1895. 



riWCEEDIXGS OF THE XATIOXJL MUSEUM. COS 



34. SPEOTYTO BRACHYPTERA, new species. 



SHORT-WINGED BrKKOWINCI (JWL. 



Native name "raoriquite." 



The level land to the east of Porlamar is more sandy than that to the 

 west, and the vegetation is, iu consequence, scantier. There are here 

 ami there open patches of several acres in extent covered with a sparse 

 faded yellowish grass and dotted with melon cactus {}feIocactHS com- 

 ,„ KH is). In these spots I was certain to find little colonies of burrowing- 

 owls living iu burrows that had been made either by a land tortoise 

 somewhat^'like the Florida gopher or by a rabbit. Their color harmo- 

 nizes with that of the grass, and, standing erect and motionless among 

 the cactus melons, they are easily overlooked unless approached so close 

 that they fly a short distance or slink off like a cat. When they have 

 thus revealed their presence, they perform various bows and nods toward 

 their disturber, uttering at the same time a low trenudous note a little like 

 some of the notes of our screech owl. Among my specimens was one 

 young bird in immature plumage. The stomachs of all contained grass- 

 iioppers and fragments of beetles. I saw none at all among the lulls. 

 I Type —Male adult, No. 151GG0, U.S.X.M.; Margarita, June 30, 18<»o; 

 Wirt Robinson ; collector's Xo. 305. Similar to 8. cnnicularia, but paler 

 and very much smaller; the tarsi feathered only about halfway, with 

 straoolino- hairs continued down on the toes; brown bars on under parts 

 muctrpalerand narrower; rump and upper tailcoverts uniform pale 

 cinnamon, without spotsorbars; under tail coverts uniform bufty white; 

 under wing coverts and axillaries immaculate buff; middle rectrices 

 with five li -ht bars ; threes innermost bars on outer web of first primary 

 are connected. "Irides vellow." Wing, 5.48; tail, 2.41; tarsus, 1.70; 

 exposed culmen (without cere), 0.52 inches. Two other adult males 

 measure; Wing, 5.80 and 5.82; tail, 2.55 and ^-^O? t^^si, 1^ / and 1^ 

 inches, respectively. An adult female measures: Wing,a.90; tad, ..54; 

 tarsus, 1.63; exposed culmen (without cere), 0.57 inches. The various 

 forms of Spcotyto, described from the West Indies, Bahamas, and Flonda, 

 appear to have the under wing-coverts mottled or spotted, while the 

 true 8. eumcularia, hi/po!,<m, rosfrata, and the present form have them 

 uniform butf. In examining a large series of the first two, I find an 

 occasional specimen with indications of mottled under wmg-coverts; 

 but this character is very exceptional. The forms nearest in size to the 

 Margarita bird are the 8. maura and fiiiadrhiipcims of the ^^ est Indies; 

 but they are both very dark birds, and at ouce distinguishable without 

 regard to size.— C. W. K.] 



35. GLAUCIDIUM PHALiENOIDES (Daudin). 

 FERRUGINOUS PV(iMY OWL. 



Native name "lechuza."' ^ , • i " 



Irides, cere, beak, and [ect yellow. I tried repeatedly to attra.-t birds 



iu Margarita by making that "screei.ing-^ noise which is so etiective 



