10 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



cing of the grayish tints Ijy a bright lateritious-rufoiis, the pencilliiigs being 

 at the same time less well defined, and the pattern of the smaller markings 

 often changed. This condition seems to be somewhat analogous to melanism 

 in certain Falconidce, and appears to be more common in the genera Scops 

 and Glcmcidium (in which it affects mainly the tropical species), and occurs 

 also in the European Syrnium aluco. As studied with relation to our North 

 American sjDecies, we find it only in Scops asio and Glaucidium ferrugineum. 

 The latter, being strictly tropical in its habitat, is similarly affected through- 

 out its range ; but in the former we find that this condition depends nnich 

 upon the region. Thus neither Dr. Cooper nor I have ever seen a red spe- 

 cimen from the Pacific coast, nor do I find any record of such an occurrence. 

 Tlie normal gray plumage, however, is as common throughout that region as 

 in the Atlantic States. In the New England and Middle States tlie red plu- 

 mage seems to be more rare in most places than the gray one, wliile toward 

 the south the red predominates greatly. Of over twenty specimens obtained 

 in Southern Illinois (Mt. Carmel) in the course of one winter, only one was 

 of the gray ]»lumage ; and of the total number of specimens seen and se- 

 cured at other times during a series of years, we can remember but one other 

 gray one. As a parallel example among mammals, Professor Baird suggests 

 the case of the Eed-bellied Squirrels and Foxes of the Southern States, 

 whose relationships to the more grayish nortliern and western forms appear 

 to be about the same as in the present instance. 



Genus STRIX, Savigny. 



Strix, Savigny, 1809 {ncc Linn. 1735). (Tj'pe, Strix flammea, Linn.) 

 Stridula, Sellys-Longch, 1842. 

 Eustrinx, Webb & Berth. 1844. 

 Hyhris, Nitzsch. 



Gen. Char. Size medium. No ear-tufts ; facial ruff entirely continuous, very conspicu- 

 ous. Wing very long, the first or second quill longest, and all without emargination. Tail 



short, emarginated. Bill 

 elongated, compressed, reg- 

 ularly curved ; top of the 

 cere nearly equal to the 

 culmen, straight, and some- 

 what depressed. Nostril 

 open, oval, nearly horizontal. 

 Eyes very small. Tarsus 

 nearly twice as long as the 

 middle toe, densely clothed 

 with soft short feathers, 

 those on the posterior face 

 StrLr pratincola. inclined Upwards; toes 



scantily bristled ; claws ex- 

 tremely sharp and long, the middle one with its inner edge pectinated. Ear-conch nearly 



