LITTLE SCREECH OWL. 393 



long, 1^ broad, of the usual structure, its tendons circular, and 4^ 

 twelfths in diameter ; its inner surface smooth and somewhat villous. 

 Its contents are remains of insects and bones of small birds. The pro- 

 ventricular glands are rather large, and form a belt of | inch in breadth. 

 The duodenum curves at the distance of 2 inches from the pylorus. 

 The intestine is 15 inches long, and from 3 to 2 twelfths wide ; the 

 coeca are large, 2 inches 4 twelfths long, for 1 inch and 2 twelfths their 

 width only 1 twelfth, their greatest breadth toward the end 4 twelfths. 

 The rectum is 2 inches 10 twelfths long, for 1 inch and 2 twelfths its 

 width is 2| twelfths ; it then expands into the cloaca, which is 11 

 twelfths in diameter. 



The trachea is 2 inches 2 twelfths long, flattened, of the uniform 

 breadth of 1^ twelfth, and having about 90 very slender rings, together 

 with 5 dimidiate. The contractor muscles are thin, the sterno-tracheal 

 moderate ; and there is a single pair of inferior laryngeal muscles going 

 to the last ring of the trachea. The bronchial rings are about 15. 



The tufts of the head are composed of a longitudinal series of 10 

 feathers, commencing over the middle of the eye, and extending a quar- 

 ter of an inch beyond its posterior edge. 



GREAT-HORNED OWL. 



StRIX VIRGINIANA, LiNN. 

 PLATE LXI. Vol. I. p. .313. 



This species occurs in every part of the United States, as well as 

 beyond their limits northward, as far as the wooded tracts extend, in- 

 cluding Labrador. It is also met with on the Rocky Mountains, about 

 the Columbia River, in California, and in Mexico. I have seen speci- 

 mens from all these countries, which presented no greater diiferences 

 in size and colour than might be expected in a bird so extensively dis- 

 tributed, some being larger or smaller, darker or lighter, according to 

 sex, age, and season. One which 1 examined in the Texas was of a 

 lighter colour than any that I have ever seen, with the exception of 

 the specimen named by Mr Swainson " 8trix (Bubo) ardica,'''' which 



