FAMILY STRIGIDAE 1 77 



Resident. Fairly common in the Tropical and Subtropical Zones 

 from the Costa Rican boundary east to eastern Veraguas and the 

 Azuero Peninsula. 



Records are as follows: Chiriqui (Santa Clara, El Volcan, Buena 

 Vista, Bugaba, Lerida, Quiel, Boquete) ; Veraguas (Calovevora, Calo- 

 bre, Chitra) ; Herrera (Pese) ; Bocas del Toro (Almirante, Crica- 

 mola). 



It is probable that this owl may range more widely in the western 

 provinces but to date there are no other records. Though usually a 

 forest bird, near Pese I found a pair in a dense thicket covering the 

 steep slopes of the Quebrada Tejel. 



This race of the mottled owl, sometimes known as the wood owl, 

 ranges north to southern Mexico. 



CICCABA VIRGATA VIRGATA (Cassin) 



Syrniiim virgatum Cassin, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 4, 1848, 



(1850), p. 124. (Bogota, Colombia.) 

 Syrniutn lineatum Lawrence, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. New York, vol. 7. 1862, 



p. 462. (Atlantic Slope along the Panama Railroad, Canal Zone, Panama.) 



Characters. — Definitely darker in both color phases ; deeper brown 

 on the dorsal surface, and definitely buff colored below. 



Some individuals in dark phase are very black, so much so, that 

 viewed alone they appear almost as a distinct form. 



A male taken on the slopes of Cerro Pirre, Darien, February 2, 

 1961, had the iris warm brown; bill greenish yellow; toes light mouse 

 brown ; claws gray, with darker tips of dusky neutral gray. 



Measurements. — Males (11 from the Canal Zone, Darien, and San 

 Bias), wing 217-229 (223.5), tail 116.3-132.3 (125.8), culmen from 

 cere 17.4-19.8 (18.6) mm. 



Females (9 from Canal Zone, Darien, San Bias, and northwestern 

 Colombia), wing 225-237 (233.7), tail 126.4-138.0 (132.4), culmen 

 from cere 19.3-22.0 (20.3) mm. 



Resident. Fairly common in Tropical and Subtropical Zone forests 

 from the Canal Zone east to the Colombian boundary. 



Records are as follows: Canal Zone (Barro Colorado Island, Rod- 

 man Navy Base, Juan Mina) ; Darien (to 600 meters elevation on 

 Cerro Pirre, Boca de Cupe and Boca de Paya on the Rio Tuira, mouth 

 of the Rio Tuquesa on the Rio Chucunaque, Upper Rio Tacarcuna, to 

 1,450 meters on Cerro Mali, and to 1,250 meters on Cerro Tacar- 

 cuna) ; San Bias (Mandinga, Armila). 



