224 BriiONiDJC. 



14. MICRATHENE. „, 



Ijpe. 



Micrathene, Cones, I'r. Philad. Acad. 1866, p. 15 ... . M. wliitneyi. 

 llanijc. Colorado region of the United States and Western Mexico. 



1. Micrathene whitneyi. 



Athene wliitueyi, Cooper, Pr. Calif. Acad. Sci. 1861, p. 118. 

 Micrathene whitneyi, Coues, Pr. Philad. Acad. 186(i, p. lo ; Elliot, 



B. N. Am. pi. xxix. ; Cones, Kei/ N. Am. B. p. 207 ; Lawr. Mem. 



Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 207 ; Ridi/w. B. N. Amer. iii. p. 87 ; Cuues, 



B. N. W. p. 320. 



Above umber-brown (less pure and uniform than in GJmtcidium), 

 each feather with an irregular transversely elliptical spot of pale 

 rufous, these largest on the forehead bordering the white eyebrows ; 

 the feathers everywhere minutely mottled transversely with darker, 

 this being most noticeable where bordering the yellowish spots. 

 Scapulars with their outer webs almost wholly white. Wings with 

 the ground-colour a little darker than the back ; lesser coverts with 

 numerous spots of light rufous, there being two on each feather, one 

 concealed ; middle and secondary coverts with a very large oval 

 spot of pure white terminating the outer webs, the white spot on 

 the latter preceded by a pale rufous one ; secondaries with five 

 (exposed) bands of pale ochraceous (the last terminal), these passing 

 into white on the edge ; primary-coverts with three large ochi-aceous 

 spots ; primaries with about six (including the terminal) conspicuous 

 spots of the same, those anterior to the emargination on the third, 

 fourth, and fifth quills almost white ; tail like the wings, but more 

 uniform, crossed by six irregular narrow bands of pale ochraceous, 

 the last or terminal of which is not well defined ; these do not touch 

 the shaft, and on the inner webs they are pure white ; lores and 

 eyebrows, cheeks, lining of the wings, and ground-colour of the 

 lower parts white ; ear-coverts and suborbital space like the crown, 

 but more rusty ; lateral lower parts much washed with plumbeous, 

 this especially prevalent on the flanks ; behind the sharply defined 

 white of the cheeks is a l)lack traiisverse wash ; throat, jugulum, 

 breast, and abdomen Avith each feather having a median longitudinal 

 ragged-edged blotch of pale rufous, these blotches most clearly de- 

 fined on the abdomen, more confused anteriorly ; anal region and 

 tibiie almost immaculate ; tibiaj with numerous transverse narrow 

 blackish bars on a pale ochraceous ground ; lining of the Aving faintly 

 spotted at the bend and on the primary-coverts, the terminal half 

 of which is plain dusky ; under surface of primaries blackish, with 

 obscure transverse paler spots, those anterior to the emargination 

 almost white, those beyond dai'ker, the last being scarcely distin- 

 guishable, on the longest quill eight can be detected ; bill pale 

 greenish ; iris vellow. Length " G-25 " inches, extent " 15-25," 

 wing 4-40, tail" 2-30, culmen 0-35, tarsus 0-80, middle toe 0-60, 

 (Ridr/wm/.) 



