164 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE NATURAL HISTORY OF ALASKA. 



transverse, narrow bars of brownish-slate, these dark markings becoming more numerous on the 

 forehead. The ear-coverts of slaty-brown, forming a conspicuous, perpendicular, bar which is 

 produced over the disk of each eye. A postcervical band of light brownish-gray is scarcely 

 interrupted in its conjunction with the perpendicular bar behind the ear-coverts. Sides of wing- 

 coverts nearly pure white, with few markings of the same color as the middle back. 



Facial disks grayish-white; the bristles on the sides of the base of beak blackish. 



Lower surface grayish-white with numerous narrow bars of grayish, brown; the latter bars 

 occupy about one-half the width of the grayish space on the breast and sides, and become about 

 one-fourth as wide on the abdomen and with a corresponding increase in the width of the grayish; 

 or, in other words, the grayish is about four times as wide as the brownish. Inferior surface of the 

 tail rather lighter than the superior and have the grayish bars less apparent, owing to the two 

 colors blending together. The superior surface of the tail is marked with eight, narrow, transverse 

 bars of grayish, the latter terminal, while counted from below there are nine bars. A broad, 

 pectoral band of grayish extends from the carpal joint, of the closed wing, to the opposite side, and 

 is nearly an inch in width, devoid of other than few, subquadrate markings of light brownish-gray. 

 Above this band there is a blackish spot, of irregular outline, formed on the upper sides of the 

 breast. The under surface of the wing is not different from the superior surface, excepting that 

 the spotting is nearly pure white and of larger size than that which shows on the outer webs of 

 the superior surface of the wing-quills. 



In life the bill is ivory-white; iris yellow; claws dusky. 



This bird measures slightly larger than the American Hawk Owl. The wing, 9.75 inches ; 

 tail, 7.10 inches ; culmen, .85 inch ; tarsus, .86 inch ; middle toe, .82. 



The European Hawk Owl is but rarely seen in the vicinity of Saint Michael's. 



The first bird of the kind that I saw was brought to me by a native, who obtained it in the 

 bushes near the southeast base of Shaman Mountain, near the Redoubt. An Eskimo dog stole the 

 bird and destroyed it before I could get it away. The second specimen was procured by me. I 

 was ascending a gravelly point of land on the northeast end of the island, when a native who was 

 with me called my attention to the bird, sitting in a clump of rank grass. I had no gun with me; 

 the native assured me that the bird was not vicious. I seized the bird with my hands; and, while 

 examining it, the soil and grass beneath me gave way, and while attempting to prevent myself from 

 sliding down hill the bird got away from me and flew off. The third example was brought to me 

 by a native. The skin was preserved, but has been lost in some unaccountable manner. 



The two species are distinguishable at a glance, by the dark markings, prevailing as spots, on 

 the American bird, and the light markings predominating on the European bird. 



The natives assert that it is a resident and breeds in the vicinity of Saint Michael's; also that 

 it is a coast bird, i. e., not going far into the interior ; and that it can live a long time in winter 

 without food, as it remains for days in the protection of the holes about the tangled roots of the 

 willow and alder patches. The native (Eskimo) name of this species is I ung nuk, and signifies 

 pallid. 



377a. Suknia ulula CAPAROCH (Mull.). American Eawlc Owl. 

 Description. — Above dark vandyke-brown, darker anteriorly, less intense, and more grayish, on 

 the tail ; a narrow streak of brownish-black originates over the eye, and extends backward above 

 the upper edge of the ear-coverts, where it forms an elbow, passing downward, in a broad stripe, 

 over the ends of the ear-coverts. Confluent with this, at about the middle of the vertical stripe, 

 is another of similar tint, which passes more broadly down the side of the nape. Between the last 

 stripes (those of opposite sides) is another, or medial one, of less pure black, extending from the oc- 

 ciput down the nape ; every feather of the crown, forehead, and occiput with a central, ovate dot 

 of white — those anterior more circular, those on the occipit less numerous and more linear. Be- 

 tween the lateral and posterior nuchal stripes the white prevails, the brown forming irregular, ter- 

 minal and transverse or medial spots. These become more lineal toward the back. Interscapu- 

 lars plain; posterior scapulars variegated, with partially concealed, large, transverse, spots of white ; 

 the lower feathers with nearly the whole, outer webs white, their confluence causing a conspicuous 

 patch above the wing, Rump with sparse, irregular, but generally transverse spots of white - f up? 



