LAND BIRDS. 297 
rigidly protected wherever found. The present law (1912) forbids their 
destruction and every person should see that the law is enforced. 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 
Bill with a very long hook but without the distinct tooth and notch of the falcons; 
claws all of equal length; second and third primaries longest and nearly equal, the first 
four emarginate on inner webs. 
Adult male: Most of the head and entire under parts pure white, only the sides of 
the head with a dark stripe, and the crown and occiput more or less streaked with dusky, 
the upper breast sometimes faintly blotched with brownish; upper parts dark grayish 
brown, many feathers with narrow whitish edges or tips; tail lighter brown above with 
about seven or eight dark bars, the inner webs of all but the middle pair distinctly barred 
below with pure white and dusky. 
a female: Precisely like male except that the upper breast is more distinctly 
spotted. 
Immature: Similar to adult, but with less white on the head, and usually with most 
of the feathers of back and upper surface of wings widely margined and tipped with whitish. 
Little or no difference in size of male and female (exceptional among hawks). Length 
20.75 to 25 inches; wing 17 to 21; tail 7 to 10; expanse of wings about 54 feet. 
Suborder STRIGES. Owls. 
This suborder is commonly divided into two families, the Aluconide, 
or Barn Owls, and the Strigide, including all the rest. In addition to the 
diagnostic points mentioned below the Barn Owls have a pectinate middle 
claw not found in other owls. 
KEY TO SPECIES. 
A. Lower half of tarsi naked or bristly; facial disk much narrowed below 
(Fig. 77) Family 40. Aluconide. Barn Owl. No. 149. 
AA. Tarsi well feathered; facial disk circular or nearly so (Fig. 80). Family 
41. Strigide. B, BB, BBB. 
B. Large owls, wing 13 inches or more. C, CC. 
C. With prominent ear-tufts or feather-horns (plumicorns). 
Great Horned Owl and Western Horned Owl. Nos. 157, 
158. 
CC. Without prominent ear-tufts. D, DD. 
D. Mainly white, more or less barred with black. Snowy 
Owl. No. 159. 
DD. Not mainly white. E, EE. 
KE. Very large, wing 16 to 18 inches. Great Gray Owl. 
No. 153. 
EE. Not so large, wing 13 to 15 inches. F, FF. 
F. Under parts thickly streaked but with no cross 
bars. Short-eared Owl. No. 151. 
FF. Breast heavily cross-barred, only the belly 
streaked. Barred Owl. No. 152. 
BB. Owls of moderate size, wing from 8 to 13 inches. G, GG. 
G. With prominent ear-tufts. Long-eared Owl. No. 150. 
GG. With very small ear-tufts or none. H, HH. 
H. Under parts heavily streaked, but no cross-bars. Short- 
eared Owl. No. 151. 
