•24 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



9 (1,059, Dr. Elliot Coues's collection, \Whington, D. C). Wing-formula, 2-3-1-4. 

 Wing, 13.00; tail, G.IO; piilmcn, .65; tarsus, 1.80; middle toe, 1.20. 



Hab. Entire continent and adjacent i-slands of America; also Europe, Asia, Africa. 

 Polynesia, and Sandwich Islands. 



Localities: Oaxaca (ScL. P. Z. S. 1859, 390): Cuba (C.\b. Journ. 111,465; Gixdi.. 

 Rept. 1865, 225, west end) ; Arizona (Coues, P. A. N. S. 18G6, 50) ; Brazil (Pklz. Orn. 

 Rr.is. T. lOi ; Biionos Avros CSci.. & S.^LV. P. Z. S. 18GS, 143) ; Chile (PniLirpi, Mus. S. I.). 



In view of tlie uiitaii^'iblo nature of tlie differences between the American 

 and European Short-eared Owls (sehloni at all appreciable, and when appreci- 

 able not constant), we cannot admit a difference even of race between 

 them. In fact, tiiis species seems to be the only one of the Owls common 

 to the two continents in which an American specimen cannot be dis- 

 tinguished from the European. The average plumage of tlie American 

 rej>resentative is a shade or two darker than tliat of European examples ; 

 Init tlie lightest specimens 1 have seen are several from the Yukon region 

 in Alaska, and one from California (No. 6,888, Suisun Valley). 



Not only am I unable to appreciate any tangilile differences between 

 European and North .American examples, but I fail to detect characters of 



the least importance whereby these 

 may be distinguished from Soutli 

 American and Sandwich Island 

 specimens {^' gahpagocnsis, Gould," 

 and " sandtvicliensis, Blox."). Only 

 two specimens, among a great 

 many from South America (Para- 

 guay, Buenos Ayres, Brazil, etc.), 

 are at all distinguishable from 

 Northern American. These two 

 (Nos. 13,887 and 13,888, Chile) 

 are somewhat darker than others, 

 Init not so dark as No. 1G,029,9, 

 Irom Eort Crook, California. A 

 specimen from tlie Sandwich Isl- 

 ands (No. 13,890) is nearly identi- 

 cal with these Chilean birds, the 

 only observable difference consists 

 ing in a more blackish ibrehead, 

 and in having just noticeable dark shaft -lines on the lower tail-coverts. 



In the geographical variations of this species it is seen that the average 

 plumage of North American specimens is just appreciably darker than 

 that of European, while tropical specimens have a tendency to be 

 still darker. I know of no bird so widely distributed whicli varies so 

 little in tlie different jjarts of its habitat, unless it be the Cotyle riparia, 

 which, however, is not found so far to the south. The difference, in this 



Otus brarhyolu:^. 



