Vol. XXIII, pp. 103-104 June 24, 1910 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



A NEW SUBSPECIES OF PIGiMY OWL. 

 BY E. ^y. NELSON. 



The Pigmy owls of the Rock}^ Mountain region of the United 

 States have heen considered to be true Glaiicidium gnoma which 

 was described from "Mexico." Specimens in the collections 

 of the Biological Survey and the U. S. National Museum show, 

 however, that typical G. gnnma is limited to the mountains 

 about the southern end of the Mexican Tableland (and prol)ab]y 

 southward) while the bird of the Sierra ]Madre of northern 

 Mexico and of the Rocky Mountains in the United States is a 

 recognizable subspecies, which is described below. 



QIaucidium gncma pinicola sub,sp. nov. 



ROtKY MOINTAIN I'lGMV OWL. 



Typp from Alma, New Mexico; No. 20(3,021, $, U. S. National :Mn- 

 seiim (Biological Survey Collection) ; collected December 25, 1908, by Clay 

 Hunter. 



DIstrihvtion. — Rocky IMountaiii region of tbe United States and the 

 Sierra Madre of northwestern ^Mexico. 



Snbsi'enfic charni ters. — Much larger and grayer than true G. (/noma. 



Remarks. — Glaucidium gnoma Wagler was described from a specimen 

 in the Wurzluirg Museum collected in " Mexico" by Dr. Petz. No defi- 

 nite type locality was given but Dr. Petz collected several other birds in 

 southern Mexico and it is a fair inference that this owl came from the 

 same region. This supposition is confirmed by the description of the type 

 which proves it to be a representative of the small grayish ])ro\vn owl 

 which inhabits the mountains about the southern border of the ^Mexican 

 Tableland. 



Glaucidium gnoma pinicola is the largest and grayest of the subspecies. 



Glaucidium gnoma californicum, intermediate in size between guoma 

 and jrinicoJa, is the darkest and most red<lish brown of the subspecies. 

 It occupies coniferous forested areas in the Pacific Coast region of tlie 

 United States and British Cohimbia. 



25— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIII, 1910. (101?) 



