184 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol. xxvii. 



ASIO MAGELLANICUS ELACHISTUS (Brewster). 

 Bubo virginiunus dachiKtus Brewssteh, 1>uI1. Mns. Conip. Zool., XLI, 1902, p. 96. 



Chars, suhsj)- — Similar to Asio magdlaniciix. pacijimis.^ l)ut voiy 

 much smaller. 



Ty2)e locality. — Sierra de la Laguna, Lower California. 



Geographical distrihiition. — Southern Lower Calif oi'nia. 



Measurements {5 males). — Wing, 305-325 (average, 315.6) mm.; tail, 

 175-206 (average, 190.3) mm.; exposed culmen, 33-38 (average, 36.5) 

 mm.; culmen without cere, 21-26 (average, 24:.8) mm. {1 female-) . — 

 Wing, 330 mm. ; tail, 211 mm. ; exposed culmen, 38 mm. ; culmen 

 without cere, 27.5 mm. 



Description{lighi2}liase).—K^v\tm'dXQ, No. 17238, U.S.N.M.; Cadu- 

 ana. Lower California, November 25, 1859; John Xantus. Upper 

 surface dull brown, so much mixed and mottled with white, graj^ish, 

 buff, and pale ochraceous that the general appearance is quite light; 

 wing-coverts and exposed surface of innermost secondaries like the 

 back, with, however, somewhat more white; rest of wing-quills fus- 

 cous, with broad bars of Imtfy and ochraceous distally growing o))so- 

 lete; tail-feathers fuscous, the middle pair and outer webs of all })ut 

 outermost ])rokenl3' ])arred with whitish or buff. The remainder 

 broadly barred with ochraceous 1)uff'; extreme forehead and supra- 

 loral line white; facial disk ochraceous, slightly mixed with dusky, and 

 bordered posteriorly ])y a black band; ear tufts deep l)rown, the inner 

 webs and basal portion of the feathers chiefl}" ochraceous buff; sides 

 of neck mixed white, buff', and dark brown; chin and throat white, 

 divided ))y a band of ochraceous mixed with dark brown; l)reast pale 

 ochraceous mingled with white, spotted and vermiculated with l)lack- 

 ish; rest of lower surface white, somewhat mixed with pale ochraceous 

 posteriorly, and ])arrcd with dark brown except on median portion of 

 abdomen: lining of wing white, spotted with ochraceous and dark 

 brown; til^ito ochraceous buff', indistinctly marked with dusky; feet 

 and tarsi dull white, the latter posteriorly a little spotted with dusky. 



This race may be distinguished from Asio m. nielancervs by its 

 reduced size, paler and less rufescent coloration. Compared with 

 niayensls, it has a smaller bill, and more ochraceous or rufous in the 

 plumage, particularly that of the face. 



Li elachlstus there are two very distinct phases, one light, the other 

 dark. Mr. Brewster's type is an example of the latter, which seems 

 to be the more common, and from which the former so much diff'ers 

 as to be deemed worthy of the above description. 



Examples from the following localities have been examined: 



Lower Calif ornia. — La Paz: Caduana; San Jose del Ran cho; Sierra 

 de la Laguna; Santa Anita. 



