Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/444

408 Europe and the Southern States of America, that the question of their identity may be decided.

The pair which I have represented were given to me by my friend RiCHAKD Haelan, M. D., of Philadelphia. They had been brought from the south, and were fine adult birds in excfellent plumage. I have placed a ground squirrel under the feet of one of them, as being an ani- mal on which the species is likely to feed.

Sthix flammea, Linn. Syst. Nat. voL i. p. 133 — Lath. Index. Omith. vol. i. p. 60, — Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 38.

"White or Barn Owl, Strix elammea, Wils. Amer. Omith. vol. vi. p. 57. pi. 50. fig. 2 Nuttall, Manual, part ii. p. 139.

Adult Male. Plate CLXXI. Fig. 1.

Bill short, compressed, deep, and strong, with a short cere at the base ; upper mandible with its dorsal outline straight to the end of the cere, then curved, the sides nearly flat and perpendicular, the edges acute, the tip deflected, with a rounded but sharp-edged point ; lower mandible, with the dorsal outUne, convex, the sides convex, the edges arched and sharp, the extremity obliquely truncate. Nostrils large, oval, in the fore part of the cere. Head disproportionately large, as are the eyes and ex- ternal ears. Neck also very short, body rather slender. Legs rather long ; tarsus long, feathered, scaly at the lower part ; toes large, the hind one short, the inner nearly as long as the middle one ; the outer connect- ed by a short web at the base ; all covered above with series of small tu- berculiform oblong scales, intermixed with a few bristles, and three broad scutella at the end ; claws arched, long, rounded above, extremely sharp, that of the middle toe with an edge on the inner sides, which in old birds is transversely cracked.

Plumage very soft and downy, blended above, loose beneath. Long- bristly feathers at the base of the bill stretching forwards. Eyes sur- rounded by circles of loose thin feathers ; auricular feathers narrow, re- curved and compact at the end, forming a ruff". Wings ample, long; se- cond quill longest, third slightly shorter, first next in length ; primaries incurvate towards the end, broad and rounded, the first, as usual in the genus, pectinated. Tail rather short, even, of twelve broad rounded^ feathers.

Bill pale greyish-yellow or hght horn-colour. Iris bluish-black.