Page:Ornithological biography, or an account of the habits of the birds of the United States of America, vol 2.djvu/605

Rh Strix acadica, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 149. — Ch. Botuiparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 38 — Swains, and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. vol. i. p. 97-

Strix acadiensis, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. G3.

Acadian Owl, Lath. Synops. vol. i. p. 149.

Little Owl, Strix passerina, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 61. pi. 34. fig. 2.

Adult Male. Plate CXCIX. Fig. L

Bill short, compressed, curved, acute, with a cere at the base; upper mandible with its dorsal ovitline curved from the base, the edges acute, the point trigonal, very acute, deflected ; lower mandible with the edges acute and inflected, obtuse at the tip. Nostrils oval in the fore part of the cere. Head dispi-oportionately large, as are the eyes and external ears, the former, however, less so than in the larger Owls. Body short. Legs of ordinary length ; tarsus and toes feathered, the latter bare towards the end ; toes papillar and tuberculate beneath; claws curved, rounded, long, extremely sharp.

Plumage very soft and downy, somewhat distinct above, tufty and loose beneath. Long bristly feathers at the base of the bill, stretching forwards. Eyes surrounded by circles of compact feathers ; auricular coverts forming a ruff". Wings rather short, broad, rounded, the fourth quill longest, the first short. Tail of ordinary length, rounded, of twelve broad, rounded feathers.

Bill bluish black, yellowish at the base. Iris light yellow. Claws bluish-black. The upper parts generally are of an olivaceous bi'own ; the scapulars and some of the wing-coverts spotted with white ; the first six primary quills obliquely barred with white ; the tail darker than the back, with two narrow white bars. The upper part of the head is streaked with greyish-white, the feathers surrounding the eyes pale yellowish-grey, the ruff" white, and spotted with dusky. The under parts are whitish, the sides and breast marked with broad elongated patches of brownish- red. Length 7^ inches; extent of wings 17 ; bill Jj ; tarsus L

Adult Female. Plate CXCIX. Fig. 2.

The female does not differ materially from the male in colouring, but is somewhat larger.

The Young, like those of other Owls, are at first covered with down, and are many weeks before they are able to fly. I have not been able to ascertain whether they raise more than one brood in tlie season, but am inclined to think that they do not.