64 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



33. "Parrot." 

 "Not abundant 



" This bird, about the size of our Northern Carolina Parrot, but more 

 robust, is very shy, keeping mainly to the higher mountains ; sometimes 

 descending to the inner valleys, to feed upon the wild guavas. 



" It is sometimes captured by being wing-broken, and takes kindly to 

 confinement, but unlike its larger brother, the Cicero, does not learn to 

 talk. It congregates in small flocks. It is oftener shot in the months 

 between September and February. A very beneficent law of Dominica 

 prohibits the shooting of Parrots, Ciceros, Eamiers, &c., in any other 

 months, thus ensuring protection during the breeding season." 



This species was not obtained by Mr. Ober. 



Fam. STRIGID^. 



34. Strix flammea var. nigrescena, Lawr. 

 "Owl. 'Shawah.' 



" Very rare; its cry even is seldom heard. It haunts principally the 

 mountains and higher valleys ; builds its nest in a hollow tree, or in the 

 hollow of a large limb, and lays eggs elliptical in shape, white and gran- 

 ular. In this case they were three in number, and from the appearance 

 of the ovules, were the full complement. They were newly laid, Sep- 

 tember 19." 



I find this to be a very dark variety of Strix flammea. At my request, 

 Mr.Ridgway sent me a specimen of the dark-plumaged form (var. guate- 

 mal(C,frQm Costa Kica), spoken of in N. A. Birds, v. 2, p. 14. On compa- 

 rison, the difference is very marked : the example from Costa Rica is 

 above brown, intermixed with rufous, and closely freckled with fine 

 whitish vermiculations ; it is also marked, not closely, with whitish 

 ovate spots surrounded with black ; the color below is dark reddish- 

 ochraceous, with black sagittate spots. The sex not given. It measures, 

 length, 14i in. ; wing, 13 ; tail, 6 ; tarsus, 2^. 



The male from Dominica has the upper plumage of a fine blackish- 

 brown, rather sparsely marked with small white spots ; the tail is 

 crossed with alternate bands of brown and light dull ochraceous freck- 

 led with brown ; the wings are the color of the back, somewhat inter- 

 mixed with rufous ; the under plumage is light reddish-ochraceous, 

 marked with small round black spots (the color is lighter than the under 

 plumage of the Costa Rica specimen) ; the ends of the ruft'-feathers are 

 dark reddish-brown ; feathers around the eye, black 5 the face is of a 

 light reddish fawn color. " Bill white ; iris deep chocolate, half an inch 

 in diameter." 



Length (fresh), 13 in. ; wing, 10 ; tail, 4^ ; tarsus, 2. 



The female is of the same dark color above, with the white spots so 

 minute as to be scarcely perceptible ; the tail is darker ; the under 

 plumage of a darker reddish-ochraceous than in the male (not so dark 



