STRIGID.E — THE OWLS. g5 



and a very small i|uaiitity of food seemed to supply their wants. As soon 

 as it became dark they retired to their nest, and there apparently passed the 

 night. 



To this account Mr. Lord adds, that early in May two small eggs were 

 laid, white in color, round and v'ery rough on their surface, a large knot-hole 

 in the branch of the tree having been selected as the nesting-place. Notliing 

 of any kind was used as a lining, the eggs being deposited on the bare wood. 

 Tlie length of time occupied in incubation Mr. Lord was not able to ascer- 

 tain in consequence of the shortness of his stay. 



Glaucidium ferrugineum, Kaup. 



THE EED-TAILED OWL. 



Sirix ferrufjinca, M.\x. lieis. Bras. I, 105, 1820; Trav. Bras. p. 88; Beitr. Ill, 234.— 

 TEM.M. Pi. Col. 199. — L.\TH. Gen. Hist. I, 373. iVoduaf., Steph. Zool. Xlll, pt. ii, 

 p. 69. — Lkss. Man. Orn. I, 111 ; Tr. Orn. lOi. — Cuv. Reg. An. (ed. 2), I, 346. — 

 TscHUDi, Av. Consp. Wiegm. Archiv. 1844, 267 ; Faun. Per. pp. 19, 117. Sarnia f., 

 BoNAP. O.ss. Cuv. Reg. An. p. 56 ; Isis, 1833, 1053. Atliemf., GR-iY, Gen. B. I'ol. sp. 

 17 ; List B. Brit. Mus. p. 92. — Bon.\p. Consp. Av. p. 38. — Strickl. Orn. Syn. I, 

 162, 1855. Glaucidium /., Kaup, Mon. Strig. Cont. Orn. 1852, 104. — Burm. Thier. 

 Bras, n, 141, 146. — Caban. Ueb. Berl. Mus. 1869, 206. — CouEs, Am. Nat. VI, 370 

 (Arizona). — Ib. Key, 1872, 206. ? Athene nana (King), Gray, Gen. 1844, pi. xii 

 (normal plumage). 



a. jVocmrtZ plumage. 

 Sp. Char. Adult (^, 23,792, Mazatlan, Me.xico; J. Xantus). Upper surface umber- 

 brown, more ashy anteriorly, posteriorly more brownish. Head above with a few 

 narrow longitudinal lines of yellowish-white, anteriorly and laterally ; a quite distinct 

 collar of whitish spots across the nape, the black lateral spaces rather obsolete ; scapulars 

 with a few conspicuous oval spots of pure white ; two lower feathers of secondary 

 coverts each with a similar spot on outer web. Secondaries darker brown, crossed with 

 five bands of dull rufous, the last not terminal; outer webs of primaries with semicircular 

 pale spots along the margin, these nearly white beyond the sinuation of the feathers, 

 anteriorly brownish. Tail bright rufous, crossed with about seven distinct bands of 

 dark brown, these hardly equalling the rufous in width, which is also terminal. Longi- 

 tudinal stripes of the sides of the same soft grayish-brown tint as the head ; tarsi sparsely 

 speckled with the same on outer side. Wing-formula, 4, 5, 3-6- 7, 2, 8 ; first shortest. 

 Wing, 3.70 ; tail, 2.20 ; culmen, .45 ; tarsus, .70 ; middle toe, .70. 



6. Rufescent plumage. 



Adult. Upper surface continuously deep lateritious-rufous, all the lighter markings 

 almost obliterated. Bars on the tail scarcely traceable. Black cervical transverse space 

 conspicuous. Sides of the breast and stripes of the sides duller rufous than the tint 

 above ; white of ground-color with yellowish tinge ; legs pale rufous, deepest on outer 

 side, immaculate. Gular collar blackish. 



$ (43,055, La Palma, Costa Rica, January 27, 1866 ; Jose Zeledon). Wing-formula, 

 4 = 5, 3 - 6 - 2 ; first shortest. Wing, 3.80 ;" tail, 2.40. 



9 (33,210, San Jose, Costa Rica; J. Carmiol). Wing-formula, 4, 3 = 5 - 6, 2 ; first 

 shortest. Wing, 4.15 ; tail, 2.90 ; tarsus, .80; middle toe, .75. 



