300 BUBO VIEGINIANUS, GREAT HORNED OWL. 



tainerl its occurrence in Arizona; once, wading through a reedy lagoon 

 at mid-day, I disturbed a Barn Owl, which rose silently and flapped 

 along till I brought it down. It is a common bird in Oalifornia — appar- 

 ently the most abundant species of its family in the southern part of 

 the State; and, according to Dr. Cooper, it extends its range to the 

 Columbia, in lat. 46°. Dr. ]!^ewberry observed an interestiug modifica- 

 tion of its habits by circumstances, which cause it to inhabit holes in 

 the perpendicular cliffs bordering the shore of San Pablo Bay. The 

 same fact has been noted by Mr. Dall, in the case of Brachyotus palusiris, 

 in the Aleutian Islands ; so that our Burrowing Owl is not the only 

 species that lives in holes in the ground. In the Atlantic States, the 

 Barn Owl is not abundant north of the Garolinas; ] found it on the 

 coast of iforth Carolina, in the salt marshes. It occurs, however, regu- 

 larly, if rarely, in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Dr. 

 Turnbull observes : " Not rare, and more frequent in spring and autumn. 

 Its nest is generally found in a hollow tree, near marshy meadows." Its 

 occurrence in New England must be regarded as exceptional, and it has 

 not been observed in that section further north than Jlassachusetts. 

 In 1843 (Am. Journ. xliv, 253), Kev. J. H. Linsley reported the capture 

 of a specimen at Stratford Conn. According to Mr. Allen, as above 

 quoted, Dr. Wood took one at Sachem's Head, Connecticut, October 28, 

 1865. The first specimen known from Massachusetts was procured near 

 Springfield, in May, 1866, as stated in my paper above quoted ; another 

 was shot near Lynn, in the same State, in 1803, as recorded by Mr. Allen. 

 This completes the New England quotations to date. 



The egg of this species is colorless, and measures about If in length 

 by 1;^ in greatest breadth. Little or no preparation is made for the re- 

 ception of the eggs, which are simply dropped on the debris — often the 

 bones and the remains of the birds' food — in the cavities or recesses to 

 which the birds resort to breed. The eggs are said to vary from three 

 to six in number. 



BUBO VIEGINIANdS, (Gm.) Bp. 

 Great Horned Owl. 



a. virginmnus. 



Slrix virginianus, Gm., Syst. iNat. i, 1788, 287. — Lath., Ind. Om. i, 1790, 52 (Buiss., i, 

 484 ; Eagle Owl, Arct. Zool. ii, 228 ; Virginian Eared Owl, Edw., 60 ; Gen. 

 Syn. i, 119).— Daud., Tr. Orn. ii, 210, pi. 13.— Shaw, G. Z. vii, ])\. 30.— Temm., 

 Tabl. Meth. p. 7.— WiLS., Am. Orn. vi. 1812, 52, pi. .50, f. 1.— Bp., Syn. 1828, 37; 

 Isis, 1832, 1139.— Rich. & Sw., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 82 (Subg. ^m6o).— NcTT., Man. 

 i, 1832, 124.— AuD., Orn. Biog. i, 1832, 313 ; v, 393 ; pi. 01.— DeKay, N. Y. Zool. 

 1844, pi. 10, flg. 22.— Peab., Rep. Orn. Mass. 1839, 87.— Thomps., N. H. Vt. 65. 



Bitbo virginianus, Bp., List, 1838. 6; Consp. i, 1850, 48.— ArD., Syn. 1839, 29; B. Am. i, 

 1840, 143, pi. 39.— Gie., B. L. I. 1844, 27.— Kaup, Monog. Cont. Orn. 1852, 116; 

 Tr. Z. S. iv, 1859, 241.— Cass., 111. 1854, 177.— Brew., N. A. 0. 1857, 64.— Maxim., 

 J. f. O. vi, 1858, 23.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 49.— SCL., P. Z. S. 1859, 390 (Oaxaca).— 

 ScL. & S^iEv., Ibis, ii, 1860, 276 (Guatemala).— Scl., P. Z. S. 1860, 253 (Ori- 

 zaba).— Coop. & Suck., N. H. Wash. Ter. 1860, 154.— Beak., Ibis, iii, 1801, 

 320.— Lord, Pr. Roy. Arty. Inst, iv, 1804, 111.— Dress., Ibis, 1805, 330 

 (Texas).— CouES, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1886, 49 (Arizona).— Lawi;., Ann. Lye. N. Y. 

 ix, 132 (Costa Rica).- Dale & Banx., Tr. Chic. Acad. i. 1869, 272 (Alaska).- 



Bubo virginianus allanticus, Cass., 111. 1854, 178. 



Olus virginianus, STi;pn., Shaw's G. Z. xiii, pt. ii, 57. 



Vliila virginiana, Jam., ed. Wils. i, 100. 



(?) Strix muximus, Bartk., Trav. Fla. 1790, 285 (" capite aurito, corpore niveo "). 



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