Mr. R. B. Sliarpe oh the Genus GUmcidiiim. 37 



pumilum; 4. G. griseiceps ; 5. G. nanum ; and in some of the 

 ferruginous birds, of which more hereafter. 



None of the above-named species, so far as I know, has 

 any rufous phase ; and it therefore becomes necessary to con- 

 sider very carefully whether there is such a thing as a " normal 

 plumage " and a " rufescent plumage " in a7iy species of G/au- 

 cidium. If there is, it is curious that some species should 

 have it and some not. Nor are we justified in attaching too 

 much importance to the analogy afforded by Scojjs ; fur with 

 this genus Glauciclmm has little affinity, Avhile its close ally, 

 Athene, does not offer any very distinctive phases. But after 

 a long study I have come to the conclusion, that in certain 

 species a rufous phase does exist, while in others it does not. 

 Von Pelzeln and Sclater and Salvin seem to have recognized 

 this fact in their recently published works. The five species 

 before mentioned do not, so far as I can learn, ever have a 

 rufous phase : the females are rather browner, and sometimes 

 become rufous-brown ; but ferruginous specimens never occur. 

 Four species of Mr. Ridgway's remain, viz. : — 6. Glaucidium 

 jardinii; 7. G. lansberyi ; 8. G.ferrugineum; 9. G. itifus- 

 catum, oL var. in.fmcatum, /3 var. gnoma. He treats these 

 all as distinct, allowing two phases only to the bird he calls 

 G.ferrugineum. Messrs. Sclater and Salvin joined them all 

 together as one bird ; but Mr. Salvin having now a larger 

 series of the New-Granadan form, recognizes G. jardinii as 

 distinct. I cannot allow Mr. Ridgway^s G. ferrugineum to 

 rank as a species ; for his series appears to me to consist of 

 the rufous phases of the birds he calls G. infuscatum and G. 

 glioma, and, once allowing that Glaucidium has a rufous phase 

 in any of its representatives, there is no difficulty in believing 

 that G. lansbergi is the rufous phase of G. jardinii. I recog- 

 nize the following species instead of those admitted by Mr. 

 Ridgway : — 1. G. passerinum ; 2. G. gnoma {calif ornicum, 

 Ridgw.) ; 3. G.griseice2}S,s]p.n. ; 4. G. pumilum; 5. G. nanum; 

 6. G. jardiyiii ; 7. G. ferox {infuscatwn et ferrugineum, pt., 

 Ridgw.), with two subspecies, 8. G. phakenoides and 9. G. ridg- 

 wayi, nob. {ferrugineum ci gnoma, pt., Ridgw.), and 10. G. sigu. 

 The reasons for the change in nomenclature are given in fuller 

 detail below. 



