OSTEOLOGY OF SPEOTYTO CUNICULARIA HYPOGAA. 
By R. W. SHUFELD?, M. D., 
Captain, Medical Department, United States Army. 
At the present writing we know of but one species of the so-called 
Burrowing Owls inhabiting America, and this is represented by three 
existing races, the typical and largest of these being the Athene cunicu- 
laria, 2 species confined to South America, while its two varieties occur 
within the limits of 
the United States. 
Little difference 
seems to exist be- 
tween these latter, 
S. cunicularia flori- 
dana being of near- 
ly the same size as 
the subject of this 2 
paper, but darker 
in plumage, with 
fewer feathers 
upon the tarsi, so 
that, with the ex- 
ception of certain 
measurements, the 
description of the 
skeleton of any one Speotyto cunicularia hypogea. 
ofthem will answer pretty wellfor them all. To those unacquainted with 
the habits of these owls, both the English and technical names might 
be misleading, giving one to suppose that the birds actually burrowed ; 
such, we believe, is never the case, they all having the like habit of re- 
sortin g to the v illages of many of the species of marmot squirrels, and 
occupying their deserted burrows for the purpose of nidification ; sev- 
eral families of these owls often being found in the same village. S. 
cunicularia hypogea occurs upon the open and treeless prairies ~ est of 
the Mississippi River, where the writer has had abundant opportunity 
to study its very unique and interesting habits as well as to secure un- 
limited material for the purposes of dissection. 
We are well aware, however, that other naturalists have believed, to 
a greater or less extent, that Speotyto really, under certain circum. 
stances, burrows for itself, but owing to the fact that it has never ac- 
tually been known to construct an entire burrow, or what I must believe 
any part of one, and in face of the apparent inadaptability of its small 
feet and not overpowerful beak to accomplish such a task, we can hardly 
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