3. BUBO. 23 



black; iris yellow. Total length 20 inches, wing 14-9, tail 9-1, 

 tarsus 2-(J. 



Mr. Ridgway thinks it likely that Bubo arctkus is a Mexican bird, 

 on the strength of Mr. Sclater's paper in Proc. Zool. Soc. for 1860, 

 where a specimen is recorded from Orizaba and named B. virginianus. 

 I have seen two specimens from the valley of Mexico, whence they 

 were received by M. A. Bouvicr. The following notes refer to these 

 birds : — 



a. Ad. Valley of Mexico (Bouvier). Total length 20 inches, wing 

 14'5, tail 8-4, tarsus 2*55. This bird is very grey, but does not seem 

 to me to be more than an old B. viri/i>iianHs. Ear-coverts dull buff, 

 narrowly barred with blackish, and relieved with silvery white 

 shaft-streaks on the fore part ; bars on the primaries 8, on the secon- 

 daries 7, and on the tail also 7. 



b. [Jun.]. Valley of Mexico (Bouvier). Differs from all the Horned 

 Owls of America which I have seen as yet by the broad cha- 

 racter of the white markings on the under surface, so that the black 

 bars are very distant. The character of the upper surface is also 

 peculiar, the general colour being blackish, and the ashy white 

 markings on the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts very broad and 

 coarse ; the tail is very dark, the bands eight in number, and much 

 broader than usual ; bands on primaries 8, on secondaries 7 ; ear- 

 coverts dull tawny buff, with a few indications of blackish cross 

 lines. Total length 20 inches, wing 14-5, tail 9, tarsus 2-6. 



Mr. Salvin has kindly shown me a series of Central- American 

 Horned Owls. They are chiefly from Guatemala, and belong to the 

 ordinary North-American type, viz. B. virginianus. But in the 

 Salvin-Godman Collection there is a remarkable bird from Ecuador, 

 which is so black as to suggest the possibility of its being a case of 

 melanism. It has so little left of the tawny colour and markings 

 that I am unable to say whether it is a specimen of B. virginianus 

 or B. mctgellanicus, though I should suspect that it would belong to 

 the former species, if a permanent dark race or a distinct species 

 should not be some day found to inhabit Ecuador. 



Hab. The whole of North America, ranging south into Central 

 America, as far as Guatemala. 



:a. 



Admiral Sir George Back 



[P.]. 

 E. Doubledav, Esq. [P.]. 

 Hudson's Ba> Co. [P.]. 

 Bernard R. Ross, Esq. [P.]. 

 Dr. Lyall [P.]. 

 J. K. Lord, Esq. [C.]. 

 J, K. Lord, Esq. [C.]. 



M. A. Bouvier. 

 M. A. Bouvier. 

 Purchased. 



