48 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



quills with the inner web sinuated, as well as in having the quills shorter, 

 broader, and more bowed, and their under surlace more concave. They may, 

 perhaps, be distinguished as a se{)arate subgenus {Mcgascops, Kaup). Of the 

 American species all but ^S". asio (including its several races) have the toes 

 perfectly naked to their very bases. 



Species and Races. 



Common CnAR.tciERS. Plumage brown, gra)', oi- nifous, and whitish, finely 

 mottled above ; lower parts transversely barred, and with dark shaft-streaks. 

 Outer webs of lower scapulars light-colored (white or ochraceous) and with- 

 out markings. Tail crossed by rather obscure mottled light and dark bar.^ of 

 nearly equal width. Outer webs of primaries with nearly equal bands of whitish 

 and dusky. 



1. S. asio. Toes covered (more or less densely) with bristles, or hair-like 

 feathers. Wing, 5..50-7.S0; tail, 3.20-4.10; culmen, .50 -."0; tarsus, 

 1.00-1.70; middle toe, .70 -.80. Ear-tufts well developed; facial circle 

 black. 



Colors smoky-brown and pale fulvous, with little or none of pure 

 white. Outer webs of the scapulars pale ochraceous-fulvous. Wing, 

 6.90 - 7.30 ; tail, 3.50 - 4.50. Ilah. North Pacific region, from 

 Western Idaho and Washington Territory, northward to Sitka. 



' var. k e n nicotti. 

 Colors ashy-gray and pure white, with little or none of fulvous. 

 Outer webs of the scapulars pure white. Varying to bright brick-red, 

 or lateritious-rufous. 



Mottlings coarse, the blackish median streaks above not sharply 

 defined, and the bars beneath heavy and distinct^ 



Wing, 6.10-7.75; tail, 3.30-4.35. In the red plumage, 

 white prevailing on the lower parts, where the red markings 

 are not broken into transverse bars. Hob. United States; 

 except the Southern Middle Province, the northwest region, 

 and Florida ......... var. asio. 



Wing, 5.50-6.00 tail, 2.75-3.10. In the red plumage, 

 red prevailing on the lower parts, where the markings are 

 much broken into transverse l)ars. Ilah. Florida and Southern 

 Georgia ........ \3X. florid anus. 



Wing, 5.50 - 5.80 ; tail, 3.20 - 3.30. Gr,iy plumage, like 

 var. asio, but the mottling above much coarser, and the nape 

 with a strongly indicated collar of rounded white spots in 

 pairs, on opposite webs. Red plumage not seen. Hab. 

 Eastern Mexico and Guatemala ..... var. ennno} 



Mottlings fine, the blackish median streaks above very sharply 

 defined and conspicuous ; bars beneath delicate and indistinct. 



' Scops asio, var. cnano, Lawkexce, MS.S. This well-marked race is founded upon two speci- 

 mens, — one from Mexieo, in the cabinet of Mr. Lawrence, .ind another from Guatemala, in the 

 collection of tlie Boston Society of Natural History. Tliey are exactly similar in colors ; but, a-s 

 might be expected, the more .southern specimen is the smaller of the two. This form very closely 

 resembles the S. atricnjnlla (Natt.) Steph. (Teram. PI. Col. 145), but may be readily dis- 

 tinguished by the haired toes, they being perfectly naked in alricapilla. The latter species is 

 found OS far northward as Mirador. 



