BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 723 



OTUS BARBARUS (Sclater and Salvin). 



BEARDED SCREECH OWL. 



Somewliat like 0. trichopsis in coloration (and about the same size, 

 though with much smaller feet) , but toes and lower end of tarsus 

 entirely naked; brown phase with general color of upper parts much 



browner. 



Broion phase. 



Adults (sexes alike). — General color of upper parts deep brown 

 (light Vandyke brown to light seal brown), but this broken by rather 

 coarse spotting of dull white to light brown, and admixture of black, 

 the latter in form of mesial streaks confluent with lateral transverse 

 spots or bars, these broader on pileum and hindneck, where predom- 

 inating over the Ughter markings; an interrupted band of white spots 

 across upper part of nape and another across lower hindneck; outer- 

 most scapulars with outer webs mostly white, this broadly margined 

 terminally and along inner edge with black; more distal middle and 

 greater wing-coverts with a very large terminal spot of white on outer 

 web; secondaries crossed by transverse series of lighter brown bars 

 or transverse spots, the proximal primaries similarly marked, the 

 distal primaries with much larger spots of pale brownish buff to duU 

 white; tail dark grayish brown, crossed by an indefinite number of 

 interrupted series of narrow transverse spots of light brown, these 

 not reaching shaft on either web; ear-tufts transversely spotted with 

 black (the black spots connected, broadly, along median line of the 

 feathers), the inner webs spotted with white (sometimes mostly 

 white) ; ''eyebrows" (superciUary region) and lores duU white to pale 

 brown, the feathers with black shafts, those of the former also margined 

 with blackish; suborbital and auricular regions dull wliite to pale 

 brown, broadly and rather distantly barred with blackish brown; 

 prevaihng color of under parts white, but this broken by broad black 

 mesial streaks and black bars, the white forming large rounded spots 

 on anterior parts, more transversely elongated spots posteriorly, the 

 black bars on sides of flanks in pairs, inclosing between each pair a 

 broader bar of pale brown; thighs tawny-brown to bright tawny, 

 fading into brownish buff to white on lower part of tarsus, the thighs 

 sometimes faintly spotted or mottled mth browmish; under tail- 

 coverts dull white to pale brownish buff, the longer ones with an 

 irregular subterminal spot of pale brown margined posteriorly and 

 divided medially by a Uneof black; anal region and center of abdomen 

 immaculate dull white to pale brownish buff; under ^^dng-cove^ts 

 pale brownish buff (sometimes approaching dull white), sparsely 

 mottled near edge of wing with dusky; inner webs of priniaries for 

 greater part plain grayish brown; bill horn color (in dried skins) ^v^th 

 yellowish tomia; toes and naked lower end of tarsi light brownish (in 

 dried skins). 



