Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
By 1799
Primary Source Reference:
Charles Willson Peale, Lecture on Natural History 14. (ca. 1799). Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40. / https://ansp.org/research/library/archives/0000-0099/coll0040/
Additional Source Text:
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) wrote, in his 14th Lecture (ca. 1799): "No. 75. Night Owl of Pennsylvania. plumage above brown barred with white; tail the same colour; feathers on the neck and breast grey, also barred with brown; belly white, [with] a vertical line in the center of each feather. Eyes very dark; bill yellow or white. Strix aluco Linn. Night Owl, Latham. This owl agrees generally with the description of Latham, except that the wings does not reach the end of the tail; and in the European they reach beyond the tail. Perhaps if they were brought together, other differences would be readily seen. However similar the general appearance may be of particular birds of this country to those of Europe, yet on a closer examination they are almost always found different." (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40)
Peale continued: "They are called the night owl of the ancients. It is said that its howl is like that of a wolf, from which it was called by the Latins ulula. And like the horned owl, the female builds no nest, but lays her eggs in general, in the abandoned nest of the Mag-pie, Jays, &c. They lay 4 eggs of a dirty grey colour & the size of a [pallet] egg. I have kept this American bird alive a long time [in captivity], and have never heard from it more than the common bark of the owl, in way no degree to be compared to the wolf. / No. 76. Is a variety of the preceeding, the colours in general whiter, perhaps a different sex." (ANSP Archives, coll. 40)
The species appeared under the name "Barred Owl / Strix nebulosa" in American Ornithology vol. 4 (Pl. 33), where "Peale's Museum, No. 464" was cited (1811: 61). / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175531#page/77/mode/1up (text) / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175531#page/74/mode/1up (plate)
Notes:
Barton (1799, Fragments…), who was a patron of the museum, wrote: “Strix varius of Bartram. MS. Hen Owl. This is a large species without ears. It is next in size to the Strix virginiana, or Great Horned Owl, of a clay colour, spotted with darker brown.” Notably, Barton’s (1799) account was not cited by Wilson (1811, American Ornithology vol. 4).
Specimen Type:
Live (later taxidermied)
Current Common Name:
Northern Barred Owl
Current Scientific Name
Strigidae | Strix varia
