400 



BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Family STRIGID^.— The Barn Owls. 



Chae. Inner toe equal to the middle in length; inner edge of middle claw pectinated. 

 First quill longer than the third; all the quills with their inner web entire, or without 

 emargination. Tail emarginated. Feathers of the posterior face of the tarsus recurved, 

 or pointed upwards. 



The family StrigicUe includes, so far as known, but two genera, 

 Strix and Phodilus. The former is cosmopolitan, having species in 

 nearly all parts of the world, with the exception of the colder 

 regions. Phodilus is restricted to a limited portion of the Indian 

 region, and need not be further mentioned here. 



Genus STRIX Linnsids. 



strix LtNN. 8. N. ed. 10, i, 1758, 92. Type, Strix fiammea LmN. 



Aluco Geeini, Om. Met. Dig. 1, 1767, 88. 

 Gen. Char. Size medium. No ear-tufts; facial ruff entirely continuous, very con- 

 spicuous. Wing very long, the first or second quill longest, and all without emargina- 

 tion. Tail short, emarginated. Bill elongated, compressed, regularly curved; top of the 

 cere nearly equal to the culmen. straight, and somewhat depressed. Nostril open, oval, 

 nearly horizontal. Eyes very small. Tarsus nearly twice as long as the middle toe, 

 densely clothed with soft short feathers, those on the posterior face inclined upwards; 

 toes scantily bristled; claws extremely sharp and long, the middle one with its inner 

 edge pectinated. Ear-conch nearly as long as the height of the head, with an anterior 

 operculum which does not extend its full length; the two ears symmetrical? - 



Strix pratincola Bonap. 



AMERICAN BARN OWL. 

 Popular synonyms. Monkey Owl; Monkey-faced OwL 



Strix flamrnea "Linn." Wils. Am. Cm. vi,1812.57,pl. 50,flg. 2.— NuTT. Man. l.lsrS.lSS.- 

 AuD. Cm. Biog. ii, 1834, 403; v, 1839, 388, pi. 171. 

 Strix pratincola Bp. Comp. Dist 1838,7.— Cass, in Baird's B. N. Am. 1858, 47. -Bated, 

 Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No, 47. 

 Strix flamrnea var. pratincola B. B. & R, Hist N. Am. B. ill, 1874, 13. 

 Aluco flammeus pratincola CouEs, 2d Check List, 1882, No. 461. 

 Strix americana Aud. Synop. 1899,25; B. Am. i, 1840, 127, pL 34. 

 Strix flamjufa americana ScHLEG, 1862. 

 Strix flamrnea \ai. americana CoUBS, Key. 1872, 201; Check List, 1873. No, 316, 



