14 ASIONIDZ. 
LOPHOSTRIX. 
Lophostriz, Lesson, Compl. Buffon, vii. p. 261 (1836). 
Scops, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ii. p. 43 (partim). 
Though united to Scops by Dr. Sharpe, we think that Lophostrix may well be kept 
separate on account of the larger size of its two species, their totally different style of 
coloration, and the very long ear-tufts, which are rendered very conspicuous by being, 
to a great extent, pure white. 
Only two species are known, viz. L. cristata, which ranges over the northern part of 
South America, from Colombia to Guiana, and throughout the Amazons valley to 
Ecuador and Peru, and L. stricklandi, which is strictly Central American, as shown below. 
1. Lophostrix stricklandi. 
Scops cristata, var., Strickl. Contr. Orn. 1848, p. 60, t. 10°. 
Lophostrix stricklandi, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 221°; Salv. P. Z. 8. 1867, p. 158°; 1879, 
p. 216*; Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 474°; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix. p. 182°; v. Frantz. 
J. £. Orn. 1869, p. 3677; Boucard, P. Z. 8. 1878, p. 49 ®, Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 237°; 
Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. Costa Rica, 1887, p. 125"; Cherrie, Auk, 1892, p. 327". 
Scops stricklandi, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ii. p. 124”. 
Supra chocolatino-brunnea, fusco minutissime irrorata ; capite toto summo nigricanti-brunneo, fronte stricte alba, 
superciliis et plumis auricularibus in pogonio interno albis, genis nigris, plaga magna infra oculos rufa: 
corpore subtus cervino-brunneo, fusco irrorato ; primariis in pogonio externo albido fasciatis, scapularibus 
et tectricibus externis albo maculatis, subalaribus pallide fulvis fusco maculatis; cauda saturate cinna- 
momea, subtus ad basin cervino fasciata. Long. tota circa 15°0, alee 12°0, caudee 7°5, tarsi 1:6. (Deser. 
exempl. ex Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Mexico, Villa Alta (M. Trujillo), Cacoprieto (Sumichrast®) ; GuatmMaLa, Coban 
(Dillwyn 1 *), Vera Paz (Skinner ?), San Pedro Martyr (0. 8S. & F. D. G.); Costa 
Rica (Hoffmann ’), San José (v. Frantzius®, Zeledon }°, Cherrie 11), San Carlos 
(Boucard ®), Santa Ana (Zeledon 1°); Panama (mus. Rothschild), Bugaba+, Santa 
Fé3, Vivala (Arcé). : 
This Owl is the Central-American form of a bird long ago described by Daudin as 
Strix cristata, which subsequently was made the type of the genus Lophostrix by 
Lesson. The differences whereby they may be distinguished were pointed out by 
Strickland}, who figured a Guatemala bird sent him by Mr. L. L. Dillwyn from Coban 
in 18485, Thetwo birds are much alike, but the Central-American form has less white 
on the forehead, a darker head, and the ear-coverts broadly edged with black. 
Lophostrix stricklandi occurs sparingly wherever it is found. It reaches. Southern 
Mexico in its northern range, having been met with by Trujillo at Villa Alta in 
Oaxaca, and by Sumichrast on the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Besides the specimen 
from Coban already mentioned, which is now in the Cambridge Museum, we have 
seen others from Vera Paz sent by Skinner; it also occurs in the forests of the 
mountains trending to the Pacific, whence two birds were brought us on October 11, 
