whole, ami to 

 point out lilt' more important I'eatuivs of its lialiits and history, 



lI.MtiT.s. Tlic common Mottled Owl lias an extended distribution tbroiioh- 

 out the tem])orat(! portion of North America. It is also the most ntinicroiis 

 of tliis family wlierever found. It does not appear to have been detected in 

 any part of tiie Arctic regions. Alllumgii oiven on tlie authority of Valm- 

 cius as a liird of (Jreenland, it is not retained in the list of lleinhardt. It 

 was not met with by llichardsoii, nor is any reference made to it in any of 

 the Arctic notes furnished by ^Ir. MacFarlane or others. It is (piitc com- 

 mon throuoliimt Now Kn,^land, as well as in the Central, the Western, and 

 some of the Southern States. Mr. iUiardnian "fives it as resident, but not 

 very common, near Calais, where it breeds. It is found near Hamilton, 

 Canada, according to Mcllwraith, but it is not common, although Dr. Hall 

 found it (|uite numerous in the vicinity of ^lontreal. !Mr. Downes docs not 

 mention its occurrence in Xova Scotia. It was fotind breeding by Dr. Lin- 

 cccnm, at Long Toiiit, Texas, It occurs in ( California, and as Swps Iritni- 

 cotti as far to the northwest as Sitka. 



The Mottled Owl is Mocturiial in its habits, never a]»poaring abroad in 

 the daylight excejit when dri\en out by the attacks of hostile bii-ds that 

 liav(^ discovered it in its retreat. Its eyes cannot t^ndure the light, and it 

 exjicricnces great inconvenience from such an exposure. During the day 

 it hides ill hollow trees, in dark recesses in the forests, or in dark corners 

 of barns, and comes out from its retreat just before dark. During the 

 night it utters a very peculiar wailing cry, not tinlike the half-whining, 

 half-barking complaints of a young pupi>y, alternating from high to low, 



' SaijK >i,-iiiii(yrqurs, Seiii.KP.F.l,, Fauna .Ia])(iiiii.a, t. 8. For the. piivilcfcn of coniiiariiif.' f^iH'A- 

 mens of this bird with S. InmicoUi, I am indebted to tlio courtesy of tli(^ oHicirs of tho Xcw 

 York iMiiscniii, who kindly .sent tlu! fine specimens of that museum for examination. 



