634 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —RAPTORES— STRIGES. 



which is only semi-nocturiial, and can see quite well by day, but seldom flies abroad except at 

 night. It is easily tamed, and makes an amusing pet. 



M. a. florida'nus. (Lat of Florida.) Florida Screech Owl. A small southern form ; 

 wing 5. .50-6.00; tail about 3.00. Coloration as in asio, but heavier: a rich red phase fre- 

 quent if not the usual one. In its full development the rusty makes quite firm crossbars on 

 the under parts, which is not the rule in asio, though very evident in specimens of asio from 

 southern Illinois, for example, where the red is by far the most frequent plumage. In the 

 "gray" phase, rather brown than gray, sometimes quite umber-brown, the feet dark brown, 

 heavily barred with dusky. South Atlantic and Gulf States, chiefly coastwise; best marked in 

 Florida, thence fading insensibly into asio, both in size and color. 



M. a. kennicot'ti. (To Robert Kennicott.) Kexnicott's Screech Owl. The large 

 dark northwest coast form. Length about 11.00; wing usually 7.00-7 .50, but grading down 

 in some cases below 7.00; tail about 4.00. In gray phase, similar to asio proper, and still more 

 so to bendirei, the upper parts in fact indistinguishable, but markings below finer, more regular 

 and continuous over the whole surface than in asio ; in " red " phase dusky umber-brown, quite 

 unlike the bright rust color of asio. This state was long supposed to be the only one, and is 

 characteristic of the bird which occurs coastwise from Oregon to Sitka, shading southward into 

 bendirei, and eastward into macfarlanei of the interior. But the dichromatism of kennicotti is 

 established by means of the form called satnratits by Brewster, Auk, April, 1891, p. 141, 

 which proves to be inseparable, and thus substantiates the view maintained in the Key, 2d-4th 

 eds. 1884-90: see Auk, Jan. 1894, p. 49. 



M. a. macfarlanei. (To Robert Macfarlane of the Hudson's Bay Co., in former years an 

 energetic collector of birds in British America, in association witli Kennicott.) Macfarlane's 

 Screech Owl. Size of kennicotti, with the coloration of bendirei. Northwestern U. S., m 

 the interior, Montana to Oregon and Washington E. of the Cascade range, thence N. in Brit- 

 ish Columbia. This is simply the connecting link between kennicotti and bendirei, covered 

 by my description of the former in previous editions of the Key, later named and recognized 

 by the A. 0. U. Brew.ster, Auk, Apr. 1891, p. 140, described from Fort Walla Walla, 

 Wash., and Hellgate (Missoula), Mont. A. 0. U. List, 2d ed. 1895, No. 3737*. 

 M. a. bend'irei. (To Capt. Chas. Bendire, U. S. A.) CALIFORNIA Screech Owl. Size 

 of asio, and extremely like it, differing chiefly in finer, more numerous and continuous cross- 

 bars of under parts, which cross middle of belly as elsewhere ; the shaft-stripes also appear less 

 blotchy. It is thus quite like the gray phase of kennicotti, and indistinguishable from macfar- 

 lanei in color, but averaging smaller than either. No rich "red" jjhase has been observed, but 

 specimens run from the normal gray into more brownish shades. The plumicorns are said to 

 be shorter. Coast region of California, common. I have gone carefully over a large series, 

 and appreciate the points made by Mr. Brewster and Mr. Ridgway. If these fine shades are 

 to be recognized by name, tlie present seems entitled to be ranked with the rest. 

 M. a. niax-wel'liae. (To Mrs. M. A. Maxwell, of Boulder, Col., a noted huntress and taxi- 

 dermist.) Rocky Mountain Screech Owl. Size averaging over that of asio; wing up to 

 7. .50; tail up to 4.00. No red phase observed; but, on the contrary, the whole plumage very 

 pale, almost as if bleached, the difference evident in nestlings even. Upper parts paler 

 gray, with reduced black lines; lower whiter with reduced dark shaft-lines and cross-bars; 

 the scapular bar very conspicuous ; much white on wing-coverts ; white spots on outer webs 

 of several primaries running into continuous areas only indented with small dark spaces. An 

 alpine form approaching kennicotti and especially macfarlanei in size, but as much lighter- 

 c(dored as kennicotti is darker than normal asio. Mountains of Colorado, Wyoming, and 

 Montana. 



M. a. ai'keni. (To Chas. E. Aiken, of Colorado Springs, Col.) Aiken's Screech Owl. 

 Size of average asio (9 : wing 6.56; tail 3.80; tarsus 1.37; bill from nostril 0.47). No red 



