1886.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 165 



streaks or other markings, and scapulars and wing-coverts showing 

 indistinct pale rufous spots instead of the usual large and very conspic- 

 uous white ones. Wing, 3.65; tail, 2.70. 



1^0. 2(30 rt, 9 ad., Chietla, Puebla, Dec, 1884: Grayish brown above, 

 the entire pileum streaked with pale brown, the nape witk a large 

 V-shaped mark of white (entirely absent in ISTo. 261), with a black mark 

 of similar form immediately beneath it f scai)ulars and lower wing-cov- 

 erts with lai'ge roundish and oval spots of white. Tail rusty brown, 

 crossed by about 10* broad bars of pale rufous, about the same width 

 as the brown ones. The sides of the breast and stripes on flanks, &c., 

 are grayish brown, much like the back. Outer side of legs mainly 

 grayish brown, inner side mostly white. Wing, 3.75; tail, 2.70. 



No. 260, (? ad., Chietla, December, 1884 : In color of the upper parts 

 (except tail), exactly intermediate between Nos. 261 and 260«; but 

 with distinct white nuchal V-shaped band and white spots on scapulars 

 and wing-coverts, as in the latter. Tail clear rufous, with about 10 

 narrow bars of brown, averaging less than half as wide as the rufous 

 bands ; markings of lower parts same color as the back (intermediate 

 between cinnamon and umber). Legs white, spotted with brown on 

 upi)er portion of outer side." Pileum indistinctly streaked with pale 

 rusty brown, the streaks most distinct anteriorly and laterally. Wing, 

 3.90 ; tail, 2.75.— E. E.] 



183. Micrathene whitneyi (Cooper). 



Athene ivMtneyi, Coop., Pr. Cal. Acad., 1861, p. 118. 

 Micrathene whitneyi, Coues, Pr. PMlad. Acad., 1866, p. 51. 



Vulg. — Tecolotito. 



Rab. — State of Puebla. S. Salvador el Yerde (Huejotringo), No. 259 d , 

 March. 



[The single specimen, a beautiful adult male, is essentially identical 

 with Arizona examples, as is also an adult (sex not determined from 

 Guanajuato (No. 72,888, U. S. Nat. Mus.; Prof. A. Duges). In Histonj 

 of Xorth American Birds, vol. iii, p. 88, attention is called to difl'er- 

 eoces between the type-specimen of this species and two specimens from 

 Socorro Island, referred to the same species, these three examples being 

 the only ones which had been obtained up to that time. Since then the 

 National Museum collection of M. ivliitneyi has increased to 17 speci- 

 mens, 2 from Southern California (2 from Lower California, 12 from Ari- 

 zona, and 1 from Guanajuato, Mexico), so that now we have ample ma- 

 terial for comi^arison ; and a comparison of theset shows that the two 

 Socorro birds are very distinct, in the characters pointed out in the work 



*Tbese bars are less distinct towards tlie end of the tail, the terujiual one being 

 particuhirly indistinct; in the closed tail, they are sharply defined, and continuous; 

 but when the tail is spread it is seen that each is interrupted at the shaft, where 

 the brown of the alternating bars runs the full length of the feather. 



+ Probably as many more, in other collections, have been examined. 



