OF VIRGINIA 131 
FAMILY ALUCONID/AZ.—BARN OWLS. 
GENuS ALUCO. 
[365]. .Lluco pratincola (Bonaparte). Barn Owl. 
[ Monkey-faced Owl]. 
Rayexr.—North America. Breeds in Upper and Lower 
Austral zones from northern Sacramento Valley, Cali- 
fornia, Colorado, Nebraska, Tlinois, Indiana, Ohio, and 
western New York south to the Gulf States and southern 
Mexico, and casually to Oregon, Minnesota, Michigan, 
Ontario, Vermont and Massachusetts. 
Although I have lived in this State over twenty 
years, it was not until 1911 that I heard of the 
Barn Owl actually breeding within Tidewater, though 
there are many suitable places where they should breed. 
The following data is taken from sets taken elsewhere, 
and now in the H. H. Bailey collection. Eggs deposited 
on bits of soft wood in cavity in large trees, or in the barn 
loft under window on hay, or in a pigeon cote, deserted 
second story of building, ete. The eggs number four to 
six, pure white. Size, 1.70x1.30. The breeding time 
further inland is for fresh eges, the last week in March 
till April 15th. I have seen nests of these birds with 
young, from fully feathered birds almost down to newly 
hatched young of three or four days’ age. Unlike most 
birds, they commence incubating as soon as the first egg 
is laid, generally a number of days intervening between 
the depositing of cges. They are one of our most bene- 
ficial birds, their food consisting almost wholly of rats, 
