OWLS 
315 
Range. — Gulf and S. Atlantic States from se. Tex. to S. C., chiefly near 
the coast. 
Nesting date , Archer, Fla., Mch. 31. 
375. Bubo virginianus virginianus ( Gmel .). Great Horned Owl. 
Ads. — Size large; ear-tufts conspicuous, nearly two inches in length; upper- 
parts mottled with varying shades of ochraceous-buff and black; facial 
disk ochraceous-buff; ear-tufts black and ochraceous-buff; a white patch 
on the throat, rest of the underparts ochraceous-buff, barred with black; 
legs and feet feathered; eyes yellow, c? L., 22*00; W., 15*00; T., 8*50; B., 1*60. 
Range. — E. N. Am. from Ont., Que., N. B., and N. F. s. to the Gulf 
coast and Fla.; w. to Wise., e. Minn., Iowa, and e. Tex. 
Washington, rare P. It. Ossining, tolerably common P. R. Cambridge, 
uncommon, autumn or winter. N. Ohio, rare P. R. SE. Minn., common P. R. 
Nest, generally in an old Crow’s, Hawk’s or squirrel’s nest. Eggs, white, 
2-3, 2*20 x 1*80. Date, Merritt’s Is., Fla., Dec. 17; Chester Co., Pa., Feb. 
15; Cambridge, Feb. 22; Black Hawk Co., Iowa, Feb. 14; se. Minn., Feb. 21. 
This “tiger among birds” is an inhabitant of heavily forested regions, 
and is common therefore only in the wilder, less settled portions of 
our country. It is the only one of our resident Owls which destroys 
poultry and birds in any numbers, but, in spite of its frequent visits 
to the farmyard, Dr. Fisher considers that in many localities it is a 
“beneficial species” because of its great fondness for rabbits. 
Its usual call is a loud, deep-toned whoo, hoo-hoo-hoo, whodo, whooo . 
The syllables are all on the same note, and bear some resemblance to 
a bass-voiced dog barking in the distance. 
A much rarer call is a loud, piercing screani, one of the most blood- 
curdling sounds I have ever heard in the woods. 
“Of 127 stomachs examined, 31 contained poultry or game birds; 
8, other birds; 13, mice; 65, other mammals; 1, a scorpion; 1, fish; 
10, insects, and 17 were empty” (Fisher). 
375b. B. v. subarctieus {Hoy). Arctic Horned Owl. Similar 
to the preceding, but much lighter in color, the ochraceous-buff markings 
largely replaced by gray or white. 
Range. — Breeds from nw. Mackenzie and cen. Keewatin to valley of 
the Sask., and probably in the glacier region of Mt. St. Elias and Mt. Fair- 
weather; s. in winter to n. U. S. from Idaho to Wise. 
Cambridge, one record. SE. Minn., uncommon W. V. 
375f. B. v. heterocnemis {Ober.). Labrador Horned Owl. Similar 
to B. v. virginianus, but much darker, the prevailing color fuscous or dusky. 
Range. — Northern Ungava and Labrador. 
376. Nyetea nyctea {Linn.). Snowy Owl. Ad. <?. — Size large; 
no ear-tufts; white, more or less barred with dark grayish brown or fuscous; 
legs and feet heavily feathered; eyes yellow. Ad. $. — Similar, but more 
heavily barred. L., 25*00; W., 17*00; T., 9*50; B., 1*50. 
Range. — N. parts of N. Hemisphere. In N. A. breeds from Arctic 
regions s. to cen. Mackenzie, cen. Keewatin, and n. Ungava; winters from 
the Arctic coast s. to the s. Canadian ‘Provinces and Mont., and irregularly 
to the Middle States and Ohio Valley, straggling to Calif., Tex., La., N. C., 
and Bermuda. 
Washington, casual W. V. Ossining, A. V. Cambridge, rare and irregu- 
lar W. V. N. Ohio, rare W. V. Glen Ellyn, very rare W. V. SE. Minn., 
common W. V., Oct.-Apl. 
