BIEDS OF NOETH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 605 



Strixflammea pratincola Cory, Auk, iii, 1886, 466 (Bahamas; synonymy; descr.). — 



BoNHOTE, Ibis, 1903, 295 (Abaco). 

 Strix pratincola Northrop, Auk, viii, 1891, 75 (Andros Island; habits).— Cory, 



Auk, viii, 1891, 294 (New Providence); Cat. Birds West Ind., 1892, 100, part 



(New Providence, Andros, and Great Inagua Islands, Bahamas). — Bangs, 



Auk, xvii, 1900, 287 (New Providence; crit.). 

 Tyto perlatus lucayanus Riley, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., xxvi, June 30, 1913, 153 



(New Providence, Bahamas; coll. U. S. Nat. Mus.). 



TYTO PERLATA PRATINCOLA (Bonaparte). 

 AMERICAN BARN OWL. 



Similar to T. p. lucayana, but (except in some Pacific coast speci- 

 mens) with less of ochi'aceous-bufl; on upper parts, where the white 

 specks on mottled grayish portions are more distinct; facial border 

 usually much darker; feet smaller. 



Adults (sexes alike)."' — Average plumage: Ground-color of upper 

 parts bright ochraceous-bufi or orange-ocln-aceous, but this overlaid, 

 more or less continuously, with a delicate mottling of dusky and 

 grayish white, formmg a mottled grayish effect, each feather, except 

 remiges and rectrices, with a median streak of black on distal portion, 

 inclosing a small cordate, roundish, or guttate (rarely linear) sub- 

 terminal spot of white; remiges with the darker mottlings condensed 

 into indistinct transverse bands, which are about four in number on 

 secondaries and five on primaries; tail varying from oclu-aceous-buff 

 to white, more or less mottled with dusky and crossed by about five 

 more or less distinct bands of mottled dusky; face white, more or 

 less tinged with vinaceous-brown, and with an area of dark vinaceous- 

 biown in front of and narrowly surrounding eye; facial circle or rim, 

 soft ochraceous-buff or orange-ochraceous above (down to ears), 

 deeper ochraceous below, where feathers of posterior border are 

 tipped, more or less broadly, with dark brown or brownish black; 

 imder parts white, but this more or less extensively suffused or over- 

 laid by ochraceous-buff and with more or less numerous small but 

 distinct spots or dots of black. DarJc extreme: Under parts wholly 

 ochraceous-buff or light ochraceous, speckled, more or less, wiih 

 with black; upper parts as in average plumage or somewhat darker; 

 face more strongly tinged with vinaceous-brown. Light extreme: 

 Face (except anteorbital spot) and entire under parts pure white, 

 the latter sometimes immaculate; facial rim white, with tips of feath- 

 ers (in part, at least) orange-buff; remiges and tail sometimes uni- 

 formly mottled, or the latter sometimes white, with more or less 

 well-developed bands of mottled dusky. 



Nestling. — Entirely immaculate pure white. 



a Apparently, however, females average darker than males; that is to say, in the 

 extensive series examined there are more females than males among the darker 

 colored specimens and more males than females among those with pure white under 

 parts. 



