8Ti;iCUD.E, OWLS. GKN. 139. 



201 



their flight is perfectly noiseless, like the mincing steps of a cat ; and no entirely 

 fanciful analogy has been drawn between these birds and the feline carnivora that 

 chiefly pi-cy stealthily in the dark. Owls feed entirely npon animal substances, and 

 capture their prey alive — small quadrupeds and birds, reptiles and insects, and even 

 fish. Like most other Raptores, they eject from the mouth, after a meal, the bones, 

 hair, feathers and other indigestible substances, made np into a round pellet. They 

 are noted for their loud outcries, so strauge and often so higulirious, that it is no 

 ■wonder that traditional superstition places these dismal night birds iu the category 

 of things ill-ouiened. The nest is commonly a rude aifair of sticks gathered in the 

 various places of diurnal resort; the eggs are several (commonly 3-6), white, sub- 

 spherical. The female, as a rule, is larger tliau tlie male, but the sexes are alike 

 in color ; the coloration is conunonljr blended and diffuse, difficult of concise 

 description. 



Owls are among the most completely cosmopolitan of birds ; with minor modifi- 

 cations according to circumstances, their general habits are much the same the 

 world over. A ditflcult)' of correctljr estimating the number of species arises from 

 the fact that many, especially of the more generalized tjqjes, have a wide geograph- 

 ical distribution, and, as in nearly all such cases, they split into more or less easily 

 recognized races, the interpretation of wliich is at present a matter of opinion 

 rather than a settled issue. About 200 species pass current ; this number must be 

 reduced by one-third ; out of about 50 generic names now in vogue, probably less 

 than one-half represent some structural peculiarity. Notable exotic genera are the 

 Japanese Phodilus {P. badius), an allj' of Stri.e proper; the Asiatic Katnpa; and 

 the extensively distributed Old World Athene, iu its broad acceptation. 



'T 



Flo. ];U. F.x.tnf Burn Owl. 



^ 



139. Genus STRIX Linnaeus. 



J Barn Old. Tawnj', or fulvous-brown, delicately clouded or marbled with 

 , ashy and white, and speckled with Ijrownish-black ; below, a varying shade 

 from nearly pure white to fulvous, with sparse sharp blackish speckling ; face 

 white to purplish-brown, darker or black about the eyes, the disk bordered 

 with dark brown ; wings and tail barred with brown, and finely mottled like 

 the back; bill whitish ; toes yellowish. Facial disk high]}' developed, not 

 circular; no tufts; ears very large, operculate ; tarsi long, scant-feathered, 

 below bristly, like the nearly naked toes ; middle claw iisually found serrate 

 or at least jagged ; plumage very downy. 9 17 long; wing 13; tail bl 

 $ rather less. U. S., Atlantic to Pacific, southerly; rare in the interior 



KEY TO N. A. BIItDS. 26 



H^ 



