330 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 
of the two successive eggs, and frequently one or two young birds and an 
unhatched egg may be found in a nest together. It has been surmised 
that this is designed by the old bird as a matter of convenience, the warmth 
of the chicks protecting the freshly laid egg from freezing, so that the parent 
may be absent for longer intervals in search of food. This, however, seems 
to be merely an inference from a few observed facts. When first hatched 
the young are covered with white down, and although they grow rapidly 
they do not acquire their flight feathers until two months old and probably 
remain in the nest from twb to three months after they are hatched. 
According to Bendire ‘“‘The common call whieh is most often uttered, 
and I believe that of the male, is a far-reaching ‘too-hoot-too-hoot-too-hooh,’ 
while the answering one of the female is shorter, and usually consists simply 
of a ‘oo,’ or ‘to-oo.’ Aside from these they have several others, one a 
cat-like squeal or cry like ,waah-hu,’ and again a series of yelps similar to 
the barking of a dog.”” When heard at a little distance the hoot of this 
owl may easily be mistaken for the ordinary crossing whistle of a loco- 
motive, and at times it bears quite a strong resemblance to the notes of 
the Morning Dove. When near at hand, however, the notes are too loud 
and harsh to be mistaken for anything else. 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 
Large; ear-tufts (plumicorns) very conspicuous; iris bright yellow; bill and claws black; 
toes fully feathered; first three or four primaries emarginate or sinuate on inner webs. 
Adult: Upper parts mottled black, white and rusty (tawny), the latter the prevailing 
color beneath the surface, the superficial pattern made up of narrow, wavy or zigzag, white 
cross-bars, and wider black interspaces, giving the effect on head, neck and “‘cape”’ of a 
gray ground-color broadly and irregularly striped with black; facial disk brownish gray 
or rusty gray, with a broad black outer border and usually several concentric blackish 
lines; a conspicuous snow-white patch on the lower throat, forming an imperfect collar; 
rest of under parts white, broadly and irregularly streaked with black on the chest, and 
closely and evenly barred with black elsewhere, sometimes with a good deal of rufous 
intermixed; wing and tail feathers barred with gray and black, the tail showing about six 
distinct black bars. 
Young: At first covered with snow-white down, which becomes buffy or even tawny, 
spotted and later barred with brown or dusky everywhere except on legs and feet; the 
wing and tail-feathers from the first have essentially the same colors and pattern as when 
adult; the ear-tufts are visible in the down of the half grown bird and the characteristic 
black border of the facial disk and white throat patch also appear at about the same age. 
There is immense individual variation in wails, particularly as to the proportions 
of rufous, black, and white, and the coarseness of the pattern. Females are noticeably 
larger than males, but there seem to be no constant color differences. 
Male: Length 18 to 23 inches; wing 14.50 to 15.25; tail about 8.25; weight about 33 lbs. 
Female: Length 22 to 25 inches; extent about 57; wing 16; tail 9. 
158. Western Horned Owl. Bubo virginianus pallescens Stone. (375a) 
fe oo The synonymy is so involved that it seems useless to attempt to untangle 
1 ere. 
This western subspecies very closely resembles typical virginaanus, but 
is characterized by a decidedly lighter tone of coloration and by somewhat 
smaller average size. The two forms, however, are separable only by the 
expert. 
_ , Distribution.—The distribution is given by the A. O. U. Check-list (1910) 
as western United States (exclusive of the higher mountains) from eastern 
Oregon, Montana, and Minnesota south to southeastern California, Arizona, 
New Mexico, western Texas, and northeastern Mexico. 
This form, or its equivalent, has been included in several earlier lists, 
but the specimens upon which the claims were based are inaccessible and 
