a short way, and again takes shelter from the light. At the approach of twilight
it is all life and activity, being a noted and dexterous mouse-catcher. It builds
its nest generally in pines, half way up the tree, and lays two eggs, which, like
those of the rest of its genus, are white. The melancholy and gloomy umbrage
of those solitary evergreens forms its favorite haunts, where it sits dozing and
slumbering all day, lulled by the roar of the neighbouring ocean.”
DESCRIPTION
Of a specimen killed on Thompson’s River, New Caledonia, to the westward of the Rocky Mountains.
C olour.—Bill black. Facial circle of a soiled-white colour, mixed with black immediately
round the orbit, and with yellowish-brown posteriorly. Ground colour of the plumage on
the dorsal aspect liver-brown. The velvety feathers behind the facial circle differ from those
of Strix Tengmalmi in not presenting a deeper tint of brown than the rest of the plumage,
and in being much more generally speckled with white. The feathers of the head are also of
a lighter brown than in that species, and have only a narrow white streak along the shaft,
instead of round white spots. On the dorsal aspect of the neck most of the feathers have a
large spot of white in their middles, as in Strix Tengmalmi. The back, tail coverts, and more
interior scapularies, are unspotted; but there are some white blotches on the exterior scapu-
laries. Above the primary coverts the wing has a narrow white margin; and there are four or
five white spots on the outer margins of the secondary coverts, forming an oblique interrupted
band. There are likewise three or four white spots on the outer margins of the primaries,
and a white posterior border to the tertiaries ; but the tips of all the quill feathers and the rest
of the wing are brown. There are, indeed, three or four oval white marks on the inner webs
of the quill feathers, but none of them show unless the feathers be separated. The tail is
liver-brown, very narrowly tipped with soiled-white, and crossed by two narrow interrupted
white bars, more than half an inch apart. There is a third less perfect bar, which is concealed
by the tail coverts.
The under surface of the body is white, intermixed with chestnut-brown blotches, which
occupy the middles of the feathers. The linings of the wings are white, tinged more or less
with chestnut-brown ; and the inner surfaces of the quill feathers and tail are broccoli-brown,
with white spots corresponding to those of the exterior surfaces. Thighs and feet clothed
with yellowish-brown feathers.
. F orm, & g.—Head large. Bill rather less curved than that of Strix. Tengmalmi. Shape
of the cere and nostrils the same as in that species. Facial circle complete. Concha more
than an inch long, with a moderately broad operculum. Wings nearly as long as the tail,
and of precisely the same form with those of Strix Tengmalmi. Tail short, nearly square,
the outer feathers on each side being only a little shorter than the others, which are even.
When the legs are stretched out, the claws reach the end of the tail. Tarsi rather longer
than those of Strix Tengmalmi. Toes feathered to the nails, only one scale being visible.
Inner naif rather longer than the middle one. The outer and the hind nail are smaller, and
are rounded beneath.
Length from the tip of the bill to the end
the tail, measuring over the crown
,, of the tail .
„ of the longest quill feather
D im en sio n s.
Inches.
f Length of the bill •
10 0 ,, of the tarsus
, 3 0 „ of the middle toe
5 4 ,, of the middle claw
Inches. Lines,
. 9 0 11
0 9 o 7
Another specimen, killed at the same place, was of precisely the same dimensions.
The sexes of neither were noted.
Three Owls are mentioned by the Prince of Musignano as inhabitants of the
United States, which did not come under notice in our journeys through the fur-
countries, and perhaps do not extend so far north.
1: Strix cunicularia, which inhabits the burrows of the prairie-marmots, on the
plains of the Missouri. The only part of the fur-countries in which this Owl is
likely to occur, are the plains of the Saskatchewan, which resemble the prairies of
the Missouri. Specimens in Mr. Taylor’s possession, sent from Real del Monte,
and examined by Mr. Swainson, prove this species to be an inhabitant of the
Table Land of Mexico.
2. Strix asio is said to retire northwards from the United States in the summer.
3. Strix Jlammea, which, being common to both hemispheres, might be expected
to be found in the more northern districts of both. We did not hear of it, however,
in the fur-countries.
It is more than probable that several Owls, not known as inhabitants of America,
may hereafter be detected in the fur-countries, as our means of procuring
these unwonted birds of night were not ample. The Wapacuthu Owl of Pennant
and Latham, mentioned in the note to page 86 of this work, seems to be a good
species; but we are unable to assign it a place in the system without further
details *.—R.
* The following is Mr. Hutchins’s account of this species:—
“ The Sp o t t e d O w l (Wapacuthu) "weighs five pounds, and is two feet long and four broad; the irides bright-
yellow ; bill and talons shining-black and much curved, the former covered with bristly hairs projecting from the base ;
space between the eyes, the cheeks, and throat, white; on the top of the head and on each side of the concha the
extreme parts of the feathers are dusky-black; concha dirty-white; scapularies, with the lesser and greater coverts
of the wings, white, elegantly barred with reddish dusky spots pointing downwards; the quill feathers and tail are
irregularly barred and spotted with pale-red and black; back and coverts of the tail white,"with a few_ dusky spots;
under coverts and vent feathers white; the breast and belly dirty-white, crossed with an infinite number of narrow
reddish bars ; the legs are feathered to the toes ; the latter covered with hairs, like that of the bill, but not so strong.
This bird is an inhabitant of the woods, makes a nest in the moss on dry ground, lays from five to ten white eggs m
May, and the young fly in June, and are entirely white for some time after. They feed On mice and small birds,
which they generally kill themselves.”—H u t c h in s , MS., p. 99.