OWLS. 



217 



370. Scotiaptex cinereum ( ^rmc/.). Great Gnw Owl. Ad.—^o 



ear-tul'ts, size vury liir;;i'; upper piirtw fuscous, every wlicre mottled witli wliite, 

 and with little or no butfy ; fueiul disk (.'ray, barred witii ))laek ; under parts 

 white, the hrea-st broadly streaked, the lielly and sides irreL'ularly barred 

 and streaked witii fuscous; lei,'s and feet heavily featiiereil; bill and eyes 

 yellow. L., U7-00; W., IT'oO; T., 12-00. 



liniKje. — Breeds from Hudson Hay northward, and wanders southward in 

 winti-r to the northern Imrder of tlie United States. 



Cambridge, viry rare and irrei^ular W. V. 



Ned^ in coniferous trees. ^V.'/*) two to four, 'J'lft x 1-71. 



"Dr. DfiU considers it a stupid bird, and states tlnit sometimes it 

 may bo caught in the hands. Its groat predilection for tliick woods, 

 in which it dwells doubtless to the very limit of trees, prevents it from 

 being an inhabitant of the barren grounds or other open country in 

 the north. . . . 



"The note of tiiis Owl is said to be a tremulous, vibrating sound, 

 somewhat resembling tliat of the Screech Owl. . . . 



"Of 9 stomachs examined, 1 contained a small bird; 7, mice; and 

 4 other mammals" (Fisher). 



371. Nyctala tengmalmi richardsoni < f!oi,iip.). Ukmauoson's 



Owi,. vl'/.--l'[ipi>r parts Lrrayish brown autl the lii'ad and Inu'k ."//"(tn/ with 

 white; tail with four or five imperfect white bars; under parts white, heavily 

 streaked with j^rayish brown ; lejjjsand feet heavily feathered, whitish, barred 

 with ^'ravish itrown ; eyes yellow, /w. — L'ltpe- parts dark cinnamon-brown, 

 with a few mure or less concealed white sjiots ; tail as in the ad.; breast 

 like the back ; belly ochraceous-buff. L., lO'OO; W., C,-;,-); T., 4-40. 



Range. — Northern Xi>rth .\merica; south in winter to the northern United 

 States. 



jAW, in holes in trees or in old nests of other birds ( ^i. /;';/;/^•, three to 

 seven, I'JIS x 1-14. 



" Richardson's Owl is nocturnal in its habits, remaining quiet dur- 

 ing the day in the thi(k foliage of the trees (n- bushes. In fact, its 

 vision is apparently so alTccted by bright light that nmny specimens 

 have been captured alive by persons walking up and taking them in 

 their hands. On this account the Eskimo in Alaska have given it the 

 name of 'blind one.' 



"The .song of this Owl, according to Dr. .Merriam (Hull. Xuttall 

 Ornith. Club, vol. vii, 1883, p. 237), is a low, licpiid note that resem- 

 bles the sound produced by water slowly dropping from a lieiglit" 

 (Fisher). 



372. Nyctala acadica ((hnel.) Saw-wmkt Owi.; ,\. wniAN Owi.. 



vJ(/.— Upper parts dark cinnamon-brown, the head finely xfrndr,/. the back 

 xpotted with wliite ; tail with three or four imperfect white bars; under parts 

 wiiite, heavily htreaked with cimiamon-lirown or <lark rufous; legs and feet 



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