51 Mr. R. B. Sliarpc on the Genus Glaucidium. 



Between the browner phases of the two species there is also 

 a decided difference*. The South- American species, again, 

 exhibits a strongly spotted back and scapulars, and is much 

 more ochraceous brown than the Central -American one : the 

 head is generally more spotted ; and the tail is more simple 

 in marking, being dark brown or rufous brown, with seven 

 or eight clearly defined rows of white rounded spots or bars. 

 The Central-American bird, on the other hand, is generally 

 deeper-coloured, or, as Mr. Ridgway calls it, of a " reddish 

 umber," with scarcely any indication of dorsal spots, the tail- 

 band regular, and the crossbands either rufous, or, where in- 

 clining to white, the latter always bears a trace of rufous, as 

 if the white spots were gradually developed out of a previous 

 rufous bar. 



The ferruginous plumages of these two birds are more dis- 

 tinct than the brown ones, the Brazilian birds being generally 

 of a clear cinnamon tint, with uniform tail of the same colour, 

 whereas the Central-American bird is of a deeper and more 

 ferruginous colour, always more or less distinctly barred with 

 brown. I do not deny that specimens occur in both countries 

 approaching the characters of both species ; but, as a rule, the 

 birds may be distinguished without much difficulty. 



The result of my studies of these birds may be shortly 

 summed up as follows : — 



1. That the birds called by Mr. Ridgway G. ferruginewUy 

 G. infuscatum, and G. guoma constitute one species, wide- 

 spread and very variable, ranging from the southern provinces 

 of North America southwards over the entire continent as 

 far as Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru. The correct name 

 of this bird seems to be Glaucidium fei'ox (V.). 



2. That the Brazilian bird is the larger, has more white 

 spots on the tail, and has a cinnamon phase with viniform 

 tail. 



3. That from Panama northwards this larger form is repre- 



* Scarcely any of the specimcus in South-American collections have the 

 sexes marked ; but I fancy tht3 browncr-pliunaged birds ai"c either females 

 or young males ; the darlicr the tail and the whiter the spots on it, the 

 p-oyer the birtj. 



