STRIGID.E — THE OWLS. H 



as long as the height of the head, with an anterior operculum, which does not extend its 

 full length ; the two ears symmetrical ? 



The species of Strix are distributed over the whole world, though only 

 one of them is cosmopolitan. This is the common Barn Owl {S. Jlammea), 

 the type of the genus, which is found in nearly every portion of the world, 

 though in different regions it has experienced modifications which constitute 

 geographical races. The other species, of more restricted distribution, are 

 peculiar to the tropical portions of tlie Old World, chiefly Australia and 

 South Africa. 



Synopsis of the Races of S. flammea. 



S. flammea. Face varying from pure white to dehcate claret-brown ; facial 

 circle varying from pure white, through ochraceous and rufous, to deep black. 

 Upper parts with the feathers ochraceous-yellow basally; this overlaid, more or 

 less continuously, by a grayish wash, usually finely mottled and speckled, with 

 dusky and white. Primaries and tail barred transversely, more or less distinctly, 

 with distant dusky bands, of variable number. Beneath, varying from pure 

 snowy white to tawny rufous, immaculate or speckled. Wing, 10.70 - 13.50. 



Wing, 10.70-12.00; tail, 4.80 -5.50; culmen, .75-.80; tarsus, 2.05 -2.15 , • 

 middle toe, 1.25 - 1.30. Tail with four dark bands, and sometimes a trace 

 of a fifth. Hab. Europe and Mediterranean region of Africa . \ax. flammea.'^ 



Wing, 12.50-14.00; tail, 5.70-7.50; culmen, .90-1.00; tarsus, 2.55- 

 3.00. Tail with four dark bands, and sometimes a trace of a fifth. Colors 

 lighter than in var. flammea. Hah. Southern North America and Mexico. 



var. pr atincola. 

 Wing, 11.30-13.00; tail, 5.30-5.90: tarsus, 2.55-2.95. Colors of var. 

 flammea, but more uniform above and more coarsely speckled below. Hab. 

 Central America, from Panama to Guatemala .... var. guatemalce.^ 



1 Strix flammea, var. flammea. Strix flamxmea, Linn. S. N. I, 133, 1766, et AucT.- 

 Stkickl. Orn. Syu. I, 1855, 178. Strix alba. Scop. Ami. 1st, p. 21, 1768. — Gmel. S. N. 

 293. — Lath. — Daud. — Lep. and Shaw. Strix guttata, Bp.ehm, ^og. Deutschl. p. 106, 

 1831. Hab. Europe and Africa. 



2 Strix flammea, var. gimtcmahc, Kidgway. Central American specimens differ very appre- 

 ciably from Mexican and North American examples, in being considerably darker-colored in 

 the extreme phases of plumage. Eight of eleven specimens convey an impression of decided 

 difference in this respect at a mere casual glance. The extremes of plumage in this series are as 

 follows : — Darkest (No. 40,961, Chimaudega, Nicaragua ; F. Hicks) : The dusky mottling of 

 the upper parts is altogether darker than in any example from Mexico or northward, and pre- 

 vails, with great uniformity, over the entire surface ; tlie white specks are linear, instead of 

 roundish. On the primaries and tail, the lilackish and ochraceous are about equal in extent, the 

 latter color forming five bands on the (piills, and four on the tail. The facial circle is bright 

 dark orange above the ears, and the portion Ijelow the ears continuoiis black ; the face is red- 

 dish-white, strongl}' tinged with wine-brown, while the spot in front of the eye is deep black. 

 Tlie whole lower parts ai-e deep orange.-ochraceous, with numerous irregular specks of dusk}', 

 which posteriorly become broken or confused into ragged zigzag transverse mottlings, while 

 on the lower tail-coverts they form irregular transverse bars. Wing-fornnila, 2, 1 - 3. Wing, 

 13.00; tail, 5.90; culmen, .85; tarsus, 2.90; middle toe, 1.50. Lightest (No. 41,252, $, 

 San Jose, Costa Rica, Aug. 23, 1865 ; Jose C. Zeledon) : The dark tint above, though prev- 

 alent, is a continuous wash of grayish, instead of a fine mottling of blackish and white ; the 

 white specks are nearly obsolete. The wings are superficially jjlain grayish, this overlaying the 

 ground-color of ochraccous-orange ; and have visible spots only on the primaries, near their 



