Mr. R. B. Sharpc o)i the Genus Glaucidium. 45 



Total 

 length. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. 



c, (id. „ (Mm. Korv.) 6-0 40 20 0-75 



d, ad. „ (Mns. Brit.) GO 3-9 2-55 



e, imm. New Granada (Mus. Norv.) . . 60 4-3 2-(; 08 



/, imm. Columbia ( .V/«s. Norv.) 6-4 4-0 27 0-8 



g,imm. Venezuela ( &om?j (7) 10 4*1 30 0-8 



The characters of this species are well given by JMr. llidg- 

 way ; but he does not notice one which appears to obtain in 

 all the brown-plumaged birds, viz. the continuance of the black 

 nape-patches in an extended line, so as to form a distinct black 

 collaret. In both the brown and rufous phases the young 

 bird differs in being more uniform above ; but there is no 

 species so distinctly mottled on the upper surface when adult. 

 In Mr. Salvin's collection is a bird which, from its browner 

 plumage, is probably the adu.lt female, answering to this 

 plumage in G. gnoma and G. nanuin. The rufous phases 

 of G. jardinii and G. ferox are very distinct, and ought not to 

 be confounded ; for whereas in the latter the back is nearly 

 uniform, in the former it is very distinctly mottled with bars 

 of clearer rufous : the under surface also is ochraceous, with- 

 out any white beyond the chin and gular patch, and is streaked 

 with rufous instead of white. 



Laying aside the question of the Cuban G. siju, I find my- 

 self now confronted by a long array of specimens which, ac- 

 cording to Mr. Ridgway^s synopsis, must belong to tAVO species, 

 viz. : — either Glaucidium ferrvyiaeum, with a "normal"'^ or a 

 " rufescent '' plumage ; or Glaucidium infuscatum, which in- 

 cludes two '' varieties '' (the true G. infuscatum, and a smaller 

 representative form, G. gnoma) . I can scarcely suj)pose that I 

 shall induce Mr. Ridgway to change the mode of nomenclature 

 which has now taken such hold on American ornithologists ; 

 but I much prefer to speak of " races " or '' subspecies " in- 

 stead of "varieties," a variety of a bird being surely one 

 which exhibits white feathers or some such lusus natures. 



In the consideration of these two species I propose to ex- 

 amine the series at my disposal according to locality, endea- 

 vouring to identify the species by the light of Mr, Ridgway^s 

 paper. I regret that I have no specimens from the southern 



