21+ owns.

this reason feed more largely on small mammals—most of which are nocturnal—than the. diurnal birds of prey. They are therefore of even greater value to the agriculturist than Ilawks.

Their prey is eaptured with their talons. and, unless too large. is swallowed entire. The bones and hair are afterward ejected at the mouth in matted pellets.

Owls‘ eyes are so fixed in their sockets that they can not. look from one point to another by simply " rolling” the eyeball, but are obliged to tttrn their head. The weird, almost human, voices of Owls add not a little to the superstitious fear with which they are frequently re- garded. The eggs of ()wls are uniformly white, unmarked.

KEY TO THE SPECIES. I. Wing over 10-00. ‘4. Belly without bars. striped longitudinally. (1. Upper parts with erOss—bars. a1. Toes feathered . . . . . 368. BARRED OWL. a“. Toes bare . . . . . . . . . . 368/1. FLoninA Batman OwL. I). Upper parts striped longitudinally . . . . 367. SHORTvEARED OWL. B. Belly with cross-bars. a. With conspicuous horns or ears. (1'. Wing over 13'00. . . . . 37?). GREAT Ilonxxn ()WL and races. (1?. Wing under 13'00 . . . . . . . . 366. 1\.\I.L0XG-EARED OWL. [2. Without horns or ears. b1. I’lumage white, more or less barred with black 376. Sxowr OWL. b9. l’lumage t‘useous, mottled and barred with whitish. 370. GREAT GRAY OWL. [1. Wing under 10'00i A. Toes heavily feathered. a. Win;r more than 6-00.

11'. Tail more than “‘00 . . . . . . . . . .7171. AM. HAWK OWL. rl’. Tail less than 6-00 . . . . . . . . . 371. RICIIARI)SO.\"S OWL. b. Wing less. than (5-00 . . . . . . . . . . 37L). SAw-wutz'r OWL.

B. Toes thinly, it" at all, feathered. a. Tarsi heavily feathered; with conspicuous horns. 373. Summit Own. 3731/. metu Seam-:0" OWL. b. Tarsi partly bare: no horns . . . 37811. Fmtmu Brmmwtxu OWL.

366. A510 willonianus (Lesa). AMERICAN Limo-Emmi) ()wL. Ar]. — Ear—tufts conspicuous. an ineh or more in length. blaek bordered by white and butfy; upper parts t'useous-browu mottled with white. the bases of the feathers oeliraeeous—butt'; tail with six to eight t'useous eross—bars: facial disk but’t'y bordered by blaek : under parts mixed white and oehraeeous-hufi} the breast broadly streaked, the sides and belly irregularly burrm/ with t‘useous; eyes yellow. 1... 1480; W.‘ 11'9“: T.. 6'00: 8., 1‘06.

13am «:.—North America; breeds from Nova Seotia and Manitoba south- ward to the Gulf States.