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Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian AmericaCassin, John

Science

Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America

Name: Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America
Author: Cassin, John

Cassin, John

Birds -- North America

1. Syrnium cinereum. (Gm.) The Great Gray Owl. The Cinereous Owl.
      Strix cinerea. Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I. p. 291. (1788.)
      Strix lapponica. Retzius, Faun. Suec., p. 79. (1800.)
      Strix fuliginosa. Shaw, Gen. Zool., VII. p. 244. (1809.)
      Strix barbata. Pallas, Zool. Ross., I. p. 318. (1811.)
      Strix acclamator. Bartram, Trav., p. 289. (1790.)?

  Fauna., Bor. Am. Birds, pl. 31. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 351: Oct. ed., I.
  pl. 35. Nat. Hist. N. Y. Birds, pl. 13, fig. 29. Pallas, Zool. Ross.,
  Birds, pl. 2. Gould, B. of Europe, I. pl. 42.

  Large; head very large; eyes small; tail long. Adult. Entire upper
  parts smoky-brown, nearly every feather more or less mottled and
  transversely barred with ashy-white; under parts smoky-brown; feathers
  on the breast edged with ashy-white, and on the abdomen edged and
  transversely barred with ashy-white, in some specimens all the
  feathers are ashy-white, with wide longitudinal stripes of
  smoky-brown; legs brown, with numerous ashy-white transverse stripes;
  quills brown, with about five wide irregular transverse bands of
  ashy-white, in some specimens tinged with reddish-yellow, these bands
  mottled with brown; tail brown, with about five wide irregular bands
  of ashy-white, which bands are mottled with brown; throat black;
  discal feathers on the neck tipped with yellowish-white; eye nearly
  encircled by a black spot; radiating feathers around the eye with
  regular transverse narrow bars of dark brown and ashy-white; bill pale
  yellow; claws pale, dark at their tips. Sexes alike.

  Dimensions. _Female?_—Total length, 26 inches; wing, 18; tail, 12
  inches.

  Hab. Northern North America. Northern Europe and Asia. Breeds in the
  vicinity of Montreal, Canada (Dr. Hall); Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy); Oregon
  (Dr. Townsend); Vermont (Mr. Thompson). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.

Obs. This is the largest known species of the Owls which inhabit North
America, and is restricted on the Atlantic to the Northern States. In
Western America its range is not known, but it was brought from Oregon
by Dr. Townsend. In the valuable “Sketch of the Zoology of the vicinity
of Montreal, Canada,” by Archibald Hall, M. D., the manuscript of which
has been kindly and most opportunely placed in our hands by that
gentleman, it is stated that this fine bird is a resident species in
that district.

  2. Syrnium nebulosum. (Forster.) The barred Owl.
      Strix nebulosa. Forster. Trans. Philos. Soc., London, LXII. p.
          386, 424. (1772.)
      “Strix varius. Bartram, MSS.” Barton, Frag. Nat. Hist. Penna, p.
          11. (1799.)
      Strix chichictli. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 296. (1788.)?
      Strix fernandica. Shaw, Gen. Zool., VII. p. 263. (1809.)?

  Vieill., Ois. d’Am., Sept., pl. 17. Wilson, Am. Orn., IV. pl. 33, fig.
  2. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 46; Oct. ed., I. pl. 36. Nat. Hist. N. Y.
  Birds, pl. 10, fig. 21. Gould. B. of Europe, I. pl. 46.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian AmericaCassin, John

Science

Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America

Cassin, John

Birds -- North America

1. Syrnium cinereum. (Gm.) The Great Gray Owl. The Cinereous Owl.
      Strix cinerea. Gmelin, Syst. Nat., I. p. 291. (1788.)
      Strix lapponica. Retzius, Faun. Suec., p. 79. (1800.)
      Strix fuliginosa. Shaw, Gen. Zool., VII. p. 244. (1809.)
      Strix barbata. Pallas, Zool. Ross., I. p. 318. (1811.)
      Strix acclamator. Bartram, Trav., p. 289. (1790.)?

  Fauna., Bor. Am. Birds, pl. 31. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 351: Oct. ed., I.
  pl. 35. Nat. Hist. N. Y. Birds, pl. 13, fig. 29. Pallas, Zool. Ross.,
  Birds, pl. 2. Gould, B. of Europe, I. pl. 42.

  Large; head very large; eyes small; tail long. Adult. Entire upper
  parts smoky-brown, nearly every feather more or less mottled and
  transversely barred with ashy-white; under parts smoky-brown; feathers
  on the breast edged with ashy-white, and on the abdomen edged and
  transversely barred with ashy-white, in some specimens all the
  feathers are ashy-white, with wide longitudinal stripes of
  smoky-brown; legs brown, with numerous ashy-white transverse stripes;
  quills brown, with about five wide irregular transverse bands of
  ashy-white, in some specimens tinged with reddish-yellow, these bands
  mottled with brown; tail brown, with about five wide irregular bands
  of ashy-white, which bands are mottled with brown; throat black;
  discal feathers on the neck tipped with yellowish-white; eye nearly
  encircled by a black spot; radiating feathers around the eye with
  regular transverse narrow bars of dark brown and ashy-white; bill pale
  yellow; claws pale, dark at their tips. Sexes alike.

  Dimensions. _Female?_—Total length, 26 inches; wing, 18; tail, 12
  inches.

  Hab. Northern North America. Northern Europe and Asia. Breeds in the
  vicinity of Montreal, Canada (Dr. Hall); Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy); Oregon
  (Dr. Townsend); Vermont (Mr. Thompson). Spec. in Mus. Acad., Philada.

Obs. This is the largest known species of the Owls which inhabit North
America, and is restricted on the Atlantic to the Northern States. In
Western America its range is not known, but it was brought from Oregon
by Dr. Townsend. In the valuable “Sketch of the Zoology of the vicinity
of Montreal, Canada,” by Archibald Hall, M. D., the manuscript of which
has been kindly and most opportunely placed in our hands by that
gentleman, it is stated that this fine bird is a resident species in
that district.

  2. Syrnium nebulosum. (Forster.) The barred Owl.
      Strix nebulosa. Forster. Trans. Philos. Soc., London, LXII. p.
          386, 424. (1772.)
      “Strix varius. Bartram, MSS.” Barton, Frag. Nat. Hist. Penna, p.
          11. (1799.)
      Strix chichictli. Gm., Syst. Nat., I. p. 296. (1788.)?
      Strix fernandica. Shaw, Gen. Zool., VII. p. 263. (1809.)?

  Vieill., Ois. d’Am., Sept., pl. 17. Wilson, Am. Orn., IV. pl. 33, fig.
  2. Aud., B. of Am., pl. 46; Oct. ed., I. pl. 36. Nat. Hist. N. Y.
  Birds, pl. 10, fig. 21. Gould. B. of Europe, I. pl. 46.

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America

Illustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, Oregon, British and Russian America

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