410 BIRDS—STRIGIDA. 
Resident. Common in winter, rare in summer. Probably breeds. 
The Long-eared Owl, which Audubon found “not rare in Ohio,’ is, 
curiously enough, not named in the catalogues of Dr. Kirtland and Mr. 
Read. It is, perhaps, a somewhat irregular, but at times abundant win- 
ter visitor. So far as my observations extend it appears to be most com- 
mon in winters when the next species is least numerous. Mr. Kirk- 
patrick, the first local writer who mentions it, says ‘it is an inhabitant 
of the woods from which it seldom ventures far. It is extremely abund- 
ant in the eastern States, on the seaboard, but is much scarcer west of the 
Alleghenies. In Ohio it occasionally occurs, and is in all likelyhood a— 
constant resident with us, and specimens are sometimes obtained, and it 
is, however, rather more plentiful than formerly.” Mr. Langdon reports, 
“full fledged young of the year taken by Mr. Dury, at Avondale, in July, 
1878—this first evidence of the breeding of this species in this vicinity.” 
Forests of evergreens are said to be the favorite resorts of this species 
for breeding purposes. The nest is composed of sticks with a more or 
less complete lining of feathers. The same nest is occupied for several 
years. Sometimes an old Hawk’s or Crow’s nest is occupied. In some 
localities they are said to nest on the ground or on low bushes. The 
eggs are generally two, sometimes four, white, and measure from 1.65 to 
1.50 in length and from 1.35 to 1.80 in breadth. 
Genus BRACHYOTUS. Gould. 
Ear tufts small and inconspicuous; otherwise like Otus. 
BRACHYOTUS PALUSTRIS (Bechst.) Bp. 
Short-eared Owl. 
Strix brachyotus, KIRTLAND, Ohio Geolog. Surv., 1838, 161, 1799.—Rab, Fam. Visitor, iii, 
303 ; .Proc. Phila. Acad. Nat. Sci., vi, 1853, 395. 
Brachyotus cassintt, WHEATON, Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1860, 361; Reprint, 1861, 3. 
Brachyotus palustris, WHEATON, Food of Birds, ete., Ohio Agris. Rep. fer 1874, 570; Re- 
print, 1575, 10.— LANGDON, Cat. Birds sf Cia. 1877, 12. 
Otus brachyotus, KIRKPATRICK, Ohio Farmer, viii, 1859, 1; Ohio Agric. Rep. for 1858, 1852, 
376.—LANGDON, Revised List, Journ. Cin. Scc. Nat. Hist., i, 1879, 179; Reprint, 13, 
Strix brachyotus, GMELIN, Syst. Nat., i, 1788, 283. 
Otus brachyotus, AUDUBON, Syn., 1839, 28. 
a «c-.nit, BREWER, Proc. Bost. Soc., 1856. 
ustris, BECHSTEIN, V. D., iii, 344. 
Brachyotus palustris, BONAPARTE, List, 1838. 
Fulvous or buffy-brown, paler or whitey-brown below; breast and upper parts 
roadly and thickly streaked with dark brown; belly usually sparsely streaked with the 
same, but not barred crosswise; quills and tail buff, with few dark bands and mottling 5 
