Mr. li. 13. Sharpe on the Genus Glauciclium. 55 



sented by a smaller representative, very similar in colour in 

 tlie brown phase, but having one row of spots less on the tail, 

 and having a ferruginous phase of plumage with regularly 

 banded tail. 



4. That, although at the extreme limits of their range these 

 two birds are tolerably well characterized, in the lower part 

 of Central America, and even in Brazil, occur specimens which 

 it would be difficult to refer with certainty to either one or 

 the other form. 



5. That, viewing the differences which are exhibited by 

 most specimens from the northern and southern ranges of 

 the birds, it is convenient to keep them separate ; and as Mr. 

 Ridgway has incorrectly called the Central-American bird 

 G. gnoma, the latter will require a new title, which I propose 

 shall be Glaucidium ridgwayi. 



6. That the Trinidad birds hold a somewhat intermediate 

 position, having only six bars on the tail in the grey phase, 

 and thus resembling the Central- American bird, but being 

 altogether of a darker and more sepia-brown, with a dotted 

 crown. The latter character, as I have shown, does not go 

 for much ; and the ferruginous specimens have more or less 

 striped heads. One of the latter is younger, and has a rufous 

 tail irregularly marked with blackish, the bars, as far as they 

 can be counted, being eight in number. I do not attach 

 great importance to this supposed subspecies from Trinidad, 

 as, after all, the Central- American bird may range along Ve- 

 nezuela to Trinidad ; but at present there is no connexion be- 

 tween the two birds by means of specimens of G. ridgwayi 

 from any part of Venezuela. The average measurements of 

 the three races are as follows : — 



Total length. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. 



i. G.fei'ox 6-5-90 36 -46 26 -3-5 0-7-OiJ 



2. G. ridgicayi 5-5-7-0 3-65-4-1 2-5 -2-85 0-7-0-85 



3. G. phulmnoidcs .... 6-0-8-0 375-4-1 2-55-2-65 0-75 



These dimensions are sufficient to show that measurements 

 are little worth in the consideration of Glaucidium, although, 

 were the sexes of the specimens known, there can be no doubt 

 that some of the great differences in size in each of the species 

 might be accounted fur by a difference of sex. 



