410 BIRDS — STRIOIDiE. 



Resident. Common in winter, rare in summer. Probably breeds. 

 The Long-eared Owl, which A udubon found " not rare in Ohio," is, 

 curiously enough, not named in the catalogues of Dr. Kirtland and Mr. 

 Read. It is, perhaps, a somewhat irregular, but at times abundant win- 

 ter visitor. So far as my observations extend it appears to be most com- 

 mon in winters when the next species is least numerous. Mr. Kirk- 

 patrick, the first local writer who mentions it, says " it is an inhabitant 

 of the woods from which it seldom ventures far. It is extremely abund- 

 ant in the eastern States, on the seaboard, but is much scarcer west of the 

 Alleghenies. In Ohio it occasionally occurs, and is in all likelyhood a 

 constant resident with us, and specimens are sometimes obtained, and it 

 is, however, rather more plentiful than formerly." Mr. Langdon reports, 

 " full fledged young of the year taken by Mr. Dury, at Avondale, in July, 

 1878 — this first evidence of the breeding of this species in this vicinity." 



Forests of evergreens are said to be the favorite resorts of this Fpecies. 

 for breeding purposes. The nest is composed of sticks with a more or 

 less complete lining of feathers. The same nest is occupied for several 

 years. Sometimes an old Hawk's or Crow's nest is occupied. In some 

 l03alities they are said to nest on the ground or on low bushes. The 

 eggs are generally two, sometimes four, white, and measure from 1.&5 ta 

 1.50 in length and from 1.35 to 1.30 in breadth. 



Gknus BRACHYOTUS. Gould. 

 Ear tnfts small and inconspionous ; otherwise like Otus. 



Brachyottjs paltjsteis (Bechst.) Bp. 



Sliort-earecl 0"wl. 



Strix Irachyotua, Kietlanb, Ohio Geolog, Surv., 1838, 161, 179. — Read, Fam. Visitor, iii, 

 303 ; Proo. Phila. Aoad. Nat. Sci., vi, 1853, 395. 



Brachyotus cassinii, Wheaton, Ohio Agrie. Rep. for 1860, 361 ; Reprint, 1861, 3. 



Bracliyotus paliistris, WnEATON, Food of Birdi, etc., Ohio Agrie. R«p. fw: 1874, 570; Re- 

 print, 1875, 10. — Langdon, Cat. Birisls af Cin. Ib77, Ij. 



Otus l)rachyotu8, ICirkpatrick, Ohio Farmer, viii, 1859, 1 ; Ohio Agrio. Rep. for 1858, 1859, 

 376. — Langdon, Revised List, Journ. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 179; Reprint, 13. 



Strix Irachyotus, Gmelin, Syst. N»t., i, 1788, 283. 

 Otus hraohyotus, Audubon, Syn., 1839, 28. 



( .-. wii, Brewer, Proo. Bost. Soc, 1856. 

 iris, BBcnsTEiN, V. D., iii, 344. 

 Brachyotus paluslria, Bonaparte, List, 1838, 



Fulvous or bufiy-brown, paler or -whltey-brown below ; breast and upper parts. 



I ' I I li okly streaked with dark brown ; belly usually sparsely streaked with th© 



same, but not barred crosswise ; quills and tall buff, with few dark bands and mottling; 



