86 General Notes. 



The proper name for the Arctic Horned Owl. 



Swainson's name Strix (Bubo) arctica (Fauna Boreali-Americana, 

 II, 86, Feb., 1832) for the Arctic Horned Owl, which has been unhesi 

 tatingly used by ornithologists for the boreal form of Bubo viryinianus, 

 appears to rest on an insecure foundation, since Forster in 1817 (Synopti 

 cal Catalogue of British Birds, 47) made use of the term Bubo arcticus 

 for the Snowy Owl. Forster's name was rather timidly proposed as a 

 new one for Strix nyctea, and as it has several years priority over that of 

 Swainson it follows that our present Bubo virginianus arcticus will re 

 quire another name. Hoy's Bubo subarcticus, which passed current for 

 the Western Horned Owl until shown by Mr. Stone to be synonymous 

 with Swainson's arctica will apparently have to supplant the latter. If 

 this view should prove to be the correct one the Arctic Horned Owl 

 ought in future to be called Bubo virginianus subarcticus (Hoy). Charles 

 W. Richmond. 



A new name for Buthotrephis divaricata D. W. 



In a paper describing some supposed fossil algae from the Upper Silu 

 rian (Eurypterid beds) at Kokomo, Indiana, the writer recently gave the 

 name Buthotrephis divaricata to a type resembling in form and appar 

 ently in texture the living Godium tomentosum. The name Buthotrephis 

 divaricata was preoccupied by Kidston in 1886 (Cat. Palaeozoic PI. Brit. 

 Mus., p. 243) for a species from the Wenlock shale (Upper Silurian) in 

 Shropshire. Therefore the name Buthotrephis speciosa is here given to 

 the plant from Kokomo described in the Proceedings of the U. S. Na 

 tional Museum, Vol. XXIV, p. 265, pi. xvi, 1901. The figure illustrating 

 this species was reduced to three fourths the natural size, contrary to 

 the explananation which reads "natural size". David Wliite. 



Change of name of Ficus? hesperia from vicinity of 

 Ashland, Oregon. 



In my "Flora of the Montana Formation" (U. S. Geol. Surv., Bulletin 

 No. 163, p. 45, pi. ix, fig. 5, 1900) I give the name Ficus hesperia to a new 

 species of fossil plant from the north fork of Button Creek, Laramie 

 Plains, Wyoming. In my paper on the "Fossil Plants Associated with 

 the Lavas of the Cascade Range", (U. S. Geol. Surv., 20th Ann. Kept., 

 Pt. Ill, p. 45, pi. ii, fig. 4, 1900), I employed the same name (Ficus? hes- 

 peria) for a different species from the vicinity of Ashland, Oregon. As 

 the first mentioned publication antedates the other in appearance, the 

 species so named in the latter paper must be changed. I therefore pro 

 pose for it the name Ficus? Applegatei, in honor of the collector, Mr. 

 Elmer I. Applegate. F. II. Knowlton. 



