BUBO VIRGINIANUS, GREAT HORNED OWL. 



301 



Strix pythaules, Bartr., Trav. Fla. 1790, 989. 

 Bubo ludoi'ioianus, Daud., Tr. Orn. ii, 1800, 210. 

 Bubopinicola, Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. i, 1809, 51. 



b. pacificus. 



Bubo virginiaims var. pacificus, Cass., 111. 1854, 178.— Codes, Key, 1872, 202.— B. B. & 

 R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 61, 65. 



c. arctieus. 



SMx (Buho) arctieus, Sw. & Rich., F. B. A. ii, 1831, 86, pi. 30. 



HeUaptex arctieus, Sw., Classif. B. 1, 328 ; ii, 217. 



Bubo virginiamts var. arctieus, Cass., 111. 1854, 179. — Blak., Ibia, iii, 1861, 320.— CoUBS, 



Ivey, 1872, 202.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 60, 64. 

 Bubo sub-arctieus, Hoy, Pr. Phila. Acad, vi, 18.j2, 211 (WisconsiD).- Cass., IU. 1854, 117. 



fl. matjellanicus. 



Strix magellanicus, Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 788, 286 (Sibou des terres Magellaniques, P. E. 385). — 



'Baud., Tr. Orn. ii, 1800, 210.— Less., Voy. Coquille, i, 617 ; Ms, 1833, 76. 

 Biiho magellanieus, Geay, List B. Br. Mas., 1844, 46. 



Bubo rirginianus var. magellanicus, Cass., 111. 1854, 178.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 61. 

 Strix bubo var. (!., Lath., Ind. Orn. 1790, 5-i {Magellanic Eared Owl, Gen. Syu. i, 118). 

 Strix nacurtitu, Vieill., N. D. d'Hist. Nat. vii, 44 ; Ene. iii, 12SI (Nacurutu, Azara, i, 192. 

 Bubo erassirostris, Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. 1807, pi. 19. 

 Bubo macrorhynchus, Temji., PI. Color. 62. 



Sab. — The Western Hemisphere. Common and generally distributed in wooded 

 regions in the United States. Var. magellanicus in South Americ'a. 



List of spevimens. 



19126 

 19127 

 19128 



179 Powder River. 

 202 Deer Creek. -- 

 183 Powder River . 



Oct. 5, 18.'')9 

 Nov. 21, 1859 

 Oct. 1. 1859 



G. H. Trook. 



....do 



....do 



23.00 

 19.50 

 21.00 



56.70 

 49.00 

 52.00 



17.00 

 14.00 

 15.00 



Lieutenant Warren's Expedition. — 5180-81, Fort Union, Dakota. 



I divide the synonymy of this species in the conventional method, without feeling 

 in any considerable degree impressed with the necessity of so doing, but rather believ- 

 ing that, with the exception of the alpine and boreal var. arctieus, the races are 

 variously inter-related, and not satisfactorily co-ordinated with geographical distribu- 

 tion. This appears to be Mr. Cassin's later view ; for after establishing the races in 

 1854, he subsequently remarked : " These varieties are evidently not to be recognized 

 as at all strictly geographical, nor so much so as intimated in our notice of them 

 alluded to above." I have not myself critically examined the South American bird, 

 which appears to average daiker ; bnt Dr. Schlegel states that some specimens are like 

 North American ones iu every respect. Var. pacificus would also appear to be a dark 

 form, but it is not confined to the coast whence the name is derived, nor are all the 

 birds of that region alike, some being entirely indistinguishable from the ordinary 

 Atlantic styles. In the " Key," I adopted the variety entirely at the instance of Mr. 

 Ridgway, who has made our raptorial birds a special study, and followed him in pre- 

 senting "it as a dark, littoral form, " extending from Oregon northward, coastwise, to 

 Labrador," although I confess that I do not quite comprehend this peculiar alleged 

 distribution. Var. arctieus is tlie most easily recognized, being very pale-colored, fre- 

 quently quite whitish, and not distantly resembling the Snowy Owl. This peculiarity 

 of coloring seems to mark, in varying degree, alpine specimens, even so far south as 

 New Mexico. 



The Great Horned Owl occurs in suitable localities throughout the 

 Missouri region, as elsewhere in North America. It is by no means 

 rare, and, conspicuous in its size, falls under frequent observation. It 

 occurs chiefly in wooded regions, where the various animals it preys 

 upon find shelter, and where it is itself in a measure concealed from view. 

 It is not migratory. In temperate latitudes, the eggs are laid iu winter; 

 and even in the fur countries, according to Sir John Richardson, the 

 young are hatched in March. It breeds indifferently, according to cir- 

 cumstances, in hollow trees, or even in the crevices of rocks ; in such 

 cases the eggs are simx)ly deposited on some grass or feathers. But, 

 perhaps oftener, a large, bulky, rude nest, of sticks and twigs, lined with 



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