Range.--Whole of North America, breeding from the middle portions of the United States northward, and wintering in the United States. This species is of the size of the last, but is paler, has very short ear tufts, and is streaked beneath. Its habits are the same except that it frequently hunts, over the marshes and meadows, on dark days and towards dusk. Their four to seven pure white eggs are laid upon the ground in marshy places, sometimes upon a lining of sticks and weeds, and are generally under a bush, or close to an old log. Size of eggs 1.55 × 1.25. 368. BARRED OWL. _Strix varia varia._ Range.--Eastern North America, from the British Provinces, southward; west to the Rockies. This species is the most common of the large owls, and can be distinguished by its mottled and barred gray and white plumage, and lack of ear tufts; length 20 inches. It is the bird commonly meant by the term "hoot owl", and being strictly nocturnal, is rarely seen flying in the day time, unless disturbed from its roosting place in the deep woods. Its food consists chiefly of rats, mice and frogs, and sometimes, but not often, poultry. It nests in the heart of large woods, generally in hollows of large trees, and less often in deserted Crow's nests. They lay from two to four pure white eggs, averaging considerably smaller than those of the Great Horned Owl; size 1.95 × 1.65. 368a. FLORIDA BARRED OWL. _Strix varia alleni._ Range.--Florida and the Gulf States; north to South Carolina. [Illustration 231: Short-eared Owl.] [Illustration: White.] [Illustration: Barred Owl.] [Illustration: White.] [Illustration: right hand margin.] Page 230 [Illustration 232: Chas. W. Long. BARRED OWL.] Page 231 368b. TEXAS BARRED OWL. _Strix varia albogilva._ Range.--Southern Texas. A very similar but slightly paler variety than the Barred Owl, and with the toes bare, as in _alleni._ Eggs indistinguishable. 369. SPOTTED OWL. _Strix occidentalis occidentalis._ Range.--Western United States, from southern Oregon and Colorado, southward. Similar to the Barred Owl, but spotted, instead of barred, on the back of head and neck, and much more extensively barred on the under parts. The nesting habits do not appear to differ in any respect from those of the eastern Barred Owl, and their eggs, which are from two to four in number, can not be distinguished from those of the latter species; size 2.05 × 1.80. 369a. NORTHERN SPOTTED Owl. _Strix occidentalis caurina._ Range.--Northwestern United States and British Columbia. Similar to the preceding, but darker, both above and below; nesting the same, in hollow trees or in old Hawk's or Crow's nests. Eggs not distinguishable. 370. Great Gray Owl. _Scotiaptex nebulosa._ Range.--Northern North America; wintering regularly south to the northern border of the United States and casually farther.