Obs. This is the smallest Owl that inhabits the eastern and middle States of North America, and is of rather frequent occurrence as far south as Pennsylvania. Repeated instances of this little bird having been captured alive in the city of Philadelphia, have come to our knowledge. It appears to be strictly nocturnal, and when discovered in the daytime, is generally quite bewildered, if disturbed, and apparently nearly incapable of seeking safety by flight. The first specimen that ever we met with, we killed with our gun ramrod. That was long ago, in the bright days when natural history was the dream of our youth.
3. Nyctale albifrons. (Shaw.) The White-fronted Owl. Kirtland’s Owl. Strix albifrons. Shaw, Nat. Misc., V. p. (not paged.) (1794.) Strix frontalis. Lichtenstein, Trans. Berlin Acad., 1838, p. 430. Nyctale Kirtlandii. Hoy, Proc. Acad., Philada., VI. p. 210. (1852.)
Cassin, B. of Texas and Cal., I. pl. 11. Shaw, Nat. Misc., V. pl. 171.
Small; wing rather long, fourth quill longest; tail short. Adult. Head and upper portion of breast and entire superior parts dark chocolate brown; front and eyebrows white; throat, and a line on each side running downwards from the base of the under mandible, white; radiating feathers behind the eye dark brown; primaries dark brown, with small spots of white on their outer edges, and large spots of the same on their inner webs; tail dark brown, narrowly tipped with white, and with two bands of the same; entire under parts of the body, legs and toes reddish ochre-yellow; bill and claws dark; iris yellow.
Dimensions. Total length, about 8 inches; wing, 5¼; tail, 3 inches. _Female._—Larger.
Hab. Wisconsin (Dr. Hoy); Canada, near Montreal (Dr. Hall); Western?
Obs. Within the limits of the United States, this handsome little Owl has, as yet, only been observed by Dr. Hoy, whose specimens were obtained at Racine, Wisconsin. It is alluded to as _Strix acadica_, and accurately described by Dr. Hall in his MSS. “Sketch of the Zoology of the district of Montreal,” though represented as of rare occurrence. It is probably a northern and northwestern species.
In the paper cited above, Prof. Lichtenstein regards this bird as the adult _Nyctale acadica_, and this appears to be the opinion also of the Prince of Canino (Cons. Av., p. 54). It is about the size of _N. acadica_, but of the numerous specimens of that species which have come under our notice, not one has presented intermediate characters, or has otherwise excited a suspicion that the two species were identical. We at present consider them as distinct species.