Part 21

Ear-tufts very short and inconspicuous; bill short, curved, nearly concealed by projecting feathers; wings rather long, second quill longest; tail moderate; tarsi and toes densely feathered. Adult. Entire plumage buff or pale fulvous, every feather with a wide central longitudinal stripe of dark brown; under parts pale buff color, striped longitudinally with brown, more sparingly on the flanks and abdomen; legs and toes buff, usually of a deeper shade than the under parts of the body; wing-coverts and secondary quills brown, with large ovate or circular spots of pale reddish fulvous on their outer-webs; primaries pale reddish fulvous at their bases, brown at their ends, with wide irregular bars, and large spots of reddish fulvous; tail pale fulvous, with about five irregular transverse bands of brown, which color predominates on the two central feathers; outermost feathers palest; under tail-coverts nearly pure white; throat white; eyes surrounded by large black spots; radiating feathers in front of the eyes white, behind the eyes fulvous, with delicate lines of black on the shafts of the feathers; ear-tufts brown, widely edged with pale fulvous; bill and claws dark; irides yellow. Sexes alike.

Dimensions. _Female._—Total length, about 15 inches; wing, 12; tail, 6 inches. _Male._—Smaller.

Hab. The whole of North America and Western South America. Greenland (Prof. Holboll); Canada (Dr. Hall); Washington Territory (Dr. Cooper); California (Dr. Heermann); Chili (Lieut. Gillis); Bermuda (Sir W. Jardine); Cuba (Mr. Lembeye).

Obs. This Owl is of frequent occurrence, especially in the winter season, throughout the Eastern States of the Union, and appears to prefer meadows and marshes along the course of rivers or other streams of water. We have met with it, too, occasionally in straggling bushes in fields remote from such localities.

This bird has been almost universally considered identical with the bird known by the same name, which is found throughout Europe and Asia; but it is nearly or quite as distinct as some other American birds of this family recognised on all hands as separate species. On comparison of series of specimens of the two, it will be found that the American are larger, and for much the greater part darker colored, especially the females. The name _brachyotus_ is, however, applicable to the American species only, having been first applied by Forster to an American specimen in his “Account of the Birds sent from Hudson’s Bay, with observations relative to their Natural History,” in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London, 1772.

We have had no facilities for comparing the stages of plumage of the young of the American and European or Asiatic species, but have no doubt they will be found to present sufficient distinctive characters. We have omitted the many synonymes of the European bird, for reasons above intimated.

_Otus galapagoensis_, Gould, is scarcely to be distinguished from our present bird. Admitting the genus _Brachyotus_, Gould, we think it very probable that the name of the present species ought to stand _Brachyotus galapagoensis_ (Gould).

Very fine specimens of this Owl are contained in the large and highly interesting collection of birds made in Chili, by Lieut. Gilliss, of the United States Navy. It appears to inhabit the plains on the Pacific, and nearly all the specimens are of a deeper shade of fulvous than is usually met with in those of the North, though we have seen specimens of the latter precisely similar to them.

III. SUB-FAMILY SYRNIINÆ. THE GREY OWLS.

Head large, with very small and concealed ear-tufts, or entirely without; facial disc nearly complete; eyes rather small; wings rather short; tarsi and toes generally fully feathered. Size various.

I. GENUS SYRNIUM. Savigny, Nat. Hist. Egypt, I. p. 112. (1809.)

Size usually large; head large, without ear-tufts; facial disc nearly perfect; bill rather strong, wide at base, curved from its base; wings long, somewhat rounded, fourth and fifth quills longest; tail long, wide, rounded; legs moderately long, robust; tarsi and toes densely covered with short feathers; claws long, curved, very sharp. A genus containing fifteen to twenty species of various parts of the world, principally northern.

1. Syrnium cinereum. (Gm.) The Great Gray Owl. The Cinereous Owl. Strix cinerea. Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I. p. 291. (1788.) Strix lapponica. Retzius, Faun. Suec., p. 79. (1800.) Strix fuliginosa. Shaw, Gen. Zool., VII. p. 244. (1809.) Strix barbata. Pallas, Zool. Ross., I. p. 318. (1811.) Strix acclamator. Bartram, Trav., p. 289. (1790.)?

Fauna., Bor. Am. Birds, pl. 31. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 351: Oct. ed., I. pl. 35. Nat. Hist. N. Y. Birds, pl. 13, fig. 29. Pallas, Zool. Ross., Birds, pl. 2. Gould, B. of Europe, I. pl. 42.

Large; head very large; eyes small; tail long. Adult. Entire upper parts smoky-brown, nearly every feather more or less mottled and transversely barred with ashy-white; under parts smoky-brown; feathers on the breast edged with ashy-white, and on the abdomen edged and transversely barred with ashy-white, in some specimens all the feathers are ashy-white, with wide longitudinal stripes of smoky-brown; legs brown, with numerous ashy-white transverse stripes; quills brown, with about five wide irregular transverse bands of ashy-white, in some specimens tinged with reddish-yellow, these bands mottled with brown; tail brown, with about five wide irregular bands of ashy-white, which bands are mottled with brown; throat black; discal feathers on the neck tipped with yellowish-white; eye nearly encircled by a black spot; radiating feathers around the eye with regular transverse narrow bars of dark brown and ashy-white; bill pale yellow; claws pale, dark at their tips. Sexes alike.

Dimensions. _Female?_—Total length, 26 inches; wing, 18; tail, 12 inches.

Hab. Northern North America. Northern Europe and Asia. Breeds in the vicinity of Montreal, Canada (Dr. Hall); Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy); Oregon (Dr. Townsend); Vermont (Mr. Thompson). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.

Obs. This is the largest known species of the Owls which inhabit North America, and is restricted on the Atlantic to the Northern States. In Western America its range is not known, but it was brought from Oregon by Dr. Townsend. In the valuable “Sketch of the Zoology of the vicinity of Montreal, Canada,” by Archibald Hall, M. D., the manuscript of which has been kindly and most opportunely placed in our hands by that gentleman, it is stated that this fine bird is a resident species in that district.

2. Syrnium nebulosum. (Forster.) The barred Owl. Strix nebulosa. Forster. Trans. Philos. Soc., London, LXII. p. 386, 424. (1772.) “Strix varius. Bartram, MSS.” Barton, Frag. Nat. Hist. Penna, p. 11. (1799.) Strix chichictli. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 296. (1788.)? Strix fernandica. Shaw, Gen. Zool., VII. p. 263. (1809.)?

Vieill., Ois. d’Am., Sept., pl. 17. Wilson, Am. Orn., IV. pl. 33, fig. 2. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 46; Oct. ed., I. pl. 36. Nat. Hist. N. Y. Birds, pl. 10, fig. 21. Gould. B. of Europe, I. pl. 46.

Smaller than the preceding; head large; tail moderate or rather long. Adult. Entire plumage above light ashy-brown, in some specimens with a tinge of fulvous, every feather with transverse narrow bands of white, wider on the back and most numerous on the head and hind part of the neck; plumage of the breast with transverse bands of brown and of white; flanks and abdomen ashy-white, every feather with a longitudinal central stripe of brown; tarsi and toes ashy-white, tinged with fulvous, frequently unspotted, but in some specimens mottled and transversely striped with dark brown; quills brown, with about six or seven transverse bars nearly pure white on the outer webs, and on the inner ashy fulvous; tail light brown, with about five transverse bars of white, generally tinged with reddish-yellow; a black spot in front of the eye; discal feathers tipped with white, and finely barred with black, radiating feathers around the eye ashy-white, with stripes of brown behind the eye; throat dark brown; bill pale yellow; claws horn-color; irides bluish-black. Sexes alike.

Dimensions. _Female._—About 20 inches; wing, 13½; tail, 9 inches. _Male._—Smaller.

Hab. The whole of North America. Accidental in Northern Europe. Canada (Dr. Hall); Minnesota (Mr. Pratten); Texas, New Mexico (Dr. Woodhouse); South Carolina (Prof. Gibbes); Florida (Mr. Audubon). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.

Obs. A species frequently met with in nearly all parts of the United States, especially in the winter. Occasionally we have seen specimens in the woods, that showed no signs of alarm whatever on being approached, and apparently not at all familiar with man nor with the sound of the gun. During some winters it is abundant in Pennsylvania, probably having migrated from farther north. When wounded, this species seeks safety by hopping away quite awkwardly, showing nothing of the courage of the Great Horned Owl, or even of the comparatively small long-cared species (_Otus Wilsonianus_), both of which will stand up manfully and defend themselves to the best of their ability, while life lasts.

II. GENUS NYCTALE. Brehm, Isis, 1828, p. 1271.

SCOTOPHILUS. Swains. Lardner’s Cab. Cy. Birds, II. p. 217. (1837.)

Size small; head large, with no visible ear-tufts; bill moderate, nearly concealed by projecting plumes; facial disc nearly perfect; wings moderate or rather long; tail short; tarsi and toes short and fully feathered. A group containing not more than five species of small Owls, four of which are American, and the other European.

1. Nyctale Richardsoni. Bonap. Comp. List., p. 7. (1838.) Richardson’s Owl. “Strix Tengmalmi. Gm.” Aud., Orn. Biog., IV., p. 559, and other American authors.

Fauna, Bor. Am. Birds, pl. 32. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 380, figs. 1, 2; Oct. ed., I. pl. 32.

The largest of this genus; wings rather long, third quill longest; tail rather long. Adult. Entire upper parts pale reddish-brown, tinged with olive, nearly all the feathers having large partially concealed spots of white, especially on the back part of the head, neck behind, scapulars, and rump; head in front with numerous spots of white; face white, a black spot in front of the eye; throat with brown stripes; under parts ashy-white, every feather with a longitudinal stripe of pale reddish-brown, on the breast some irregular transverse stripes of brown, and in some specimens the white on the sides and flanks assuming the form of large circular spots; legs and toes pale yellowish, nearly white, sometimes irregularly barred and spotted with brown; quills brown, with small spots of white on their outer edges, and large spots of the same on their inner-webs, somewhat disposed to form transverse stripes, very obvious when seen from below; tail brown, every feather with about ten pairs of white spots; bill light yellowish horn-color; claws dark; iris yellow.

Dimensions. _Male._—Total length, 10½ inches; wing, 7½; tail, 4½ inches. _Female._—Larger.

Hab. Northern North America. Maine (Mr. Audubon); Canada (Dr. Hall); Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy); Oregon (Dr. Townsend). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada., and Nat. Mus., Washington city.

Obs. Entirely a northern species, which, though common in the vicinity of Hudson’s Bay, and on the Saskatchewan, may be regarded as of rare occurrence within the limits of the eastern United States. It is, however, found more frequently on the Pacific. We have never known an instance of this bird having been captured in Pennsylvania. It much resembles the European _Nyctale funerea_ (which has also been extensively called _Strix Tengmalmi_), but is larger and different in other respects.

2. Nyctale acadica. (Gmelin.) The Acadian Owl. The Saw-Whet. Strix acadica. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 296. (1788.) Strix acadiensis. Lath., Ind. Orn., I. p. 65. (1790.) “Strix passerina. Linn.” Wilson, Am. Orn., IV. p. 66. Strix Dalhousiei. Hall MSS. Macgillivray ed. of Cuv. Reg. An. Birds, pl. 8, fig. 3, name on plate (Edinburg, 1839).

Lath., Gen. Syn., I. pl. 5, fig. 2. Wilson, Am. Orn., IV., pl. 34, fig. 1. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 199; Oct. ed., I pl. 33. Nat. Hist. N. Y. Birds, pl. 11, fig. 23.

Small; wings long; tail short; claws slender. Resembles the preceding, but is much smaller. Entire upper parts reddish-brown, tinged with olive, on the head in front with fine central longitudinal lines of white, and on the neck behind, scapulars and rump with large concealed spots of white: face ashy-white; throat white; under parts white, nearly every feather having a wide longitudinal stripe of pale reddish-brown; under coverts of the wings and tail white; quills brown, with small spots of white on their outer edges, and large spots of the same on their inner-webs, very conspicuous when viewed from below; tail brown, with about three pairs of white spots; bill and claws dark; iris yellow.

Dimensions. Total length, 7½ to 8 inches; wing, 5½; tail, 2¾ to 3 inches.

Hab. The whole of North America. Canada (Dr. Hall); Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy); Northern Ohio (Prof. Kirtland); Oregon (Dr. Townsend); California (Dr. Gambel); Kentucky, Louisiana (Mr. Audubon). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.

Obs. This is the smallest Owl that inhabits the eastern and middle States of North America, and is of rather frequent occurrence as far south as Pennsylvania. Repeated instances of this little bird having been captured alive in the city of Philadelphia, have come to our knowledge. It appears to be strictly nocturnal, and when discovered in the daytime, is generally quite bewildered, if disturbed, and apparently nearly incapable of seeking safety by flight. The first specimen that ever we met with, we killed with our gun ramrod. That was long ago, in the bright days when natural history was the dream of our youth.

3. Nyctale albifrons. (Shaw.) The White-fronted Owl. Kirtland’s Owl. Strix albifrons. Shaw, Nat. Misc., V. p. (not paged.) (1794.) Strix frontalis. Lichtenstein, Trans. Berlin Acad., 1838, p. 430. Nyctale Kirtlandii. Hoy, Proc. Acad., Philada., VI. p. 210. (1852.)

Cassin, B. of Texas and Cal., I. pl. 11. Shaw, Nat. Misc., V. pl. 171.

Small; wing rather long, fourth quill longest; tail short. Adult. Head and upper portion of breast and entire superior parts dark chocolate brown; front and eyebrows white; throat, and a line on each side running downwards from the base of the under mandible, white; radiating feathers behind the eye dark brown; primaries dark brown, with small spots of white on their outer edges, and large spots of the same on their inner webs; tail dark brown, narrowly tipped with white, and with two bands of the same; entire under parts of the body, legs and toes reddish ochre-yellow; bill and claws dark; iris yellow.

Dimensions. Total length, about 8 inches; wing, 5¼; tail, 3 inches. _Female._—Larger.

Hab. Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy); Canada, near Montreal (Dr. Hall); Western?

Obs. Within the limits of the United States, this handsome little Owl has, as yet, only been observed by Dr. Hoy, whose specimens were obtained at Racine, Wisconsin. It is alluded to as _Strix acadica_, and accurately described by Dr. Hall in his MSS. “Sketch of the Zoology of the district of Montreal,” though represented as of rare occurrence. It is probably a northern and northwestern species.

In the paper cited above, Prof. Lichtenstein regards this bird as the adult _Nyctale acadica_, and this appears to be the opinion also of the Prince of Canino (Cons. Av., p. 54). It is about the size of _N. acadica_, but of the numerous specimens of that species which have come under our notice, not one has presented intermediate characters, or has otherwise excited a suspicion that the two species were identical. We at present consider them as distinct species.

We have no doubt that this bird is the _Strix albifrons_, Shaw, a species which has been lost sight of for upwards of fifty years; but for the gratification of students who may not have access to the necessary books, we append the original descriptions:—

“Ferruginous brown Owl, paler beneath, with the forehead white, and the remiges barred with black and white.

“The very curious and diminutive species of Owl here represented in its natural size, has perhaps never been either figured or described. It is a native of North America, and particularly of Canada. The supposed female is destitute of the white forehead, which forms so conspicuous a character in the male. It belongs to the division of smooth or hornless Owls.”—Shaw’s Naturalist’s Miscellany, V. text, not paged, accompanying pl. 171. (1794.)

The same species, and probably the same specimen, is described by Latham, in General Synopsis of Birds, Supplement II. p. 58 (1801).

“White-fronted Owl, _Nat. Mis._, pl. 171. Size of the _Little Owl_. Length eight inches; general color of the plumage on the upper parts brown; the circle of the feathers round the eyes dark, fringed at the back part with white; between the eyes and over the bill and the chin white; the under parts from thence yellow buff; across the breast a pale brown band; on the wing-coverts a spot or two of white; the first five quills marked with a white spot on the outer, and the second quills with the same on the inner margins; the first quills serrated on the outer edge the whole length; the second quill the same, half-way from the tip; tail marked as the quills; legs feathered; bill black; toes dusky.

“This was brought from Quebec, by General Davies, in 1790, and with it another much smaller, which he had in his possession alive; it differed in being more dusky, and the circles of the face not fringed on the back part; otherwise so like, as to be supposed merely differing in age or sex. The General observed to me that this bird frequently erected two feathers over the eye; but although I inspected the specimens very narrowly, I could not observe any feathers longer than the rest; which circumstance is also noticed in respect to the _Short-eared Owl_.” (Latham, as above.)

IV. SUB-FAMILY ATHENINÆ. THE BIRD OWLS.

Size small; facial disc nearly or quite obsolete; tarsi generally partially or but thinly clothed with feathers; head without ear-tufts. A numerous group of species, which are generally small and not so nocturnal as those of the preceding sub-families.

I. GENUS ATHENE. Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 549.

Size small; head moderate, without ear-tufts; wings long, with the third and fourth quills usually longest; tail moderate; facial disc, nearly obsolete; bill short; upper mandible curved from the base, nearly concealed by projecting feathers; tarsi long, thinly covered with feathers; toes naked or with a few hair-like feathers. A genus containing about forty species of small Owls of all quarters of the globe.

1. Athene hypugœa. (Bonap.) The Burrowing Owl. Strix hypugœa. Bonap., Am. Orn., I. p. 72. (1825.) Athene socialis. Gambel, Proc. Acad., Philada., III. p. 47. (1846.)

Bonap., Am. Orn., I, pl. 7, fig. 2. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 432, fig. 1. Oct. ed., pl. 31?

Small; head moderate; tarsi long; slender, thinly covered in front only with hair-like feathers; naked and scaled laterally and behind; toes with a few scattered hairs; claws curved, rather slender. Adult. Entire upper parts light yellowish-brown, every feather more or less spotted with white, and on the neck behind, and back, with large partially concealed spots of white; throat white, a narrow band of mottled brown and white on the neck before, succeeded by a large patch of white; other under parts white, with wide transverse bands of reddish-brown, varying in shade in different specimens; legs and under tail-coverts white; quills light brown, with yellowish-white spots on their outer edges, and reddish-white bands on their inner webs; tail pale brown, with about six irregular bands of yellowish-white; face yellowish-white; bill light yellow and horn-color; irides yellow. Young. Entire plumage much darker than the adult, and with transverse narrow bands and lines of dark brown.

Dimensions. _Male._—Total length, 9 to 10 inches; wing, 7; tail, 4 inches. _Female._—Larger.

Hab. Western North America. Oregon (Dr. Townsend); Nebraska (Dr. Suckley); Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico (Col. McCall); Great Salt Lake (Capt. Stansbury); California (Dr. Heermann); Mexico (Lieut. Couch). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada., and Nat. Mus., Washington city.

Obs. This curious Owl is very abundant in some localities in Western America, where it lives in communities in burrows in the ground. It is nearly related to several South American species, especially to _Athene cunicularia_, which is a native of the western countries of that portion of this continent.

We have doubts that fig. 1 of Mr. Audubon’s plate 432 represents this bird, but think it probable that it represents one of the South American species, which fig. 2 of the same plate clearly does. Dr. Townsend’s collection, specimens from which were figured by Mr. Audubon, contained birds of Chili and Peru, as well as of North America, from which circumstance the error may have occurred.

II. GENUS GLAUCIDIUM. Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 970.

Size small; head moderate, without ear-tufts; wings moderate, fourth quill usually longest; tail rather long; tarsi fully feathered; facial disc obsolete; bill short, strong, rather wide at base; claws long, curved, very sharp. This genus contains a few species, amongst which are the smallest birds of this family.

1. Glaucidium infuscatum. (Temm.) The pigmy Owl. Strix infuscata. Temm., Man. d’Orn., I. p. 97. (1820.) Glaucidium gnoma. Wagler, Isis, XXV. p. 275. (1832.) “Strix passerinoides. Temm.” Aud., Orn. Biog., V. p. 271; Oct. ed., I. p. 117.

Aud., B. of Am., pl. 432, fig. 4, 5; Oct. ed., I. pl. 30.

Very small, the smallest Owl yet discovered in North America; head moderate; outer three quills sinuated on their inner edges, fourth quill longest; tail rather long; tarsi densely feathered; toes partially covered with long hairs. Adult. Entire upper parts brownish-olive, on the head with numerous circular spots of dull white; a partially concealed white band around the neck behind, succeeded by another of black; scapulars and superior coverts of the wings with white spots; throat white; a narrow band of mottled brownish-olive across the neck before; other under parts white, with longitudinal stripes of dark olive-brown on the flanks and abdomen; quills dark brown, with small spots of white on their outer edges, and large circular spots of the same on their inner webs; tail dark brown, with five or six pairs of circular or oval spots of white on every feather, larger on the inner webs; bill light yellowish; irides yellow.

Dimensions. Total length, 6½ to 7 inches; wing, 3¾; tail, 3 inches.

Hab. Oregon (Dr. Townsend); California (Mr. Bell, Dr. Heermann.)

Obs. This minute species of Owl is exclusively Western, having as yet only been noticed in California. It much resembles the European _Glaucidium passerinum_, and is about the same size. The most readily detected differences are the nearly naked toes of the present bird, and the absence of the decided reddish tinge which prevails in the color of the European species. It also resembles _G. passerinoides_ of South America, but differs also from that species in color and other particulars.