416 BIRDS — STRIGID^. 



The Acadian Owl is the smallest member of the family found with as. 

 It is more nocturnal than many others of the family, and this, together 

 with its size, renders its discovery difficult. Mr. Read gives it as not un- 

 common, being more frequently seen than the red variety of the Mottled 

 Owl. Mr. Winslow considers it by no means rare, and Mr. Kirkpatrick 

 says, " it is not plentiful with us, but may occasionally be found." Mr. 

 Langdon records but three specimens taken in the vicinity of Cincinnati, 

 and considers it a winter visitor only. To this record Messrs. Dury and 

 Freeman, add one, and perhaps two, individuals, one of which was takeoi 

 May. Audubon says " in Cincinnati, I had one brought to me which 

 had been taken frotn the edge of a cradle in which a child lay asleep, to 

 the no small astonishment of its mother." 



In this vicinity it is very rare ; 1 have never seen it alive. On the 

 11th of January 1879, my neighbor, Mr. B. J. Loomis, brought me a 

 specimen, a present from his little daughter, who found it dead, probably 

 frozen, in their garden. Two specimens were taken in this vicinity lat© 

 in November of the present year (18:0). 



It seems to be rather partial to evergreen woods, and the lack of these 

 may account in part for its rarity here. Nye ale albifrom and Nyctale kirt- 

 landi which were once supposed to be distinct species, and also to 

 be the young of Tengmalm's Owl, are now known to be the young of this 

 species. Mr. Winslow has a specimen of albifrons, and Dr. Brewei men- 



Nyctale tengmalmi (Gm) Bp, 

 var. EicHAEDsoNi (Bp.) Rids. 



'JTengnnalirL'H Oivl. 



Nyctale tengmalmi, var. richardsoni, Coujss, Birds of N. W., 1874, 314, "Northern Ohio 

 {Winsljw)." 



Strix tengmalmi, Gmelin, i, 1788, Si91. 



Nyctale richardsoni, Bonaparte, Comp. List;, 18.38, 7. 



Nyctale tengmalmi, var. richardsoni, Eidgway, Am. Nat., vi, 1872, 285. 



Habitat, the typical form, Europe, Asia and Northern Africa. Var. richardioni 

 from North America ; south regularly to the United States frontier.f in winter rarely 

 through New England, beyond Tvhioh there ib no record on the Atlantic. Northern Ohio 

 ( Winalmo. ) 



The above range is given to this bird by Dr. Cones, bnt upon inquiry of Mr, 

 Winslow for particulars respecting its occurrence, he was nnable to give me any infor- 

 mation, and Dr. Coues was nuabie to recall his authority. 



The accrediting of this bird to this fauna is, doubtless, an error, which possibly may 

 have arisen from the capture of speciiuens of so-called alUfron$ and hirtlandi mentioned 

 above. 



