654 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM- 



dijial tendency; remiges and rectrices more or less distinctly barred 

 or transversely spotted. 



Range. — Nearly cosmopolitan, but most of the species of more 

 restricted range. (Several species. °) 



With the incomplete representation of species available at the 

 present time, I am not able to subdivide the genus satisfactorily. 

 A. jlammeus and A. capensis differ from A. otus, A. vnlsonianus, 

 and A. stygius in possessing very small (almost rudimentary) ear- 

 tufts, while A. stygius is peculiar in having the toes naked. A. 

 capensis is, however, intermediate in the latter respect, and further 

 agrees with all the species examined except A. jlammeus and its allies 

 in having two instead of only one primary emarginated on inner web. 



KEY TO THE SPECIES OF ASIO. 



a. Ear-tufts very conspicuous; upper parts finely mottled or vermiculated. 



6. Toes feathered; face ochraceous or buff y. {Asio.) (\\Tiole of temperate North 



America, south to central Mexico.) Asio wilsonianus (p. 654). 



bb. Toes naked; face dusky or dull grayish. (Nyctalops.) (Southern Mexico to 



Brazil; Cuba.) Asio stygius (p. 658). 



aa. Ear-tufts rudimentary; upper parts not mottled or vermiculated (toes feathered). 

 {Brachyotus.) 

 b. Legs immaculate; under parts without distinct (if any) transverse markings; 

 general coloration lighter, 

 c. Larger (wing 298-330 mm.); dorsal region conspicuously striped with ochra- 

 ceous or buffy; outer webs of primaries with ochraceous or buffy largely 

 predominating on proximal portion. (WTiole of Paleearctic Region and whole 



of continental North and South America.) Asio flammeus (p. 661). 



cc. Smaller (wing 270-286 mm.); dorsal region nearly uniform brown; outer webs 

 of primaries with ochraceous spaces on proximal portion not larger than the 



brown interspaces. (Porto Rico.) Asio portoricensis (p. 667) . 



bb. Legs heavily streaked with dark brown; under parts with distinct transverse 

 markings; general coloration darker. (Galapagos Archipelago.) 



Asio galapagoensis (p. 668). 



ASIO WILSONIANUS (Lesson). 



LONG-EARED OWL. 



Adults {sexes alike). — Upper parts transversely mottled with black- 

 ish brown and grayish white, the former predominating, especially on 



o Owing to lack of specimens of some of the forms enumerated in Sharpe's Hand- 

 list (i, 1899, 280, 281), I am not able to state the number of species belonging to this 

 genus with approximate definiteness. At least two of the fourteen there named must, 

 however, be taken out, namely, no. 3, cZamafor (Vieillot), which belongs to Rhinoptynx, 

 and no. 13, grammicus (Gosse), which is the type of Pseudoscops, both of these being 

 quite distinct genera. No. 4, viidas (Schlegel), no. 5, viadagasmriensis (Smith), and 

 no. 14, macrurus (Kaup), are unknown to me. 



