240 CHAPTERS ON THE NATURAL HISTORY 



nature, and much lias been recorded in type about the species. 

 1 have seen very little of the northern and western subspecies, 

 but upon one occasion I remember, when serving as post surgeon 

 at Fort Fetterman, many years ago, I came suddenly upon a 

 pair of these birds, — the Western Horned Owl — as they simul- 

 taneously flew out in great haste from some heavy undergrowth 

 upon a river's bank immediately below where I stood. My sur- 

 prise was so great that I almost intuitively sent my gun to shoul- 

 der, and cracked away at them, — a bird promptly falling to each 

 barrel. Both the buff and gray tints of their plumage were very 

 light in color, and the entire bird in these respects differed con- 

 siderably from its eastern congener. Subsequently I found this 

 owl to be more or less abundant in the vicinity, and always fat 

 and heavy, as the country was full of grouse and small game. 



Another well-known owl of this country of which I recently 

 have had an example in captivity, is the Barred Owl (Syrnium 

 nebulosum) . The specimen with another of the same brood were 

 captured near Washington, D. C, and, for owls, they proved to 

 be very gentle and not altogether uninteresting pets, differing in 

 the first particular very markedly as compared with the young 

 Long-eared Owl. Photographs of this nestling Syrnium were 

 made by me with good success, in a variety of attitudes and 

 characteristic postures. Two of these are reproduced here. 



In the genus to which this species belongs, there are also to be 

 found a sub-species (S. n. alleni) and the Spotted Owl (S. occi- 

 dentals); the first being a coastwise form, occurring from South 

 Carolina to Texas, the second, ranging over southern Colorado, 

 New Mexico, Arizona, the Californias, and Mexico. Typical 

 Barred owls occur in eastern United States, west to Minne- 

 sota, and northward to Nova Scotia. 



To identify a bird of this genus, we have but to remember that 

 they are large, bulky owls, without any feather-horns whatever, 

 and with the irides of the eyes nearly blade, with a bluish tinge 

 in life. For the rest they are dark brown about, being barred 

 and spotted with buff and lighter color. The tail is six to eight 

 banded, and the wings spotted and otherwise marked. Below, 

 the parts are whitish or buffy, and are likewise barred, and 

 spotted with shades of brown. The young also show much barr- 

 ing in their plumage, as will be appreciated in my photographic 

 reproductions illustrating the present chapter. 



The female is markedly larger than the male bird, exceeding 



