220 



OWLS. 



S|-H t ■ 



This " tiger among birds" is an inhabitant of heavily forested re- 

 gionii. and is common therefore oniy in the wilder, less settled portions 

 of our country. It is the only one of our resident Owls which destroys 

 poultry and birds in any numbers, but, in spite of its frequent visits 

 to the farmyard, Dr. Fisher considers that in many localities it is a 

 " beneficial s[)ccies " Ijecause of its great fondness for rabbits. 



Its usual call is a loud, dee{)-toned irhoo, fioo-hoo-hoo, tvhood, whouu. 

 The syllables are all on the same note, and bear some resemblance to 

 a bass-voiced dog barking in the distance. 



A much rarer call is a loud, i)iercing scream, one of the most blood- 

 curdling sounds I have ever heard in the woods. 



"Of 127 stomachs examined, 31 contained poultry or gaine birds; 

 8, other birds: 13, mice; Go, other mammals; 1, a scorpion; 1, fish ; 

 10, insects, atid 17 Avere empty " (Fisher). 



376a. B. V. subarcticus llloi/). Westeux Houned Owl.— Similar 

 to tlie pruc'odinj^, l)Ut inuoli liglitcT In (.'olor, the (n'liracuous-bull' markings 

 largely reiilaced l)y gray ov wliite. 



Ji'an'jc. — Western United States, east casually to Wisconsin and Illinois. 



376c. B. V. saturatus Ruhjw. Di;.sky IIounkd Owl.— Similar to 

 J>. vln/i III ail >/■■<, but miieli darker, tlio prevailing color fu.seous or dusky. 



h'liiiiji'. — "From Labrador and Hudson Hay; west tlirougli the interior to 

 Alaska, and south probably through all the higher region.s of the H<ieky 

 and Sierra Novatlu Mountains; soutii to Arizona (^San Francisco Mountain; " 

 (Bcndircj. 



376. Nyctea nyctea iLlnn.). SNrtwv Owl. J(/. ^.— Size large; 

 no ear-tul'ts; wliite, more or K'ss barred with ilark grayisii brown or t'useous; 

 legs and feet heavily feathered; eyes yellow. Atl. v. — Similar, but more 

 heavily burred. L., 2r>'0(»; W., IT-ii'i; T., ICaO ; B., 1-50. 



liiUKje. — Breeds from T^abrador nortliwanl and wanders southward in 

 winter regularly to the northern I'nited States and oeeasionally to Texas. 



Wa.>*hington, casual W. V. Sing Sing, A. V. Cambridge, rare and irregu- 

 lar W. V. 



A'(,s< on the ground. /;';/.'/>"'% three to ton, '2"2-4 x TT'). 



"The Snowy Owl is diurnal in its habits, but like most birds is 

 more active in search of proy during the early morning and again 

 toward dusk. Like many of tiie Hawks, it occupies a commanding 

 perch for hours, watching what is goi' -x^ on about it, occasionally 

 varying the monotony by dropping on a mouse or launching out over 

 the broad country, soon to return to its perch. During its southern 

 wanderings it is very partial to localities in the vicinity of water, 

 especially the barren sand wastes along the .seashore or extensive 

 marshy flats bordering the bays and rivers. . . . 



"The flight is firm, smooth, and noiseless, and may be long pro- 



