17. NYCTAr-A. 287 



2. Nyctala acadica. 



Acadian (_)\vl, Laik Gen. Si/n. i. p. 149, pi. 5. fig-. 2. 



Strix acadica, Gm. S. JV. i. p. 29G {ex Lath.) -^ Amlub. B. Am. pi. 



cxcix. ; id. Orn. Biuyr. iv. 397 ; Swains. &• Rich. Faun. Bor.-Am. 



Birds, p. 97. 

 Strix passeiina, Penn. Arctic Zool. p. 236; IFils. Am. Orn. iv. p. G6, 



pi. 34. fig. 1. 

 Sirix acadiensis, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 6.5. 

 Wbite-fi-onted Owl, Lath. Gen. Si/n. Siippl. ii. p. 58. 

 Strix alljifrons, Shaw Sf Nodd. Xdt. Misc. xix. pi. 171. 

 Bubo albifrons, Vieill. Ois. Am. Sept. i. p. 54. 

 Scops albifrous, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. pt. 2, p. 51. 

 Athene wilsoni, Boie, Lds, 1828, p. 315. 

 Surnia acadica, Bp. Oss. Lieyn. An. Cm. p. 52 : Schl. Mus. P.-B 



Striges, p. 8. 

 Ulula passerina, Jamos. ed. Wils. Am. Orn. i. p. 109. 

 Scotophilus acadicus, Swains. C/assif. B. ii. p. 217. ' 

 Strix frontalis, Licht. Ahhandl. k. Akad. Berlin, 1838, p 4.30 

 Nyctale acadica, Bp. Comp. List B. Eur. ^- N. Am. p. 7 ; id. Consp. 



1. p. 54; Gray, Gen. B. iii. App. p. 50; Kaup, Contr. Orn. 1852. 



p. 104 ;rV/. Tr. Z. S iv. p. 206 ; Strickl. Orn. Syn. p. 176 ; Cass. 



B. Calif 4'- Texas, p. 285 ; id. B. N. Am. p. 58 ; Baird, in Cooper's 



B^ Cahf. p. 436 ; Bidyic. Am. Nat. 1871, p. 'im ; Coues, Eeu NA. 



Birds, p. 206; id. B. N. W. p. 315; Ridgw. N.A. Birds, iii. p. 43 ; 



<St7. c^'- Salv. Nomencl. p. 116. 

 Xyctale kirtlandi, Hoy, Pr. Philad. Acad. vi. p. 210 ; Elliot, This, 



lb/2, p. 48*. 

 Athene albifrons, Licld. Nomencl. Ar. p. 8. 

 Nyctale albifrous, Cass. B. Calif. ^- Texas, p. 187 ; id. B. N. Am 



p. 57 ; Baird, in Coopers B. C'alif. p. 435. 



Adult male. Above nearly uniform chocolate-brown, the scapulars 

 with a large ovate spot of white on the outer web, the dorsal feathers 

 with small concealed spots of white, which are larger and broader 

 on the upper tail-coverts ; head streaked with white, broader on the 

 forehead, more obsoletely on the hinder crown; the hind neck 

 mottled with white streaks, and the sides of the neck distinctly 

 striped with central markings of white ; wing-coverts dark brown, 

 with distinct white oval spots on the outer web; quills brown,' 

 greyer towards the tips, the outer webs spotted with white, these 

 .spots present only on the primaries, and nearly absent on all the 

 others, all the quills, however, being notched with yeUowish white 

 on the inner webs ; tail dark brown, tipped with white and crossed 

 with three rows of white bars, not continuous across the feather • 

 lores, eyebrow, and feathers of the face generally dull white, the 

 ear-coverts brownish, especially towards the hinder margin ; feathers 

 in front of the eye and loral bristles blackish ; behind the ear- 



* Mr Elliot, in an interesting article on this bird, conclusirelv showed that 

 It was the young of some species oi NycfaJa ■ but he considered it t . be the im- 

 mature plumage of N. tenymalmi. Mr. Ridgway, on the other hand, refers it 

 to 3. acadira; and on consideration of the facts, I believe the decision of the 

 ast-named ornithologist to be correct. .V. alhifmns (Licht.), considered to 

 belong to N tenymalmi hj some European authors, has been examined bv Pro- 

 fessor Schlegel, and declared by him to be iV'. acadica. 



