BIRDS — STRIGINAE — SCOPS ASIO. 



51 



as at all strictly geographical, nor not so mucli so as intimated in our notice of them alluded to 

 ahove. We have, for instance, in this collection the variety Bubo virginianus atlanticus, from 

 Bodega, California, (in the collection made by the party commanded by Lieutenant W. P. 

 Trowbridge, United States army,) and the variety ardicus, from various localities in California 

 and New Mexico. The variety atlanticus, from California, we cannot distinguish from the 

 common bird of the States on the Atlantic seaboard. 



List of specimens. 



SCOPS, Savigny. 



Savignt, Nat. Hist. Egypt, I, p. 105, (1809.) 



Size small ; ear tufls conspicuous. Head large ; facial disc imperfect in front and about the eyes ; bill short, nearly covered 

 ^7 projecting feathers ; wings long ; tail rather short, and frequently curved inwards ; tarsi rather long, more or less fully 

 covered with short feathers ; toes long, generally partially covered with hair like feathers ; head large. 



General form short and compact. This genus contains twenty- five to thirty species of small 

 owls, inhabiting all parts of the world except Australia. 



SCOPS ASIO, Linn. 



The Mottled Owl ; the Screech Owl. 



Strix asio, Linn. Syst. Nat. I, p. 132, (1766.) 



Strix naevia, Gm. Syst. Nat. I, p. 289, (1788.) 



Bubo striatus, Vieill. Ois. d'Am. Sept. I, p. 54, (1808.) 



FiGtiRES.— Catesby's Nat. Hist. Carolina I, pi. 7 ; VieilL Ois. d'Am. Sept. I, pi. 21 ; Temm. pi. col. 80 ; Wilson Am. Orn. 

 pi. 19, fig. 1, pi. 42, fig. 1 ; Aud. B. of Am. pi. 97 : Oct. ed. I, pi. 40 ; Nat. Hist. New Yorlt, Birds, pi. 12, figs. 25, 26. 



Short and compact ; ear tufts prominent ; tail short ; tarsi rather long. 



•iduU. — Upper parts pale ashy brown with longitudinal lines of brownish black, and mottled irregularly with the same, and 



