GREAT GRAY OWL, 411 



facial area, legs and crissnm pale, numaiked ; eye-patoh blackish ; ear tufts of from 3-6 

 feathers. Size of Otus. 



Habitat, Europe. Asia. Greenland. America. West Indies. 

 Resident. Very common in winter, rare in summer. Breeds. The 

 Short eared Owl frequents swamps, borders of streams and fields. In 

 winter they sometimes appear in considerable flocks and hunt in com- 

 pany. A dozen or more are sometimes seen in fields and mounted 

 on fences, on cloudy days, watching for mice or other prey. Mr. Kirk- 

 patrick says it " is believed to breed in the swamps of Sandusky," Mr. 

 Langdon gives it as a fall, winter and spring visitor, but Dr. Howard E. 

 Jones informs me that he has discovered the nest and eggs on the ground 

 near Circleville. 



The Short-eared Owl usually nests on the ground, sometimes without 

 any attempt at nest building, but generally collecting together a few 

 sticks with feathers and grass. In some distant localities it excavates 

 short burrows in banks. The eggs are four or five, white, more oval than 

 in most of this family, and measure 1.50 by 1.25. 



Genus SYENIUM. Savigny, 



Size large. No ear tafts. Ears moderate, operonlated. Eyes small. Facial discs 

 large, complete. Tarsi and toes full feathered. - 



Syenium cineeeum (Gm.) Bonap. 



G-reat G-rey Owl. 



Syrnium cinereum, Kiekpatkick, Ohio Parmer, viii, 1859, 107 ; Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1858, 

 1859, 379.— Wheaton, Ohio Agrio. Rep. for 18€0, 1861, 361 ; Reprint, 3.— Couks, 

 Birds of N. W., 1874, 308.— Lanodon, JonrB. Cim. I^a. Nat. HUt., i, 1879, 188 ; Re- 

 print, 6; Revised List, Jour. Gin. Soc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 188; Reprint, 22. 



Syrnium lapponicum, var. cinereum, Wheaton, Food of Birds, etc., Ohio Agric. Rep. for 

 1874, 1875, 570; Reprint, 10. 



Sirhc cinerea, Gmblin, Syst. Nat., i, 1788, 291. 



Syrnium dnerema, Bonapaetk, List, 1838, 6. 



Syrnium lapponicum, var. cinereum, Ridgwat, in Cones' Key, 1872, 204. 



Above, cinereous-brown, mottled in waves with cinereous white ; below, these colors 

 rather paler, disposed in streaks on the breast, in hars elsewhere ; quills and tail with five 

 01 six darker and lighter bars ; the great disk similarly marked in regular concentric 

 riugSv An immense owl, one of the largest of all, much exceeding any other of this 

 country. Length, 2|^ feet ; wing, IJ ; tail a foot or more. 



Habitat, Northern North America, south in winter to MasBsachBEetts, Illinois and 

 Calitornia. 



Extremely rare winter visitor. Mr. Kirkpatrick, adds this largest of 

 North American Owls, " to our fauna in consequence of an Owl answer- 



