Part 47

Dimensions. Total length, 9½; to 10 inches; wing, 7; tail, 3½ inches. Male but slightly smaller.

Hab. The whole of North America; Greenland (Fabricius); Canada (Dr. Hall); Minnesota (Mr. Pratten); Ohio (Prof. Kirtland); Oregon (Dr. Townsend); California (Dr. Heermann); Long Island (Mr. Giraud); South Carolina (Prof. Gibbes); Indian Territory (Dr. Woodhouse). Breeds in Pennsylvania. Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.

Obs. This is one of the most abundant of the Owls inhabiting the States on the Atlantic seaboard. It presents two constant varieties of plumage, which have been regarded as distinct species; the mottled or gray described above as the adult, and the red described as younger. These two varieties appear to be very similar to those of the European Syrnium aluco, and to some other species.

The Rev. Dr. Bachman, of Charleston, S. C., has fully established the identity of the two, and we have fully confirmed the accuracy of his observations (in Aud. Orn. Biog., V. p. 392). The young birds, as stated by him, are red when fully feathered, or nearly so; but we have observed that previously they are transversely striped with brown and white, with but little tinge of red, and presenting a general appearance somewhat like the adult mottled bird. They pair and breed in the red plumage, and it is not unusual to find a mottled male and red female associated, or the reverse. According to Dr. Bachman, the perfect plumage is assumed at the age of two years. Intermediate specimens, impossible to be referred absolutely to either of the plumages, are not uncommon.

This bird holds its place throughout the country in spite of the constant destruction of the woodlands; and though universally known and scarcely regarded favorably by our people, is seldom molested. Its food is principally insects.

2. Scops McCallii. Cassin. New species. (July, 1854.) The Western Mottled Owl.

In form and general appearance like the preceding (S. asio), but much smaller; short and robust; wing with the fourth quill longest; tail short, slightly curved inwards; tarsi rather long, fully covered; toes partially covered with long hair-like feathers. Adult. Male.—Much resembling in color the adult of the species immediately preceding, but darker; entire plumage above, ashy-brown, nearly every feather with a longitudinal stripe of brownish-black, and with numerous irregular transverse lines and points of the same; under parts, ashy-white, every feather with a longitudinal stripe of brownish-black, and with well-defined but irregular transverse lines of the same; flanks and sides tinged with pale fulvous; quills brown, with several transverse bands of pale reddish-white, assuming the form of quadrangular spots on the outer webs, and pale reddish ashy on the inner webs; tail, ashy-brown, with about ten narrow transverse bands on all except the two central feathers, well defined on the inner webs; scapular feathers and some of the greater coverts of the wings, edged with white; bill greenish horn-color, light yellowish at the tip; irides, yellow.

Dimensions. Total length, 7½ to 8 inches; wing, 6; tail, 3 inches. Male.

Hab. Texas (Mr. Schott); Northern Mexico (Lieut. Couch). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada., and Nat. Mus., Washington city.

Obs. This species very considerably resembles the adult or grey plumage of the Scops asio, but is uniformly much smaller and darker in color. The transverse lines on the under surface of the body are better defined and more numerous. It also somewhat resembles Scops choliba of South America, under which name we suppose the female of the present bird to be alluded to by Mr. Lawrence, in Annals N. Y. Lyceum, VI. p. 4.

This interesting species we have taken the liberty of dedicating to our esteemed friend, Col. McCall, as a slight memento of long-continued and unbroken friendship, and in testimony of our high appreciation of him as a naturalist, who has contributed much of interest and importance, especially to the ornithology of Western America.

III. GENUS OTUS. Cuvier, Regne Animal, I. p. 327. (1817.)

Head moderate, furnished with erectile ear-tufts, varying in size in different species; bill rather short, nearly concealed by projecting bristle-like feathers, curved from the base; facial disc more perfect than in the two preceding genera; wings rather long, with the second and third quills longest; tail moderate; legs long; tarsi and toes densely covered with feathers; claws long, curved, very acute; eyes rather small, and surrounded by radiating feathers; facial disc nearly perfect. Contains about ten species of various parts of the world.

1. Otus Wilsonianus. Lesson, Traité d’Orn., I. p. 110. (1831.) The long-eared Owl. Otus americanus. Bonap., Comp. List., p. 7. (1838.) Strix americana. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 288. (1788)? Bonap., Cons. Av., p. 50. Strix peregrinator. Bartram, Trav., p. 289. (1790)?

Wilson, Am. Orn., VI. pl. 51, fig. 1. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 383, octavo ed., I. pl. 37. Nat. Hist. N. Y., pl. 11, fig. 24.

Ear-tufts long and conspicuous; wings long; tarsi and toes densely feathered. Adult. Entire plumage above mottled with very dark brown (nearly black), ashy-white and fulvous, the former color, brown, predominating; breast pale fulvous, every feather with a wide longitudinal stripe of brownish-black; abdomen white, every feather with a wide longitudinal stripe, and with transverse stripes of brownish-black; legs and toes pale fulvous, usually unspotted, but in some specimens with irregular transverse narrow stripes of dark brown; eye nearly encircled with black, radiating feathers of the face in front of the eye ashy-white, with minute black lines, behind the eye deep fulvous, and narrowly tipped with black; throat white; feathers of the disc tipped with black; ear-tufts brownish-black, edged with ashy-white and fulvous; quills pale fulvous at their bases, with irregular transverse bands of brown, terminating portions brown, with yellowish, ashy, irregular bands, which are mottled with brown; inferior coverts of the wings pale fulvous, in some specimens nearly white, the larger inferior coverts widely tipped with brownish-black, forming a conspicuous transverse band on the under surface of the wing; tail brown, with several irregular transverse bands of ashy fulvous, which bands are mottled as on the quills; bill and claws dark; irides yellow. Sexes probably alike at the same ages.

Dimensions. Female.—Total length, about 15 inches; wing, 11½; tail, 6 inches. Male.—Smaller.

Hab. Northern and Eastern North America. Breeds in Pennsylvania. Hudson’s Bay (Richardson and Swainson); Canada (Dr. Hall); Oregon (Dr. Townsend); Washington Territory (Dr. Cooper); Nebraska (Dr. Suckley); Massachusetts (Dr. Emmons); Long Island (Mr. Giraud).

Obs. This is one of the commonest species of Owls in the Northern and Eastern States on the Atlantic. It much resembles the European Otus vulgaris, with which American authors have generally considered it identical, but it is larger and darker colored. It is a shy and secluded species, seldom venturing far from the woods, and appears to be a constant resident in the middle and northern States.

2. Otus brachyotus. (Forster.) The Short-eared Owl. The Marsh Owl. Strix brachyotos. Forster, Philos. Trans. London, LXII. p. 384. (1772.) Brachyotus palustris americanus. Bonap., Cons. Av., p. 51. (1849.) Otus galapagoensis. Gould, Proc. Zool. Soc., London, 1837, p. 10?

Wilson, Am. Orn., IV. pl. 33, fig. 3. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 410; Oct. ed., I. pl. 38. Nat. Hist. N. Y. Birds, pl. 12, fig. 27.

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).