Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-06-25
AN uNcHRIsrENED OWL.
4 Wen Known California Bird OF ths
Night That Has No Name.

a Wen Known California Bird OF ths |
Night That Has No Name.
The important discovery has been made |
In Washington that the horned owl Of Cal |
ifornin has no name.
This may be largely due 10 the retiring
nature OF this meditative songster Of the |
moonlight, which has keptit from intrud-
ing itself into the business of ornitholo-
gists with double barreled shotguns, but
the fact remains that the we'll known
horned owl of the Sierra forests has Just
been discovered. In fact, there is no
horned owl west of tho Missouri river that
has O name-that is, real name besides
the nicknames which vulgar speech has
bestowed.
Ornithologists have always supposed
that California has put up with the same
kind of an ordinary horned owl that has
been given to the rest of America, and
they have carelessly called our fno bird
with the peaked tufts behind Its ears the
Bubo virginianus subarcticus. But now
California may boast horned owl Of its
own. More than that, 1t has been discov-
cred that there is no such thing as q Bubo
virginiarus subarcticus at all. This Is
but another of the mass Of things which
constantly show how ignorant ornitholo-
gists are when it comes to birds.
It has been known for long time that
white horned owl of the name of Bubo
virginianus arcticus fourishes north Of
the Canadian border, and that south of 1t,
west of the Missouri, other horned owls
live and toot from the plains TO the Pacific
ocean. Years ago a big bird man named
Hoy shot horned owl out west supposed
it to be the regular horned owl of the
west, called it virginianus subarcticus,
and ever since then the specimen, nicely
put away in arsenic In the Smithsonian
Institution, has been the type of authority
on western horned owls.
1t was Ornithologist Leverett N. Loomls
of the Academy of Sciences who discovered
| this owlish scientific blunder while on the
| eastern visit from which he has just re-
| turned. He had taken two owlskins along,
with O lot of other specimens intended for
comparison and study in tho great eastern
geological museums, and on investigation
| concerning the owls he found that the Hoy
| type was o stray Canadian from the north
for one thing and for another thing that
the California horned owl has white feet,
reddish dress and other differences thav
made it distinct type. AS 1t is discov-
oror.s colo nrov,nce to bestow names be
will cali tho horned owl of the Rockies
on,I tbo rIoino tho Rnho viroinianus howl.
oftar tho man who made the mistake. hut
be is still, thinkinp about what be will call
the navu owl IN at he hns given to Califor.
mia.
OF course California is rich in other owls
.ho+ tbo OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES have manaped TO
na,,,a oorroctIv There are the charming
co.., J,hot 60 colled hacanse its song sug.
oosts cow shnrnenino in a sawmill: the
SnI;fornio screech which belies the rumor
thnt CoIifornia h,rds have no song: the
h,,rro,yiro oycI of the Pacific coast that
i;--os 18th tho gonbers and ohinmunks.
a,5 CO On
NJ Toomjs has also named n new spe.
o;o, oe sboorwoter an ocean bird that he
discoyarad @ during his months of daily
hontiro 10 miles off Monterey. and 1t will
go into the hooks os the "Puffinus Gil.
Serti ), after Dr Gilbert of Stanford uni.
versitv
Tbs narticnlar oocasion of Mr.. Loom;s'
tr,n eost yns the tbirteenth annual con.
rrass of tho American Ornitholopical un.
io,, o+ Voshington Mt which he read pa.
nor o,,+a naraIvzino to the bird scientists
rbore Toomis hos for n great many wears
hoon n enncial authority on bird migra.
tion and h was the discoveries concerning
tho neIogic birds of the Pacific. made dur
;no bis reIentless hoatinp trims far off the
sbore at Monterev tlat he gave to the sci