138 



When cats run home and light is come, 



And dew is cold upon the ground, 

 And the far-off stream is dumb, 



And the whirring sail goes round, 



And the whirring sail goes round; 

 Alone and warming his five wits, 

 The white owl in the belfry site. 



— Tennyson. 



KEY TO GENERA AND DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIES. 

 ""••■ Tarsus naked or scant feathered, facial disk perfect; no ear tufts ; iris black. 



STRJX. Linnseus. Barn Owls. 



154. STRIX FLAMMEA. L. Var. PRATINCOLA* (Bon.) Ridg. Face elon 

 gated; reddish or tawny, much variegated. L. 17; W. 13; T. 5)^. Southerly; a 

 pair were trapped near Chicago ly my friend, Charles Smith, some years since. 

 (Referred to by Nelson.) 



-;■:■» Tarsus fully feathered. 



t Head with ear-tufts ; iris yellow. 



X Tail Yt, ^s loi^S 3.S wings ; over 18 inches. 



BUBO, Dumreil. Great Horned 0%vh. 



155. B. VIRGINIANUS. Bon. Black, gray and buffy, mottled and barred; 

 ■usually with a white collar ; ear-tufts large ; their feathers black ; L. 22 ; W. 16 ; 

 T. 2. Abundant resident through the State; rarest north. "Yields only to the 

 great gray owl in size, and to none in spirit." 



X% Tail about half the length of wings ; length less than 18 inches. 

 a. Bill pale; length less than 12, 



SCOPS. Savigny. Screech Otvls. 



156. S. ASIO. Bon. Red Owl, Gray Owl. Grayish, speckled and barred, or 

 Avith the grayish replaced by bright reddish ; these two different styles of plumage 

 bearing no relation to age, sex or season; L. 10; W. 7; T. 3^. Common resi- 

 dent. This owl often strays into cities and becomes confused, and is easily taken 

 alive. The same is true of the saw-whet owl. Several of the former were thus 

 taken in Indianapolis in 1878. 



aa. Bill dark; length more than 12 inches. 



OTUS. Cuvier. Eared Owls. 



157. O. VULGARIS. (L.) Var. WILSONIANUS. Allen. Long-Eared 

 Owls. Ear-tufts well developed, of 8 to 12 feathers; outer primary emarginate; 

 much variegated; L. 15; W. 12; T. 6. Not uncommon resident, {Nelson.) 



158. O. BRACHYOTUS. Steph. Short. Eared Oivl. Ear tufts inconspicuous; 

 two other primaries emarginate; L. 15; W. 13; T. 6. Our most abundant owl. 

 Comes from the North in November in large numbers and ranges over the north- 

 ern part of the State. Remain concealed in the morning, and commences scouring 

 the meadows about two o'clock. {Nelson.) Harmless and easily tamed. Quite 

 common in Marion county. Rare resident near Cincinnati. (Langdon.) 

 ttHead without evident ear tufts. 



b. Tail about half as long as wings ; iris yellow ; length less than twelve inches. 



