SCOPS. 17 
to consider M. pinosus, Nelson and Palmer, to be another synonym; but Mr. Ridgway 
assures us this is not so, and we defer to his opinion with the remark that, in view of 
the great variation prevalent in this species, the probability of a distinct bird 
existing in the middle of the range of S. trichopsis is not probable, and until more 
specimens are obtained its status must be at least doubtful. JM. pinosus was founded 
on a single young bird shot in the upland pine-forest near Las Vigas. Messrs. Nelson 
and Palmer’s description we give below*. 
The range of S. trichopsis extends as far north as the Mexican State of Chihuahua, 
where McLeod obtained the bird described by Mr. Brewster as M. adspersus 1. 
Our specimens came from various parts of the tablelands of Mexico. Sumichrast 
* Megascops pinosus, sp. nov., Nelson & Palmer, Auk, 1894, p. 39. 
“ Type No.131517, g juv., U.S. Nat. Mus. Dept. of Agriculture, Collection from Las Vigas, Vera Cruz, Mexico, 
June 9, 1893. Collected by E. W. Nelson. (Original No, 1235.) 
“« Measurements: wing 132 mm. (5:20 in.); tail 61:5 mm. (2°38 in.); tarsus 28 mm. (1°18 in.). 
“ Colour.—-Crown including ear-tufts, neck and back, with upper tail-coverts, dark clove-brown obscurely 
mottled and faintly barred with dull cinnamon with faint traces of dull greyish. About the neck 
behind is a narrow collar in which the feathers are distinctly barred with greyish and dull cinnamon. 
Feathers of chin, cheeks, ear-coverts, lores and sides of forehead greyish white irregularly and finely 
barred and mottled with blackish-brown. Entire lower surface except chin barred with greyish-white 
and clove-brown, the white bars being shaded or washed in part, particularly along the flanks, with 
pale cinnamon. In many instances the brown bars are connected by fine shaft-lines of brown which do 
not affect the general pattern. The barring on the throat and upper breast is finer or narrower than 
elsewhere. The rest of under surface has the alternate light and dark bars, three of each on each 
feather, of equal width and strongly contrasted. This produces a strong pattern of coarse light and dark 
barring which is quite unlike that of any other member of this group known to us. The feathering of 
the feet and tarsus is dull greyish mottled with dark brown. Toes scantily feathered. Quills clove- 
brown, with a series of light semicicular and subquadrate spots along the margin of outer feather. Near 
the base of outer quills these spots are nearly pure white on some feathers becoming cinnamon towards 
the tips. On inner quills they are all dull cinnamon. Secondaries and tertials clove-brown with dull 
cinnamon bars on outer webs, most of these bars being mottled with the ground-colour of the feathers. 
On inner vanes of quills and secondaries the pale spots on outer vanes are matched by indistinct light 
bars. This mottling mixed with grey extends over most of the surface of innermost tertials. Large quill 
of alula bordered with fine white edging connecting three pure white spots on outer web. Both webs of 
second quill of alula and inner web of larger quill with three spots of dull cinnamon. Lesser and middle 
coverts smoke-brown with faint mottling of cinnamon. Greater coverts clove-brown, bordered along 
outer vane by mottling and spots of greyish and dull cinnamon. Tail, colour of quills, narrowly barred 
with broken lines and mottling of pale cinnamon. 
“ Unfortunately the only specimen of this bird in the collection is immature. It is very different in the 
character of its markings from the young of any other known Megascops. The specimen was killed in the 
pines at the north-east base of the Cofre de Perote, near Las Vigas, in Vera Cruz, at an altitude of over 
8000 feet.” (Nelson & Palmer, 1. s. ¢.) 
Concerning this bird, Mr. Ridgway informs us by letter that, “ Although a young bird, it certainly belongs 
to a very distinct species. It cannot possibly belong to any of the known forms. It is extremely dark (darker 
than S. kennicotti), and is very remarkable for the great breadth of the dark blackish-brown bands across the 
lower parts, which average quite *15 in. in width, making them appear disproportionately wide, the bird being 
no larger than S. érichopsis. It may possibly prove to be a very dark local race of S, trichopsis.” 
BIOL. CENTR.-AMER., Aves, Vol. ILI., November 1897. 3 
