444 HAWK OWL. 
HAWK OWL.—STRIX HUDSONIA. — Fic. 201. 
Little Hawk Owl, Edw. 62.— Lath. i. 142, No. 29.— Phil. Trans. 61, 385. — Le 
Chat-huant de Canada, Briss. 1. 518.— Buff. i..391.—- Chouette 4 longue queue 
de Siberie, Pl. enl. 463.— Arct. Zool. p. 234, No. 123. — Peale’s Museum, 
No. 500. 
SURNIA FUNEREA. — Dumenriy.* 
Strix (sub-gen. Surnia) funerea, Bonap. Synop. p. 35.—Strix funerea, Temm. 
poe ton p26. — Worth: Zook i. p. 22. , 
Tus is another inhabitant of both continents, a kind of equivocal 
species, or rather a connecting link between the Hawk and Owl 
tribes, resembling the latter in the feet, and in the radiating feathers 
round the eye and bill; but approaching nearer to the former in the 
smallness of its head, narrowness of its face, and in its length of tail. 
In short, it seems just such a figure as one would expect to see 
generated between a Hawk and an Owl of the same size, were it 
possible for them to produce ; and yet is as distinct, independent, and 
original a species as any other. It has also another strong trait of the 
Hawk tribe, —in flying and preying by day, contrary to the general 
habit of Owls. It is characterized as a bold and active species, fol- 
lowing the fowler, and carrying off his game as soon as it is shot. It 
is said to prey on Partridges.and other birds ; and is very common at 
Hudson’s Bay, where it is called by the Indians Coparacoch. . We 
are also informed that this same species inhabits Denmark and Swe- 
den, is frequent in all Siberia, and on the west side of the Uralian 
chain as far as Casan and the Volga; but not in Russiat It was 
sia by the navigators near Sandwich Sound, in lat. 61 degrees 
north. 
This species is very rare in Pennsylvania, and the more soutliern 
parts of the United States. Its favorite range seems to be along the 
borders of the Arctic Regions, making occasional excursions south- 
wardly when compelled by severity of weather, and consequent 
scarcity of food. Isome time ago received a drawing of this bird, 
from the district of Maine, where it was considered rare: that, and 
the specimen from which the drawing in Fig. 201 was taken, which 
was shot in the neighborhood of Philadelphia, are the only two that 
have come under my notice. These having luckily happened to be 
male and. female, have enabled me to give a description of both. Of 
their nest, or manner of breeding, we have no account 
The male of this species is fifteen inches long; the bill, orange 
* In this we have the true form of a diurmal Owl. The head is comparatively 
small ; facial disk, imperfect ; the ears hardly larger than in birds of prey, and not 
operculated ; the wings and tail more Hawk like, the former, as Wilson observes, 
with the webs scarcely divided at the tips. Flies by day, and, according to Dr. 
Richardson, preys during winter on Ptarmigan, which it constantly attends in their 
spring migrations northward, and is even so bold, on a bird being killed by the 
punts, “ to pounce down upon it, though it may be unable, from its size, to carry 
it off. — Ep. 
{ Bowarps } PENNANT. 
