HAWK OWL— RICHARDSON'S OWL-LONG-EARED OWL-GRAY OWL, ETC. 



171 



PLATE CXIII. 



Hawk Owl ; Day Owl. (Surnia ttlula, var. hudsonia^) 



Fig. i. 



This Owl is an inhabitant of the northern portions of North 

 America. Unlike many other Owls, it retires to rest at night. It 

 was often seen by Mr. Dresser, in New Brunswick, hawking after 

 prey in the strongest sunshine, or seated quietly blinking on the 

 top of an old blasted tree, apparently undisturbed by the glare of 

 the sun. Its food consists mostly of small birds, field mice, grass- 

 hoppers and other insects. Its nest is usually found in the hollows 

 of trees ; it is also found on the branches, constructed of feathers, 

 grass, and sticks. 



Richardson's Owl ; American Sparrow Owl ; Tengmalm's Owl. 



talc tengmalmi, var. nchardsonii?) 



Fig. 2. 



(Aye- 



This Owl is an inhabitant of the northern parts of North Amer- 

 ica, and in winter it extends its migrations regularly to our frontier 

 regions. According to Coues, " It had been at first considered the 

 same as its European representative, and afterward held to be a 

 distinct species, this interesting Owl has at length settled into its 

 true position as a geographical race of JV. tengmalmi of Europe, 

 as ascertained by Mr. Ridgeway's studies. It differs from its con- 

 gener, just as the American Hawk Owl does, in an excess of 

 darker colors: the legs being ochrey-brown, much variegated with 

 darker, instead of white, with little marking ; and there is more 

 dark color on the crissum. It is, perhaps, the most decidedly 

 boreal of our species of the family ; for although it does not range 

 further north than some, such as the Hawk Owl, the Snowy, and 

 the Great Gray Owl, its southern limit is more restricted. It has 

 never been observed as far south as all of the three just mentioned 

 are known to range in winter." This species is confined to wooded 

 regions, and its food consists of insects, mice, and small birds. 

 The eggs are like those of other Owls. 



American Long-eared Owl. (Otus vulgaris, var. tvilsonianus.) 



Fig. 3- 



This is a common species met with throughout temperate North 

 America. According to Mr. Gentry, it is quite common in 

 Eastern Pennsylvania throughout the year. It is more retir- 

 ing in its nature than Nyctale acadtca, Plate CX, fig. 7, 

 page 166. The latter prefers an orchard, in close proximity 

 to man ; while the former, according to his experience, 

 evinces by its actions a partiality for deep forests of evergreens, 

 where the hum and stir of busy farm -life is nearly unknown. The 

 nests are usually constructed of rude sticks, sometimes of boughs 

 with the leaves adherent thereto, externally, and generally, but 

 not always, lined with the feathers of birds. The same nest is 

 made use of for several successive years. The female begins to 

 lay early in April, and sometimes produces two broods in a season. 

 Tiie eggs are never more than four in number; sometimes as low 

 as two have been observed. It is stated by both Audubon and 

 Wilson, that the nests of other birds, when of sufficient size, are 

 generally used in which to rear its young. Although it has not 

 been his fortune to know of such a case by personal experience, 

 yet he can not doubt the observations of these learned authorities. 

 One of. the best authenticated cases is that related by Wilson, 

 where one of these Owls had taken possession, forcibly, as he is 

 led to infer, of the nest of the Qua-bird (Night Heron), and was 

 actually setting. Within three-quarters of a mile of Chestnut 

 Hill (upper part of Germantown), existed an immense forest of 

 pines, within a comparatively recent period, which was the great 



place of rendezvous of the Long-eared Owl, during the dreary 

 winter months, and where, in springtime, the females deposited 

 their eggs in rude and unsightly nests of their own construction. 

 The number that thronged this thicket of pines was prodigious, 

 so there were very few of the trees, if any, that had not supported 

 one or more nests. The many fragments of the bones of mam- 

 mals and birds, and the other remains of the same that laid in 

 piles upon the ground, bore testimony of the wholesale destruction 

 of life that was carried on. 



Great Gray Owl ; Cinereous Owl. (Symium cinereutn.) 



Fig. 4- 



An Arctic American bird that, in winter, extends its migrations 

 into the northern parts of the United States. It is considered the 

 largest of our Owls. Mr. Richardson met with this Owl in the 

 fur regions, where he noticed that it inhabited all the wooded dis- 

 tricts which lie between Lake Superior and latitude 67 and 68°, 

 and between Hudson's Bay and the Pacific. He observed it to 

 keep constantly within the woods, and not to frequent the bar- 

 ren grounds, in the manner of the Snow Owl, nor was it as often 

 met with in daylight as the Hawk Owl, apparently preferring to 

 hunt when the sun was low, and the recesses of the woods deeply 

 shadowed, when the hares and other smaller quadrupeds, upon 

 which it chiefly feeds, were most abundant. 



Arctic or Western Horned Owl. (Bubo virgim'anus, var. arcticus.') 



Fig. 5- 



A variety generally distributed through the wooded regions from 

 the Arctic districts to the table-lands of Mexico. Its habits are 

 very similar to the typical bird, represented on Plate V, fig. 1, 

 page 5. 



Feilner's Owl; Flammulated Owl. (Scops Jlammcola.) 



Fig. 6. 



This is a small Owl, met with in Mexico and Central America, 

 usually seen among the mountains of Mexico, thence northward to 

 California. A specimen of this bird was obtained by Captain 

 John Feilner, at Fort Crook. Its habits are supposed to be similar 

 to the Mottled Owl, represented on Plate LXXXI, fig. 2, page 

 125. Its form and general appearance are also similar. 



Western Barred Owl ; Spotted Owl. (Symium occidentale?) 



Fig- 7- 



One specimen of this bird was taken at Fort Tejon, California. 

 There is nothing recorded as regards its habits. 



Pacific Horned Owl. (Bubo virginianus, var. pacificus.) 



Fig. 8. 



This bird is a Pacific Coast variety of our common Great Horned 

 Owl, represented on Plate V, fig. 1, page 5. 



PLATE CXIV. 



Black-headed Finch. (Phonipara zona.) 



Fig. 1. 



A single female specimen of this little Finch was obtained in 

 Florida, by Mr. Henshaw, in company with Mr. Maynard. There 



