210 BULLETIN 17 0, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



it as "similar to Strix occidentalis occidentalis (Xantus), but slightly 

 smaller, and conspicuously paler; white markings more extensive and 

 dark areas less deep toned." He says further: "The spotted owls 

 from southern California are about intermediate in color between the 

 very pale Arizona race (huachucae) and the very dark, northwest 

 coast form (caurinus), though somewhat nearer the latter." Still 

 later Dr. H. C. Oberholser (1915) finds that the Mexican bird and 

 the Arizona bird are identical, and, as the former description has 

 priority, the name for this race becomes lucida. It is interesting to 

 note, in the above descriptions, that, in what we now consider as one 

 race, the Mexican bird was described as darker and the Arizona bird 

 as lighter than the California bird. This may be explained by Dr. 

 Oberholser 's statement that "our investigation has resulted, further- 

 more, in the interesting discovery that there are two well-marked 

 color phases in Strix occidentalis, the lighter of which is of comparative- 

 ly rare occurrence." The most reliable character by which the races 

 can be distinguished seems to be the number, size, and whiteness of 

 the spots; one extreme exists in the northern bird (caurina) and one 

 in the Mexico- Arizona bird (lucida), the California bird being 

 strictly intermediate. As it seems unwise to recognize intermediates 

 in nomenclature, the author agrees with Dr. Oberholser that there 

 should be but two races named ; as the California bird is nearer to the 

 Northwest coast bird than to the Mexican bird, it should be included 

 with it under the name occidentalis, which has priority over caurina. 

 The evidence presented under the discussion of the northern race 

 does not alter the fact that the California bird is an intermediate 

 and that there should be but one name for the birds now called 

 occidentalis and caurina. 



Mr. Swarth (1910b) says that this owl "is possibly quite generally 

 distributed through the higher mountain ranges of Arizona, though 

 the published records of its occurrence are but very few and rather 

 unsatisfactory." His specimen was taken in the Huachuca Moun- 

 tains "on Sutherland's ranch, near the mouth of Cave Canon, on the 

 west side of the mountains at an altitude of approximately 5,500 feet. 

 Others were observed at various points in the range up to about 9,000 

 feet, usually in dense clumps of maples in the creek beds, or in the 

 thickets of quaking aspen." 



J. Stokley Ligon (1926) says that, in New Mexico, "the favored 

 haunts of the bird are deep, narrow, timbered canons where there are 

 always cool shady places, at elevations ranging from 6,500 to 9,000 

 feet. They are usually to be found sitting in young spruce or fir 

 trees or in a cave or crevice in the shaded canyon wall; cliffs and 

 caves being one of the range requirements of the birds in the region 

 referred to. They may be observed in the quietest and most inacces- 

 sible mountain sections. The birds are very often seen sitting twenty 



