800 Repokt of State Geologist. 



water, and as soon as it sees its quarry, stops its flight, and remains 

 suspended motionless in the air for a moment, closes its wings, and 

 then darts downward like an arrow. It disappears under the water 

 for a few seconds, and when it arises and again takes wing, a shining, 

 wriggling fish can be plainly seen in the grasp of its powerful talons. 

 It is a curious fact that this bird will never carry the fish with the 

 tail to the front. Many times have I seen them turn the fish around 

 in mid air" (Bendire, L. H., N. A. B., I., pp. 321, 322). 



The Osprey often selects a tree, sometimes miles from any water, 

 where it resorts to devour its food. 



Suborder STEIGES. Owls. 



XXVII. Famfly STRIGID^. Barn Owls. 



Characters same aa family. Strix. 80 



80. Gknds strix LijiNisus. 



*145. (365). Strix pratincola Bonap. 



American Barn Owl. 



Facial disk not circular, but somewhat triangular. Middle and 

 inner claws of equal length; inner edge of middle claw, jagged; wing, 

 long, reaching beyond tail when folded; tail about half the length of 

 wing. 



Color. — Above, ochraceous-yellow, more or less marbled with white 

 or ashy, and speckled wdth black, and sometimes with white spots. 

 Below, varying in every degree from silky white to bright tawny, 

 dotted with black spots. Eyes, small, black. 



Length, 15.00-20.00; wing, 13.00-14.00; tail, 5.75-7.50. (Fisher). 



Range. — North America, from Mexico north to Massachusetts, New 

 Jersey and Ontario, Michigan, southern Minnesota and Oregon. 

 Breeds from southern New York, northern Indiana, southward. 

 Winters from northern limit of breeding range southward. 



Nest, in steeple or barn loft, or in a hole in tree or bank. Eggs, 

 5-11; dead white; 1.65 by 1.31. 



Found throughout the State; locally resident; rare northward; more 

 Jiunierous in the Wabash Valley and southward. Breeds. 



In 1879 there were but five known records of its occurrence in 

 Ohio. It was then considered a very rare visitor. At that time there 

 was no record of its occurrence in Indiana. And as far as I have 

 since heard, the only one who had met it was Dr. F. Stein, who noted 

 it in the lower Wnbash Valley. In Illinois it was considered rare in 



