322 



SPEOTYTO CUNICULARIA VAR. HYPOGiEA. 



Athene cunicularia, Bp., Cousp. i, 1850, 38. — Darw., Voy. Beagle, iii, 31. — Schomb., Gui- 

 ana, ii, 731. — BiUDGKS, P. Z. S. xi, 109 ; Auu. Nat. Hist, xiii, 50U. — Gray, Geu. 

 of B. sp. 19 ; List Br. Mus. 92.— Peale, U. S. Expl. Ex. 1848, 77.— Hartl., Ind. 

 Syst. Azara, 4. 



riwleoptyiix cunicularia, Kaup, Mou. Strig, Cont. Orn. 1852, 106. — SCL. & Salv., P. Z. S. 

 18C8, 143 (Buenos Ayres). 



Sirix (jraUaria, Spix, Av. Biaz. i, 21. — Temm., P. 0. 146. 



Xocfua qraUaria, Steph., Gen. Zool. xiii, pt. ii, 67. — Less., Mau. i, 111 ; Tr. Orn. 102. 



Xociua nrucurea, Less., Tr. Orn. 103.— TscH., Wieg. Arch. 1844, 267 ; Fn. Peru, 116. 



Athene patagonica, Peale, U. S. Expl. Exped. 1848, 78. 



b. guadeloupensis. 



Speotgto cunicularia var. guadeloupensis, Ridgw. — B. B. & R., N. A. B, iii, 1874, 90. 



c. hypogcea. 



Strix cunicularia, Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. i, 1807, 48. — Say, Long's Exp. ii, 36, 200. — Bp., 

 Am. Orn. i, 1825, 68, pi. 7, f. 2; Syn. 1828, 36.— Nutt., Man. i, 1832, 118.— AuD., 

 Orn. Biog. v, 18.39, 264, pi. 432. 



Surnia cunicularia, AuD., Syn. 1839, 23 ; B. Am. i, 1840, 119, pi. 31.— DeKay, N.Y. Zool. ii, 23. 



Athene cuuicularia,Bv., List, 1838, 6 (not of Consp.). — Cass., B. N. A. 1858, 60 {nee Mo- 

 lika). — Kenn., p. R. R. Rep. x, 1859, pt. iv, 20. — Heerm., ibid. pt. vi, 33. — 

 Coop. & Suck., N. H. Wasli. Ter. 1860, 157.— Kaup, Tr. Z. S. iv, 201.— Canf., 

 Am. Nat. ii, 1869, 583 (biography).— Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870, 437. 



Ulula cunicularia, Jard., ed. Wils. 1832, iii, 325. 



Speotiito cunicularia var. hypoga-a, Coues, Key, 207.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 90. 



Strix hgpugcm, Bp., Am. Orn. i, 1825, 72. 



Athene kijpoga;a, Bp., Consp. i, 18.50, 39 {hypogcea). — Woodh., Sitgr. Rep. 1853, 62 {hypu- 

 gcea). — Cass., 111. 1854, 188 {hypugwa).— Brew., N. Am. Otil. 1857, 75 {hiipnqaa). — 

 Cass., B. N. A. 1858, 59 {h\ii)ug(ea).—^¥A\v,., P. R. R. Rep. vi, 1857, 17.— Coop. 

 & Suck., N. H. Wash. fer. 1860, 157.— Hayd., Rep. 1862, 154 {hypugwa).— 

 Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870, 448 {hypugwa).— Stev., U. S. Geol. Surv. Ter. 1870, 462 

 {hypugmi). — Merr., ibid. 1872, 696 (hypugwa). — Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1872, 

 180 (Kansas and Utah). — Snow, B. Kaus. 1873,2 {hypugwa). — Hold., Pr. Boat. 

 Soc. 1872, 208 {hypugwa). 



Athene {Spcofyto) hypogwa. Gray, Hand-list, i, 1869,43, No. 437. 



Strix caiifornica, Aud., Orn. Biog. pi. 432 (name on plate). 



Athene socialis, Gamb., Pr. Phila. Acad, iii, 1846, 47.— SCL., P. Z. S. 1857, 201 (Xalapa).— 

 Dress., Ibis, 1865, 330 (Texas). 



Note. — As the older authors generally made no distinction of the races, the term 

 cunicularia includes all, in most cases. 



Hab. — The true cunicularia is South American ; var. guadeloupensis is considered by Mr. 

 Ridgway as a local form, of Guadeloupe. Var. hypogwa is the North Auun-icau form, 

 occurring in open places in the United States west of the Mississippi, and in Middle 

 America. In addition. Gray gives Autillean forms of Speotyto under the names of do- 

 mingensis, Miill. {dominicensis, Gm.), and fusca, Vieill.; the latter is, however, an entirely 

 different bird, while the former is scarcely identitiable. 



List of specimens. 



19132 163 



19133 192 



Powder River. 

 Tongue River. 



9 



Sept. 13, 1859 



G. H. Trook. 

 do.... 



9.00 

 9.50 



23.-50 

 25.00 



7.00 

 7.00 



Lieutenant Warrenh Expedition. — 5182-84, Fort Pierre; 9965, Running Water; 9066-67, 

 Loup Fork of Platte. 



Later £a:i)prf(7/o-/s.— 54:300-01, 60090, 60342-47, Wvoming; 59843, Soda Springs, Col- 

 orado ; 60634-36, Big Sandy Creek ; 61637, Utah ; 61761-64, Idaho, 



After examination of many Burrowing Owls from all parts of the West, in the field 

 as well as in the closet, I am of the decided opinion that the differences alleged to 

 exist between the birds of op[>osite sides of the Rocky Mountains have no foundation in 

 fact. The ascribed distinctions fall largelj'^ within the limit of individual variation, 

 and may be observed in any sufficient series of specimens from a single locality. Nor 

 am I, indeed, fully satisfied of the necessity of pcparatiug the North from the South 

 American bird, although in view of some slight average distinctions they may be held, 

 conventionally at auj^ rate, as climatic races. 



The Burrowing' Owl is the only bird of its family inhabiting, in any 

 numbers, the entirely treeless regions of the West, and may be consid- 



