516 



SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. — RAPTORES— STRIGES. 



486. 



M. whit'neyi. (To Prof. J. D. Whitney.) Elf Owl. ^, adult: Above, light umber- 

 brown, thickly marked with irregular angular pale brownish dots, one on every feather, and 

 minutely undulated with lighter and darker color. A concealed white cervical collar, this color 

 occupying the middle of the feathers, which are brown at their ends and plumbeous at base. 

 A white scapular stripe, the outer webs of the scapulars being almost entirely of this color. 

 Wings like the back ; lesser coverts with two pale brownish spots on each feather ; middle and 

 greater coverts boldly spotted with white at the end of the outer web of eacli feather, and with 

 pale brown spots near the end. Quills with 3 to 6 pale brown spots on each web, forming 

 broken bars, mostly passing to white on the edge of the feathers, those on a few intermediate 

 primaries almost white. Tail-feathers like the wing-quills, with 5 broken bars and one ter- 

 minal, of pale brownish w^hitening on the inner webs. Lining of wings white, interrupted 

 with dark brown. Face and region about eye white, below it ban-ed with light and dark 

 brown ; bristles at base of bill black on terminal half. Chin and throat white, forming a broad 

 mark from side to side. General color of under parts whitish, the breast blotched and imper- 

 fectly barred with brown, forming toward the abdomen large patches, the sides more grayish, 

 the Hanks plumbeous, tibiae naiTowly barred with light brown and dusky. Tarsal bristles 

 whitish; those of the toes yellowish ; bill pale greenish ; iris bright yellow. Length 5.75-6.25 ; 

 extent 14.25-15.25; wing 4.25-4.50; tail 2.00-2.25; tarsus 0.80-0.90. Arizona and south- 

 ward ; a very curious little owl, not yet well known, few specimens having been secured. The 

 general habits, nesting, and food, appear to be similar to those of the gnome owls. 

 SPEO'TYTO. (Gr. aireos, speos, a cave ; tvto), tuto, a kind of owl.) Burrowing Owls. 

 Of medium and rather small size. Head smooth: no plumicorns ; ear-parts small, non-oper- 



culate ; facial disc incom- 

 idete. Nostril opening in 

 the tumid cere. Wings of 

 moderate length ; 2d to 

 4th quiUs longest; 1st 

 about equal to 5th; two 

 or three sinuate on innc r 

 webs near the end. Tail 

 very short, only about 

 half as long as the wing, 

 even or scarcely rounded. 

 Tarsi extremely long, 

 about twice as long as 

 the middle toe without its 

 claw, very scant-feathered 

 in front, bare behind ; toes 

 bristly. The long slim 

 legs are quite peculiar (fig. 

 360). A genus confined 

 ;le species, of diurnal and 



- Bills and feet of Speotyto, nat. size. 

 (Adnat. del. R. R.) 



Lower, S. hi/pogma; upper, 



Fig. 360, 

 S.Jiorulana 



to America, where there are several varieties of apparently 

 terrestrial habits, noted for inhabiting underground burrows. 

 487. S. cunicula'ria hypogae'a. (Lat. cunicularia, a burrower; Gr. vnoyeios, Impogeios, under- 

 ground. Fig. 361.) Adult $ $ : Above, dull grayish-brown, profusely spotted with whitish ; 

 the markings mostly rounded and paired on each feather, but anteriorly lengthened. Quills 

 with 4 to 6 whitish bars, entire or broken into cross-rows of spots ; tail-feathers similarly marked. 

 There is much individual variation in the tone of the ground-color, and size and number of the 

 spots, which may also be rather ochrey than whitish. Superciliary line, chin, and throat, white, 

 the two latter separated by a dark brown jugular collar ; auriculars brown ; facial bristles black- 



