BIRDS 



267 



47. ASIO GALAPAGOENSIS (Gould). 



Brachyotiis galapagoensis QoMX^n, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., p. 10, 1837 (Gala- 

 pagos Islands). 



Otus galapagoensis Gould, Zool. Voy. Beagle, iii. Birds, p. 32, pi. 3, 1841. 



Asio galapagoensis Ridgway, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xix, p. 585, 1896. — 

 Rothschild and Hartert, Novit. Zool., vi, p. 175, 1899. 



Range. — Chatham, Hood, Barrington, Indefatigable, Duncan, 

 James, Albemarle, Bindloe, Tower and Culpepper. 



This species is a local form of the nearly cosmopolitan Asio accip- 

 itrinus (Pall.). It differs from the latter species in having a some- 

 what larger bill and conspicuously larger feet; the middle toe meas- 

 uring about thirty two millimeters in length, while in A. accipitritius 

 it is about twenty seven millimeters. A. galapagoensis differs also in 

 being generally darker and in having the brown streaks of the lower 

 parts wider and persistent upon the posterior part of the abdomen, on 

 the flanks, legs and under tail coverts. 



This owl is more common on the Galapagos Archipelago than the 

 only other species found there, Strix purtctatissima. On some of 

 the islands it is fairly abundant, especially on Duncan and Barrington. 

 Throughout a part of its range this species must live entirely on birds 

 and insects, for on Tower, Culpepper and Hood there are apparently 

 no rodents. On Barrington and Duncan, where it is most numerous, 

 mice and rats are abundant. 



A set of four incubated eggs was taken on Barrington Island May 

 29. The nest consisted merely of a slight depression scraped in the 

 scanty soil where it was found, to which no lining had been added. 

 The eggs are white and subspherical in shape, measuring 42.5 x 34-5 ; 

 42-5 X 34; 43 X 34.5; 41 X 34. 



MEASUREMENTS OF ADULT SPECIMENS OF Asio galufagoeusis . 



Asio accipitrinus. 



3181 Palo Alto, California. 



3157 Pullman, Washington. 



'Monomov Island, Massachusetts. 



280 150 29 



305 I 155 27 

 310 155 30 



46 27 

 46 26 

 46 27 



