96 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



intlistiuctly uudulated with darker. Occiput crossed by a quite con- 

 spicuous light-colored band, the feathers of which have the basal portion 

 pale fulvous and the terminal portion whitish, with irregular dusky bars. 

 Upper parts in general finely mottled grayish-brown, with indistinct 

 streaks and zigzags of dusky and minute mottlings of very pale ochra- 

 ceous; outer webs of scapulars whitish, more or less stained with buff. 

 Tail dusky, with about seven bands of pale fulvous, each inclosing a 

 narrower and more irregular dusky band ; outer webs of primaries 

 marked with quadrate spots of dusky and pale fulvous, the latter 

 smallest, growing deeper-colored toward the shaft, and having occa- 

 sional dusky mottlings centrally, the former mottled with lulvous gray 

 along the edges of the feathers. Lower parts uniform x>ale dull buff, the 

 feathers with narrow, but distinct, dusky, mesial streaks, and with scat- 

 tered, irregular cross-bars of the same color, the latter averaging about 

 two on each feather, and situated near the end : on the breast these 

 markings more numerous and irregular, and the general surface broken 

 by irregular spots of white. Tarsi pale buff, with faint mottlings of 

 rusty-brown on the outer side; under tail-coverts with a singe faint 

 spot at the end of each feather. 



Eemaeks. — The appearance of this owl is peculiar from the dusky 

 coloring of the face, especially around the eyes, the peculiar shade of 

 the pale buff lower parts (which lacks the bright orange tint of other 

 races), the sparseness of the markings below, and in the X'iwkish tinge 

 of the axillars and under wing coverts. 



While it is all but certain that the specimen described above is the 

 same as Ephialites ■watsoni, Cassin, there is considerable doubt as to 

 its being equivalent to Strix atricapilla, Temm. The plate of the latter 

 represents a much smaller bird, with altogether grayer tints above, and 

 pure white, instead of fulvous, beneath. In fact, this plate calls instantly 

 to mind the form described in this pai)er as S. cassini (see page 102), 

 and were it not that the habitat of Temminck's bird is given, on 

 good authority, as Brazil, I should not hesitate to identify it with the 

 latter form. The writer examined some years ago the type-specimens of 

 Ephialites watsoni, in the museum of the Philadeli)hia Academy, and 

 as he recollects them they correspond quite closely, if not entirely, 

 with the specimen described above. Still, they may be somewhat dif- 

 ferent. The figure given by Cassin in the ''Journal " of the Academy 

 (pi. xii, fig. 1) is extremely inaccurate as regards the details of colora- 

 tion ; but it may be observed that the coloring represents almost exactly 

 the peculiar shades which we consider one of the chief characteristics 

 of the [)resent form. The Ibllowing is the original description of 

 Epliialitcs watsoni, in full : — 



" Summit of the head black, with a lew very minute pale spots, more 

 numerous on the front and eyebrows. Shorter feathers of the ear-tufts 

 black, others black also, but with their inner webs spotted or mottled 

 with white. A semicircle above the eye, extending to the ear-tufts, 



