8o BIRDS OF COLORADO. 



now known. There certainly is a Horned Owl that breeds in the 

 mountains even up to ii,ooo feet, and either this or some closely 

 related form is found in winter nearly to the limit of trees. It 

 is probable that these winter birds belong to both subarcticus 

 and arcticus, and that the summer birds are principally, if not 

 entirely, subarcticus, though largely partaking of the character 

 of both forms. 



375b. Bubo virginianus arcticus. Arctic Horned Owl. 



Winter visitant; not uncommon. That this variety occurs 

 in Colorado at any time in the year has been often denied. All 

 doubts on the subject were lately settled by a specimen that Mr. 

 C. E. Aiken lately sent to the present writer and which has 

 been identified by Mr. Ridgway as undoubtedly arcticus. Mr. 

 Aiken writes about these birds, that there was "an owl I had 

 mounted twelve or fourteen years ago which I called arctiais. 

 That specimen was a little more white and probably nearer the 

 type than the present one. Both birds were brought to me by 

 boys who had killed them near town [Colorado Springs,] but 

 whether in the mountains or along the creek below town I can- 

 not say. We have a flight of the lighter marked owls late in 

 the fall, quite regularly, but I think the two under consideration 

 are the only ones I have seen quite so light. I think both these 

 birds were killed in November." Writing some years ago about 

 arcticus, Mr. C. F. Morrison says: " This is the variety to which 

 I refer the mountain specimens, they showing as much differ- 

 ence from the plains specimens of subarcticus as my Montana 

 birds do, and in some cases even lighter. Do not know just 

 where to draw the line, but I think true arcticus will be found 

 as far south ar the southern border of the State in the main 

 chain of the Rockies." Prof Wm. Osburn says that one he has 

 referred to this variety was shot in the mountains near Love- 

 land November 29, 1890. It was nearly white. 



[375c. Bubo virginianus saturatus. Dusky Horned Owl. 



Resident; not common. In time the above record of this variety will 

 probably be shown to be correct, but at the present time it is hardly a scientific 

 statement It has been but once formally stated as occurring in Colorado 

 (Fisher, Hawks and Owls of the U. S., 74), and that is based on a misquotation, 

 the birds having been found in Arizona instead of Colorado. Moreover all 

 writers on Colorado birds agree that the Horned Owls of the mountains are a 

 light colored race showing a tendency toward arcticus instead of saturatus. 

 Nevertheless it is almost certain since the variety has been found common a few 

 miles from the southwest corner of Colorado that it does really inhabit the 

 higher mountains in the coniferous forests ] 



376. Nyctea nyctea. Snowy Owl. 



Winter visitant; rare. More than a score of cases are 

 known of its occurring in winter on the plains and the lower 

 foothills of eastern Colorado to about the central part of the 



