SuBOEpEii STRIGES. Owls. 



Family STRIGID^. Barn Owls. 



Genus STRIX Linn^us. 



STRIX PRATINCOLA Bonap. 



157. American Barn Owl. (36-5) 



Tawny or fulvous brown, delicately clouded or marbled with ashy or white, 

 and speckled with brownish-black ; below, a varying shade from nearly a pure 

 white to fulvous, with sparse sharp blackish speckling ; face, white to purplish- 

 brown, darker or black about the eyes ; the disk, bordered with dark brown ; 

 wings and tail barred with brown, and finely mottled like the back ; bill, 

 w'hitish; toes, yellowish. Femah : — Length, 17 inches; wmg, 13; tail, 5J. 

 Male, ; — Rather less. 



Hab. — Warmer parts of Xorth America, from the iliddle States, Ohio 

 Valley and California, southward through Mexico. 



Breeds, in hollow trees, frequently in the tower of a church or other high 

 buildings. 



Eggs, five to eleven ; soiled white. 



Although this species, so much like the Barn Owl of Britain, has 

 long been known as an American bird, coming as far north as Massa- 

 chusetts, it is only within the last few years that it has been observed 



