52 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



America, and the ^S*. atricapilla, Tenira., of Tropical America generally. The 

 colors, as may be expected, are also darker and richer. 



In the collection of tlie Smithsonian Institution there are both red and 

 gray birds from Florida ; a red one (No. 5,857, Indian Eiver ; Dr. A. W. 

 Wall) measures, wing, 5.50 ; tail, 2.70 ; culmen, .bb ; tarsus, 1.05 ; middle 

 toe, .65 ; ear-tufts, .70. The colors are much darker than those of typical 

 asio. The rufous of the neck, all around, shows obsolete darker transverse 

 bars ; the black border to the white scapular spots is restricted to the tip, as 

 in the gray plumage ; the inner webs of the ear-tufts are scarcely paler than 

 the outer; the neck and face are deeper rufous, while the rufous of the 

 lower parts is more general, and more in transverse rays ; tibiae and tarsi 

 plain rufous ; the middle of the abdomen and the anal region only are pure 

 white. • 



Scops asio, var. maccalli, Cass. 



WESTERN MOTTLED OWL. 



Scops maccalli, Cass. Birds Cal. & Tex. p. 180, 1850 ; Birds N. Am. 1858, 52. — Strickl. 

 Orn. Syn. I, 200, 1865. — Cofes, Prod. Orn. Ariz., p. 13, 1869. — Scl. k Salv. P. Z. S., 

 1808, 57 (= trichojjsis, "Wagl. Isis, 1832, 276! see remarks below). — Baird, Mex. 

 Bound. II, 4, pi. i. — Gray, Hand List, 1, 47, 1869. Scojts asio, var. maccalli (Eidg- 

 way) Coues, Key, 1872, 203. Ejihialtcs choliba (not of Vieillot !), Lawr. Ann. 

 N. Y. Lye. VI, 1853, p. 4. 



Char. Adult (9,147, Camp 118, New Mexico, February 10, 1854; Kennerly and 

 Mollhausen). Above cinereous, the ashy appearance being caused by a minute trans- 

 verse mottling of blackish and pale ashy, on a deeper ash ground ; each feather v^-ith a' 

 distinct medial stripe of black, these broadest on the forehead ; outer webs of only a few 

 scapulars white, these not bordered with black ; outer webs of two or three lower middle 

 and secondary coverts white. Secondaries with about seven transverse, mottled pale 

 bands ; primaries with about eight transverse series of white spots ; tail with about eight 

 narrow pale bands. 



Ear-coverts, cheeks, throat, neck, and jugulum finely and uniformly barred transversely 

 vf'iih. dusky and grayish-white ; the facial circle interrupted across the throat, where in its 

 place is a series of longitudinal black dashes. 



Lower parts grayish-white, with numerous, very narrow transverse bars of dusky, 

 rather more distant from each other than those of the neck, etc. ; each feather with a 

 medial narrow stripe of black, those on the breast forming conspicuous spots ; tibiae and 

 tarsi dull soiled white, with numerous spots of dark brown ; lower tail-coverts immacu- 

 late. Wing-formula, 3 = 4-2, 5, 6, 7, 8-1-9. Wing, 6.50: tail, 3.30; culmen, .55; 

 tarsus, 1.15; middle toe, .70; ear-tufts, .85. 



(A specimen from California (Stockton, E. S. Holden), kindly sent by Mr. Lawrence for 

 examination,, differs from the preceding in rather more brown ground-color above ; the 

 black shaft-streaks more obscure. In other respects as regards plumage it is the same, 

 an.d is typical maccalli. The size is less, it measuring, wing, 6.20; tail, 3.10.) 



Young (first full, but incomplete plumage ; 16,932, Cape St. Lucas, Lower California). 

 Secondaries, primaries, and tail as in the gray adult. Rest of the plumage transversely 

 barred with grayish-white and dusky, the latter predominating on the upper parts ; eye- 

 brows and lores white ; rings finely transversely mottled with white, this forming spots 



