490 THE CALIFORNIA PYGM^' OWT.. 



fewer and larger spots of white, and the eer\ieal collar is more or less obscured. 

 Length as next. 



Recognition Marks. — Sparrow size; chunky apjiearance ; carries tail at 

 angle: unniistakahle : lighter than preceding. 



Nesting. — Xcst: in cavity of tree or stump, or usually, in old woodpecker 

 holes. Eggs: ,s '"' 4- white, lusterless and surface minutely pitted. .-\v. size 

 1.1OX.90 { 2J.() X 22A)). Season: second week in May to first week in June: one 

 brood. 



General Range. — Western North .\mcrica (except Pacific Coast district) 

 from British Columbia south to tablelands of Mexico, breeding chiefly in moun- 

 tainous and timbered portions. 



Range in Washington. — Not common resident east of Cascade Mountains. 



Authorities.— Bendire, Auk, \'n\. \'.. ( )ct. 1888, p. ;,«)7- (T). D^ 



Specimens. — 1''. I'rov. 



CAPTAIN BENDIRE met with this species on several occasions in the 

 Blue Mountains, and thinks that it is nornially confined to pine timber. This 

 mav i)e true of the lireeding season, but it is ]irobable that it visits the thickets 

 of the lower valleys in winter. The only specimen I ever came upon was 

 taken in the winter of 1886-7 in a cat-tail swamp in the Ahtanum \'alley 

 (Yakima County) some ten miles from the mountain timlier. Its haltits are 

 quite similar to tlmse of the fnllowing furm. which is better known. 



No. 19<>. 



CALIFORNIA PYGMY OWL. 



A. O. U. No. 379 a. QIaucidium gnoma californicum (Sclater). 



Synonj'm. — CaliForni.\ Gxomk r)wi,. 



Description. — Adults: Like G. giioiiui but darker, dark reddish brown 

 above: spotting more stronglv ochraceous : markings of nnderparts clove-brown 

 to black. Length: male 7.00 (177.8), female 7.30 (11)0.5): wing ,^.85 ( 07.8 ) ; 

 tail 2.65 (67.3) : bill friim cere .43 (10.9). 



Recognition Marks. — .-\s in foregoing: darker. 



Nesting. — As in ])receding. 



General Range. — Pacific Coast district from northern California north to 

 southern I'.ritish Columbia. 



Range in Washington. — Not uncommon resident west of the Cascades. 



Authorities. — Claiicidiiini glioma. Wagler, Baird, Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv. IX., 

 p. 62. C&S. L'. Rh. Ra. R. E.' 



Specimens. — V. of \\'. Prov. B. E. 



