BIRDS OF FORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 733 



around posterior margin of nostril. Wing long, the longest primaries 

 exceeding the distal secondaries by more than one-third the total 

 length of wing; sixth and seventh" primaries longest, the tenth 

 (apparent outermost) shorter than the ninth^; six outer primaries 

 with inner webs sinuated; primaries straight and relatively rather 

 narrow distally. Tail much more than half as long as wing, shghtly 

 rounded. Tarsus about as long as middle toe with claw, densely 

 feathered (all round) to base of toes, the latter completely naked. 

 Ear-tufts very conspicuous, composed of long and relatively narrow, 

 tapering plimies. 



Coloration. — Above sepia brown to russet, finely and rather indis- 

 tinctly vermiculated with dusky, sometimes nearly black on pileum 

 and auricular region; wing-coverts (sometimes remiges also) more 

 or less spotted ^vith white; under parts vermiculated ^dth brown and 

 whitish or pale fulvous, but without distinct streaks or spots; ear- 

 tufts and supercihary region partly white or pale fulvous. 



Range. — Southeastern Mexico to Amazon VaUey. (Two species, 

 with additional subspecies ?.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF LOPHOSTRIX." 



a. Face (orbital, auricular, and loral regions) wholly rusty brown (deep cinnamon- 

 rufous or chestnut-rufous.) (Guianas and Amazon Valley.) 



Lophostrix cristatus (exlralimi(iil).<^ 

 aa. Face only partly rusty, the orbital region and terminal portion of auricular region 

 black or dusky. (Panama to southern Mexico.) 



Lophostrix stricklandi (p. 733). 



LOPHOSTRIX STRICKLANDI Sclater and Salvin. 



STRICKLAND'S OWL. 



Similar to L. cristatus ^ but face only partly rusty or rufescent (the 

 orbital region and terminal portion of auricular region being black 

 or dusky) and general color either much darker or less rufescent. 



o Fourth and fifth from outside not counting the rudimentary and concealed eleventh 

 (first) primary. 



6 Second from outside. 



c Owing to paucity of material of the South American form, I am not able to make a 

 satisfactory comparison between it and L. stncklandi; but judging from the single 

 specimen of the former that I have been able to examine (an adult female in the 

 rufous phase), I believe the two forms are only subspecifically distinct, and that, there- 

 fore, the northern form should be called Lophostrix cristatus stncklandi. 



^Strix cristata Daudin, Traits d'Orn., ii, 1800, 207 (Guiana; coll. Mus. Paris; based 

 on La Chouette 6 aigrette blanche Levaillant, Ois. d'Afr., etc., i, pi. 43). — Lophostrix 

 cristata Gray, List Accip. Brit. Mus., 1844, 47; Kaup, Jardine's Contr. Orn., 1852, 115 

 (monogr. ).—E[phialtes] cristatus Gray, Gen. Birds, i, 1844, SS.—B[ubo] cristatus Kaup, 

 Isis, 1848, 770.— Bubo cristatus Kaup, Trans. Zool. Soc. Lend., iv, 1859, 238.— 6cops 

 cristatus Strickland, Orn. Syn., i, 1855, 205; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., ii, 1875, 

 122.— Str[ix] griseata Cuvier, Regne Anim., i, 1829, 344 (Guy ane).—Sijrnium griseatum 

 Lesson, Traite d'Orn., 1831, 113.— Lophostrix griseata Lesson, Compl. Buffon, vii, 

 1836, 261. 



