THE BIRDS OF WISCONSIN. 
71 
winter of 1889-90 two specimens remained about the barns on 
the Kumlien homestead at Milton all winter. The larger of 
these, presumably the female, hunted a great deal during the 
day time, and became an expert sparrow catcher. Its mate 
did not seem nearly so expert, yet he did not go hungry as 
it was a common sight to see both owls feeding from the same 
sparrow. These birds became very tame, so that one could 
almost put his hands upon them. 
Megaseoas asio (Linn.). SCREECH OWL,. 
Common resident, more so apparently in settled portions of 
the state than away from civilization. Nests even in villages 
and towns of some size, wherever it finds hollows that will serve 
as nesting sites. Though naturally subsisting largely on mice 
it becomes a great sparrow catcher when living about towns 
and farm houses. One of our most beneficial birds, but, 
unfortunately, its usefulness is not universally recognized. 
Bubo virgiaiaaus (Gmcl.J. GREAT HORNED OWL. 
Resident. With the disappearance of the heavy timber this 
owl has gradually become less and less common in the south 
and central parts of the state. In well wooded regions it is 
still locally common, and clings to such patches of timber as 
have escaped the general destruction. Usually more plenty 
in the hardwood timber of bottom lands along streams, or 
banks of lakes. Supposedly resident wherever found, but there 
appears to be some southward migration late in fall and during 
severe winters. Breeds as early as the middle of February. 
Wisconsin specimens are exceedingly variable in color, ranging 
from very dark birds to specimens so light as to almost pass 
for pallescens. 
Bubo virgiaiaaas aveticus (Sivains.). ARCTIC HORNED OWL. 
A rare winter visitant, at least in southern Wisconsin. 
Taken by Hoy at Racine and by Kumlien at Lake Kosh- 
konong, both at an early day. A fine specimen, preserved in 
the Milwaukee Public Museum, was procured at Ashland, 
January, 1886. Mr. Witmer Stone has examined the type of 
Hoy's subarctwus from Racine and states that it is a typical 
arcticus. The subarcticus of most authors (but not of Hoy) is 
renamed by him pallescens. This form has been credited to 
Wisconsin, probably through error in mistaking Hoy's 
subarcticus as the same bird as the subarcticus of later authors. 
