28 HARRY C. OBERHOLSER. 



Foiir Colorado examplos uro evidently adiilt and, as 

 compai'od willi Mexican birds, have ratlier more dark 

 markings lipon the crown and occiput; also throe of tliem 

 are much more closely vermicnlated below, parLicnlarly 

 across ilie brc^ast. Two have more black in Ihc rull", and 

 all have somevvhat less white on Ihe wing-qnills, alula and 

 grealer coverls. The color of the chin varies from soiled 

 white to ochraeeous. One of the birds from Estes Park, 

 Colorado, is in much worn snmmer plumage,is very pale 

 bolli above and below, and were it not for the mneh 

 heavier longitudinal streaks on the lower parts, the darker 

 shade of the rufous on ruff and face, and the greater 

 amoLint of black on the crown, would ditTer in no essen- 

 tial respects from the type of Megascops flammeolua 

 idahoensis. 



The fifth and remaining Colorado specimen is from 

 Colorado Springs, and is evidently a very young bird in a 

 dress between the barred nestling plnmage and that of 

 the adult. It is about as light above as the bleached 

 adult just mentioned, though rather darker below owing 

 to the frequency of the vcrmiculations, especially on the 

 breast; but is paler throughout than any other unabraded 

 specimen oi ßcmimeolus examined. The plnmage is char- 

 acterized by almost complete absence of the brownish 

 finge so noticeable in all the other specimens. The only 

 rufous markings are confined to ear-coverts, face, throat 

 and scapulars, and, except on the latter, are of very limi- 

 ted extent. The wing-quills, lesser and median coverls 

 and a few feathers of cervix are tinged to some extent 

 with ochraeeous. Aside from the rufous or ochraeeous 

 edgingto a few of the feathers of the breast, all the remai- 

 ning j)ortions of the plnmage are pure gray and white, 

 the bird at lirst glance ai)pearing to he whoUy of a clear 

 gray varied with black and white, — quite different in 

 general appearance from any other of the specimens now 

 at band. The longitudinal black markings above are very 

 narrow and inconspicuous, excepting on the scapulars ; 

 the black streaks below are ([uilc as narrow as in the type 



