6 ASIONID. 
founded upon the “Tecolotl” of Hernandez, a Mexican bird. But, as Count von 
Berlepsch and Herr Stolzmann’ have pointed out, the description of Hernandez 1s 
altogether insufficient for recognition, and perhaps refers to Bubo virginianus; they 
therefore reject Gmelin’s title and employ that of Vieillot for this Owl. "We may add 
that there is no evidence at present that Asio clamator occurs anywhere near Mexico, 
for, though widely spread in South America, we have not traced it beyond the State of 
Panama in its range northwards. 
Some difference of opinion exists as to the position of this specie 
stand in the genus Budo, as Mr. Ridgway holds, or in Asio, as Dr. Sharpe and 
Count von Berlepsch maintain. The form of the ear-opening, we think, decides this 
question in favour of the latter view, as the ears are quite as large as in Asio 
wilsonianus or A. accipitrinus, and not comparatively small as in Budo virginianus. 
Asio clamator, though provided with long ear-tufts, can be readily distinguished from 
A. wilsonianus by its shorter wings and by the absence of any transverse dark marks 
on the feathers of the under surface, the shafts alone being conspicuous. In this latter 
respect it resembles A. accipitrinus, from which, again, it differs in its long ear-tufts 
and other characters. 
As already stated, A. clamator only just enters our fauna. We have a specimen 
sent us by Hughes from Paraiso Station on the Line of the Panama Railway, and there 
‘s another in the British Museum which was obtained by Arcé in one of his later 
collections. Southwards of this it occurs over the greater part of the continent as far : 
s—whether it should 
as Uruguay. , 
Specimens seem to vary considerably in size, and the large bird of Monte Video 
was called Otus midas by Schlegel, who adopted a name of Lichtenstein’s. This 
variation in size is also referred to by Count von Berlepsch*, but he reserved giving a 
definite opinion on the subject for want of more specimens. 
Ys, Asio stygius. 
Nyctalops stygius, Wag]. Isis, 1832, p. 1221”. 
Otus stygius, Pelz. Orn. Bras. p. 10°; Ridgw. in Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, iii. p. 17°. 
Asio stygius, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ii. p. 241°. 
Otus siagupa, d’Orb. in R. de la Sagra’s Hist. Cuba, iti. p. 40, t. 2°; Gundl. Orn. Cub. p. 50°. 
Supra saturate fuscus, sparsim cervino irroratus, plumis cervicis postice lateraliter cervino maculatis: subtus 
cervino-albidus, plumis omnibus medialiter fuscis, eis abdominis quoque bi- aut trifasciatis; loris fuscis 
facie sordide fusco-albida ; alis fuscis, ad basin cervino variegatis et in pogonio interno nonunquam capein 
maculatis ; cauda fusca, cervino maculata ; tarsis cervinis, fusco punctatis; digitis nudis, sparsim setosis. 
Long. tota circa 16°5, alee 13-7, caude 6°7, tarsi 2°15. (Descr. maris ex San Rafael del Norte, Nicaragua 
Mus. nostr.) : nee 
Hab. Mzxico; Nicaragua, San Rafael del Norte (W. B. Richardson). — Cotomptia ; 
Guiana, Amazons?; Braziu!2; Cusa®®, 
