00 NORTH AMEHICAX J5IKIKS. 



Vera Cruz, jNIexico. Xothinj,' is known as to any peculiarities of habit. 

 These are not probably diflerent I'roni tliose of the usio. 



Gems BUBO, Dum. 



Gkn. Char. Size vjii')'ing fi'oiii lucdiiiiii U> wvy laifro ; head with or without car-tufls. 

 liili black; ii'is yi'lliiw. Two to lour oiitor <iiiill.s witii their inner webs einaifjinated. 

 Tliird or fourth quill longest. Bill verj' robust, the lower mandible nearly tnuieated and 

 with a deep notch near the end ; cere <jrailuall\' ascending' basally (not arched) or nearly 

 strai^dit, not eciual to the cnhnen. Tail short, a little more than hall' the wing, sli^ditly 

 rounded. Ear-eoneh small, simple, without operculum; the two ears synuni'trical. 



Subgenera. 



Bubo. Two to three outer (piills with their inner webs emarginated. Ear- 

 tul'ts well developcil; loral feathers not hiding the bill, and the eliiws and 

 terminal scutclhe of the toes exposed. Lower tail-coverts not reaching the 

 end of the tail. (Type, li. ind.rimiis.) 



Nyctea. b'our outer (piills with their inner webs emarginated. Ear-tufts 

 rudimentary ; lorid feather.s hiding the bill, and elaws and entire toes con- 

 cealed Iiy long hair-like feathei's. Lower tail-coverts reaching to end of the 

 tail. (Type, X. sccunliaca.) 



The .species of this ^onus are mostly of very Itirt^'e size, two of them 

 (i>'. iiuuhmtn (md jS'. scamliaca) lieing the liirgest birds of the I'aniily. They 

 are nearly cosmopolitan, and are most numerous in the Eastern Hemisphere. 



SuDGENis BUBO, Dim. 



Uiilu, DuMl';i!ii., 1S06. (TyiH-, Sln'x hulio, Linn. = A", mn.riiuiis, ,Sinn.) 

 lihiDoslrU, K.vrr, 1849. (Type, .SV/'/.c mc.i-ioina, (i.Mr.i,. :=/>. mcxkiiiiiis, RiDow.) 

 llhinoptijn.L; K.vfl', and lUictitijiliuu; K.Vff, 1857. (Same type.) 



Species and Races. 



1. B. virginianus. Lower parts transver.>^cly barred with black, and without 

 ItMigitudinal stripes. Aliove without longitudinal stripes on the anterior por- 

 tions. 



a. A conspicuous patch of white on tin; jugtilum ; lining of the wing im- 

 maculate, or only faintly barred. AVing, 14.(X) - 10.00 ; tail, 8.00- 10.00; 

 culmen, I.IO-I.'JO; tarsus, •J.OO- '_'.20 ; middle toe, I.!).') -'2.10. 



Iiufous tints of the plumage ])rcvailing; liu'c ilingy rufous, l/ttb. 

 Atlantic Province of Xiulh .Vmcrica .... var. r iri) i ii la ii u s . 



Lighter tints of the plumage prevailing ; face dirty or fulvous white. 

 All the colors lighter. Hab. Western Province of United States, 

 and interior regions of Briti.sh America. Upper Mississippi Valley in 

 winter (Wisconsin, llov; Pekiii. Tllinois, Museum, Caiid)ridge). 



var. arctic us. 

 Du.sky tints of the plumage jircviiiling; face dull grayish, baried with 

 du.sky. .Ml the cnlois darker, chielly lirownish-black and grayish-while, 

 with little or no rufous. Ihili. Littoral reiiions of northern .Xorth 



