118 NORTH AMERICAN BIRD& 
Crow or other bird made use of ; sometimes in cleft of rocks. 
Hab. North Ameria. ( Long-Eared Owl.) . . var. wilsonianus. 
B. Brachyotus, Could. Similar to Otus , but ear-tufts rudimentary, and the 
second quill as well as the first with the inner web emarginated. 
Colors ochraceous, or white, and clear dark brown, without shadings dr 
middle tints. Beneath with narrow longitudinal dark stripes upon the 
whitish or ocliraceous ground-color ; crown and neck longitudinally striped 
with dark brown and ochraceous. 
O. brachyotus. Wings and tail nearly equally spotted and banded 
with ochraceous and dark brown. Tail with about six bands, the 
ochraceous terminal. Face dingy ochraceous, blackish around the eyes. 
Wing, about 11.00-13.00; tail, 5.75-6.10; culmen, .60 -.65; tarsus, 
1.75-1.80; middle toe, 1.20. Nest always on the ground. Hab. 
Whole world (except Australia ?). ( Short-Eared Owl; Marsh Owl.) 
Genus SYRNIUM, Savigny. (Page 116.) 
Scotiaptex. Six outer quills with their inner webs emarginated. Toes 
completely concealed by dense long hair-like feathers. Iris yellow. (Type, S. 
cinereum.) 
Syrnium, Swainson. Five outer quills with their inner webs emarginated. 
Toes not completely concealed. by feathers; sometimes nearly naked; terminal 
scutellae always (?) exposed. Iris blackish. (Type, S. aluco.) 
a. Scotiaptex , Swains. 
1. S. cinereum. Iris yellow ; bill yellow. Dusky grayish-brown and gray- 
ish-white, the former prevailing above, the latter predominating beneath. 
The upper surface with mottlings of a transverse tendency ; the lower sur- 
face with the markings in the form of ragged longitudinal stripes, which 
are transformed into transverse bars on the flanks, etc. Face grayish-white, 
with concentric rings of dusky. Wing, 16.00 - 18.00 ; tail, 11.00 - 12.50. 
Light markings predominating. Hab. Northern portions of the 
Palsearctic Realm ........ var. lapponicum. 
Dark markings predominating. Nest always in top of trees. Hab. 
Northern portions of the Nearctic Realm. ( Great Gray Owl; 
Cinereous Owl.) var. cinereum. 
b. Syrnium , Sav. 
Common Characters. Liver-brown or umber, variously spotted and barred 
with whitish or ochraceous. Bill yellow ; iris brownish-black. 
2. S. nebulosum. Lower parts striped longitudinally. Head and neck 
with transverse bars. 
Colors reddish-umber and ochraceous- white. Face with obscure con- 
centric rings of darker. Wing, 13.00 - 14.00 ; tail, 9.00 - 10.00. Nest 
usually external, and built in trees ; said to be sometimes placed in 
hollow limbs. Hab. Eastern region of United States. {Barred Owl.) 
var. nebulo sum. 
Colors blackish-sepia and clear white. Face without any darker 
concentric rings. Wing, 14.80 ; tail, 9.00. Hab. Eastern Mexico 
(Mirador) var. sartorii. 
Colors tawny-brown and bright fulvous. Face without darker con- 
WW*? centric rings (?). Wing, 12.50, 12.75; tail, 7.30, 8.50. Hab. Gua- 
temala var. fulvescens. 
