246 BARRED OWL.
S T R I X N E B U L O S A , Gmel. Svst. Nat. voL i. p. 291.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. i. p. 21.—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 38.
B A R R E D O W L , S T R I X N E B U L O S A , Lath. Synops. vol. i. p. 133—Wits. Amer. Ornith.
vol. iv. p. 61. PI. 23. fig. 2.
Adult Male. Plate XLVI. Pig. 1.
Bill very short, compressed, curved, acute, with a small cere at the
base; upper mandible with its dorsal outline 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 roundish,
in the fore part of the cere, concealed by the recumbent bristles. Head
disproportionably large, as are the eyes and external ears. Body short.
Legs long; tarsus feathered; toes feathered at the base, scutellate above,
papillar and tubercular beneath ; claws curved, slender, rounded, extremely
sharp.
Plumage exceedingly soft and downy, somewhat distinct above, tufty
and loose beneath. Long bristly feathers at the base of the bill, stretching
forwards. Eyes surrounded by several circles of compact feathers;
auricular feathers forming a ruff, and with those of the head and neck capable
of being erected. Wings ample, the fourth quill longest, the first
short. Tail long, large, rounded, of twelve broad, rounded feathers.
Bill yellow, the under mandible tinged with blue on the back. Eyes
black. Toes yellow ; claws bluish-black. The general colour of the upper
parts is light reddish-brown. Face and greater part of the head
brownish-white, the feathers of the latter broadly marked with brown, of
which a narrow band passes from the bill along the middle of the head.
Feathers of the back and most of the wing-coverts largely spotted with
white. Primary coverts, quills, and tail, barred with light brownish-red;
wings and tail tipped with greyish-white. Under parts pale brownishred,
longitudinally streaked with brown, excepting the neck and upper
breast, which are transversely marked, the abdomen, which is yellowishwhite,
and the tarsal feathers, which are light reddish.
Length 18 inches, extent of wings 40. Bill along the ridge 1^ ; tarsus
middle toe %
BARRED OWL. 24/
T H E G R E Y S Q U I R R E L .
S C I U R U S C I N E R E U S , Harlan, Fauna Americana, p. 173.
The Grey Squirrel is too well known to require any description. It
migrates in prodigious numbers, crossing large rivers by swimming with
its tail extended on the water, and traverses immense tracts of country, in
search of the places where food is most abundant. During these migrations,
the Squirrels are destroyed in vast quantities. Their flesh is
white, very delicate, and affords excellent eating, when the animals are
young. " In 1749," says Dr HARLAN, in the work above referred to,
" a premium of three pence a-head was offered for their destruction, which
amounted in one year to L. 8000 Sterling, which is equal to about
1,180,000 individuals kiLled."