632 



SYSTEMA TIC SYNOPSIS. — RAPTORES — STRIGES. 



lines and crosswise bars or waves of blackish or dark color; upper parts Avitli black or blackish 

 shaft-lines on a Unely-dappled brown or gray ground (more or less obliterated in the red 



phase) ; facial disc black-bor- 

 dered nearly all around ; wing- 

 quills spotted or marbled on outer 

 webs, barred on inner webs. Tail 

 with light and dark bars. Young 

 covered with white down. Nest 

 in holes ; eggs plural. A large 

 and nearly cosmopolitan genus, 

 especially rich in tropical spe- 

 cies ; but only three known to 

 inhabit N. Am., one of them run- 

 ning into several local races very 

 ditficult to characterize satisfac- 

 torily. Obs. This is the genus 

 Scops, Savigny, 1809, Type S. 

 giu of Europe. Kaup, in found- 

 ing his subgenus Megascops, Isis, 

 1848, p. 765 and p. 769, clearly 

 intended, not to replace Scops, 

 but to separate from S. giu cer- 

 tain larger species of the same 

 genus, among them our S. asio, 

 the first one he names on p. 765, 

 therefore to be assumed as the 

 type of Mcgascops. But his intention was frustrated by the mishap that Brunnich, in 

 1772, had used the word Scops wrongly instead of Scopus — whether by accident or design 

 we shall never know. This miserable business of misusing the classic name of a certain 

 Owl for a certain water bird (Scopus umbretta) throws out Scops of Savigny, 1809; and as 

 Ephialtes Keys, and Blas. 1840, based on S. giu, is also preoccupied, having been before 

 used in entomology, the next name in order is Megnscops Kaup, for the whole genus Scops! 

 See Auk, April, 1885, p. 183, where Dr. Stejneger makes the point, from which I see no 

 escape, under A. O. U. canons of nomenclature. 



Fig. 434. —Screech Owl, reduced. (From Dall.) 



Analysis of Subgenera, Species, anil Stibspecies. 



Toes bristly or partly feathered. Plumicorna conspicuous. {Megascops proper) asio 



Face not fringed with filaments. 



Dichromatic ; red pliase bright rusty. Eastern. 



Medium in size ; wing usually between G.OO and 7.00 ; tail about 3.50. Markings of under parts coarse, 

 irregular, and blotchy, usually wanting on middle of belly ; of upper parts fine but irregular, without 



nuchal collar. Eastern U. S. and Canada asio 



Small : wing usually 5.50-G.OO ; tail about 3.00. Markings as in asio, but rather heavier. S. Atlantic 



and Gulf States Jioridanus 



Small : size of Jioridanus. Markings of under parts fine, regular, of upper parts coarse, but regular, 



with tendency to a nuchal collar. Texas maccalli 



Dichromatic : red phase rusty-brown. Northwestern. 



Large : wing usually over 7.00. In the gray phase like asio, but markings of under parts finer, more 



regular and continuous. Northwest coast region kennicoiti 



Large: s\ze oi kennicoH i ; coloration of 6en(/(rei (monochromatic). Interior macfarlanei 



Dichromatism not known to occur. Western. 



Medium ; size of average asio. Markings of under parts thick, regular, continuous over the whole sur- 

 face ; of upper parts exactly as in usio. California beiulirei 



Medium : size of average asio. Ground color ashy ; dark markings coarse and heavy. Plains aikeni 



