92 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



individual nature, however, are best treated under the head of each 

 particular race. 



a. hrasilianus. 



Le HiboH de Brml, Buiss., Orn. I, 1760, 499 {Brazil ; = rufous phase, with feathers of 



lower surface distinctly rufous below the surface, and sharply barred). 

 Strix hraiiiliana, Gmkl., S. N. I, i, 1788,289 (ex Briss., I. c). 



Scops brasitianus, Gray, Hand-l I, 1869, 47 (part).— Scl. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1868,629 



(Venezueln); 1870, 782 {Merida, Venezuela); 1873,304 (E.Peru)', Nora.Neotr. 



1873, 117 (part).— Sharpe, Cut. Strig. Brit. Mus. 187.5,108 {Bahia ; Para; 



Island of Alexiatia ; Upper Amazons ; Cayenne; Trinidad; Caraccas; Aniioquia; 



Columbia).— FiNScn, P. Z. S. 1870, 557 {Trinidad'').— Bovc, Cat. Av. 1876, 91. 



Epliialites brasiliensis, Gray, Genera B. I, 1844, 35. 



Otus brasiliensis, Temm. & Schleg., Fauna Jap. 1845, 25. 



Scojjs brasiliensis, Bonap., Consp. I, 1850, 46.— Kaup, Contr. Orn. 1852, 112.— 



Schleg., Mus. P.-B. Otl, 1862, 21 ; Rev. Ace. 1873, 11. 

 Megascops brasiliensis, Kaup, t. c. 228. 

 Asia brasiliensis, Bonap., Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1854,543. 

 Choliba, AzARA, Apunt. II, 1802-05, 218. 



Strix choliba, YIF.II.J.., Nouv. Diet. XVI, 1817, 39 (ex Azara, Z. c), {— "brasilianus" 

 style, with feathers of lower parts distinctly orange-rufous below surface, 

 etc.). 

 Epliialites choliba, Grat, Genera B. I, 1844, 38.— Pelz., Orn. Bras. 1870, 9. 

 Scops choliha, D'Orb., Voy. Ois. l835-'44, 132.— Tschudi, Fauna Per. 1844, 118.— 

 Strickl., Orn. Syn. I, 1855, 204.— Lawr., Ann. Lye. N. Y. VII, 1862, 462 (Aew 

 Granada).— Scl. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1866, 198. 

 Strix decussata, LiCHT., Verz. Doubl. 1823, 59. 



Scops decussata, Bukm., Th. Bras. II, 1856, 126 {grayish phase). 

 Strij; crucigera, Sj'IX, Av. Bras. I, 1824, 22, pi. 9. 

 Strix undulata, Svix, t. c. pi. 10. 

 Ephialitcs argentina, LiCHT., Noni. 1854, 7.— Schleg., Mus. P.-B. Oti, 1862, 21. 



Scops argentina, Gicay, Haudl. 1, 1869, 47. 

 f Scops lophotr.s. Less., Traits, I, 1831, 107.t— Pucheran, Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1849, 22 



* " One specimen, agreeing with Brazilian specimens." 



t "Tout le dessus du corps brun fonc6, ponctud de roux, mais par points tr&s-t6nu8, 

 trfes-rapprochds et tres-nombreux. Les dessous du corps roux, flamme de noir, formant 

 une masse brnne sur la poitriue ; les huppes dlargies a la base. Patrie inconuue. 



" Obscrv. On doit ajouter a ce sous-genre le Hibou chaperonne, Strix atricapilla, 

 Tenini., pi. 145, du Brdsil, et le Hibou noctule, Strix noctula, Reinw., Temm., pi. 99, de 

 Java et de Sumatra, qui est peut-etre Pesji^ce 25, decrite sous le nom de Scops de Java." 

 [Lesson, I. c] 



From the description alone, as quoted above, it is absolutely impossible to decide to 

 which of the races of S. brasilianus this reference belongs. It is quite as likely to be 

 a synonym of the form we distinguish as a/riCfflj>(7?MS, Temm. (see p. 95). Sclater and 

 Salvin (Ex. Orn VII, 1808, it. 102), who have seen Lesson's type, say that it is " proba- 

 bly only a paler form" of S. brasilianus. Another name, usually referred to <S'. brasili- 

 anus, but which we are in doubt about, is Scops portoricensis, Less. (Traits, I, 1831, 

 107. — " Scops de Porto Rico"). We have never seen a specimen of this genus from 

 any of the West India islands, but think it quite likely that peculiar races exist there. 

 Of this bird also, Messrs. Sclater and Salvin " have seen the type-specimens, . . . in the 

 Paris Museum, and have been unable to distinguish it from S. brasilianus." We quote 

 below Lesson's description in full : — 



" D'un gris-roux glac6, strid en long de flammeches roux-brun, plus fiuementstrie en 

 travers; deux huppes «51argies et triangulaires sur les c6tt5s delatete; taille uu peu 

 plus forte, et teiute beancoup plus blonde que I'espece d'Europe. Habite I'llede Porto- 

 Rico. (Mus. de Paris, Maug6.)" 



