STRIGID/E. 77 



Dimensions. 



Inches. Lines. 



Length from the tip of the bill to the end of Length of the cere on its ridge 



the tail 17 „ of the tarsus . 



„ of the tail .... 6 C „ of the middle toe 



„ of the longest quill feather .11 6 „ of its claw 



„ of the bill measured on its ridge . 1 4 



Another specimen, of the same size with the preceding - , has more of the 

 yellowish-brown colour in its plumage, and a bill two lines shorter, with a more 

 tumid cere. A third, also of equal size, has a bill of an intermediate form between 

 these two. 



;hes. 

 



Lines. 

 8 



1 



6 



1 



4 







11 



[20.] 3. Strix cinerea. (Gmelin.) Great Cinereous Owl. 



Genus. Strix. Linn. 



Cinereous Owl. Lath. Syn., i., p. 134, sp. 19. 



Sooty Owl. Penn. Arct. Zool., ii., p. 232, No. 120. 



Strix cinerea. Gmet.in. Syst., i., p. 291. Lath. Ind., i., p. 58, sp. 22. 



Strix fuliginosa. Shaw. Gen. Zool., i., p. 244. 



Strix cinerea. Vieillot. Eric. MSth., iii., 1289, No. 43. Idem, Nouv, Diet., vii., p. 23. 



Atheeneetoo omeesew. (Real or Indian Owl.) Cree Indians. 



Plate xxxi. 



This imposing bird, the largest of the North American Owls, was first described 

 by Latham from a Hudson's Bay specimen, deposited in the British Museum ; 

 and some particulars respecting its habits, communicated to Pennant by Mr. 

 Hutchins, were published in Arctic Zoology. It is by no means a rare bird in 

 the fur-countries, being an inhabitant of all the woody districts lying between Lake 

 Superior and latitudes 67° or 68°, and between Hudson's Bay and the Pacific. 

 It is common on the borders of Great Bear Lake ; and there and in the higher 

 parallels of latitude it must pursue its prey, during the summer months, by day- 

 light. It keeps, however, within the woods, and does not frequent the barren 

 grounds, like the Snowy Owl, nor is it so often met with in broad daylight as the 

 Hawk-Owl, but hunts principally when the sun is low ; indeed, it is only at such 

 times, when the recesses of the woods are deeply shadowed, that the American 

 hare and the murine animals, on which the Cinereous Owl chiefly preys, come forth 



