STKiaiD^ — THE OWLS. 87 



smallest of all known Owls, and has the general asjoect of a GlaucidiuM. 

 From the fact that feathers of birds were found in its stomach, we may 

 reasonably infer that it is of exceedingly rapacious habits, like the species 

 of that genus. 



Species. 



M. whitneyi. Above grayish olive-brown, sprinkled with small, rather 

 obscure, spots of pale rusty, and interrupted by a whitish nuchal collar ; 

 outer webs of the lower series of scapulars pure white. Wings spotted 

 with white and pale fawn-color ; tail grayish-brown, crossed by live to six 

 narrow interrupted bands of pale fawn-color. Eyebrows and lores pure 

 white ; a cravat of the same on the chin. Beneath white, marked with large, 

 rather longitudinal, ragged blotches of pale rusty, mottled with dusky. 

 Bill pale greenish ; iris yellow. Length, 5.50 - 6.25 ; extentof wings, 14:.25- 

 15.25 (measurements of freshly killed specimens). Wing, 4.00 -4.40 ; tail, 

 1.90 - 2.30. Hab. Fort Mohave, California (April), and Socorro Island, 

 west coast of Mexico. 



Micrathene whitneyi, Coles. 



WHITNEY'S OWL. 



Athene wMtnerji, Coopek, Proc. Cal. Acad. Sc. 1861, p. 118. Micrathene whitiieyi, CouES, 

 Pr. Ac. Nat. Sc. Philad. 1866, 15. — Elliot, Ilhist. Am. B. I, xxix. — Grayson 

 (Lawrence), Ann. N. Y. Lye. — Coues, Key, 1872, 207. 



Sp. Char. Adult {$, 208, J. G. Cooper, Fort Mohave, Cahfornia, April 26, 1861). 

 Above umber-brown (less pure and uniform than in Glaucidium), each feather with an 

 irregular, transversely elliptical spot of pale rufous, these largest on the forehead, border- 

 ing the white eyebrows ; the feathers ever_ywhere minutely mottled transversely with 

 darker, this being most noticeable where bordering the yellowish spots. Scapulars with 

 their outer webs almost wholly white. Wings with the ground-color a little darker than 

 the back ; lesser coverts with numerous spots of light rufous, there being two on each 

 feather, one concealed ; middle and secondary coverts with a very large oval spot of 

 pure white terminating the outer webs, the white spot on the latter preceded by a pale 

 rufous one. Secondaries with five (exposed) bands of pale ochraceous (the last terminal), 

 these passing into white on the edge; primary coverts with three large ochraceous spots; 

 primaries with about six (including the terminal) conspicuous spots of the same, those an- 

 terior to the emargination, on the third, fourth, and fifth quills, almost white. Tail like 

 the wings, but more uniform ; crossed by six irregular narrow bands of pale ochraceous, 

 the last, or terminal, of which is not well defined ; these do not touch the shaft, and 

 on the inner webs they are pure white. Lores and eyebrows, cheeks, lining of the 

 wings, and ground-color of the lower parts, white ; ear-coverts and sub-orbital space 

 like the crown, but more rusty ; lateral lower parts much washed with plumbeous, this 

 especially prevalent on the flanks. Behind the sharply defined white of the cheeks is a 

 lilack transverse wash. Throat, jugulum, breast, and abdomen, with each feather having 

 a medial longitudinal ragged-edged blotch of pale rufous, these blotches most clearly 

 defined on the abdomen, more confused anteriorly ; anal region and tibite almost immacu- 

 late ; tibiie with numerous transverse narrow blackish bars, on a pale ochraceous ground. 

 Lining of the wing faintly spotted at the bend, and on the primary coverts, the terminal 

 half of which is plain dusky ; under surface of primaries blackish, with obscure transverse 

 paler spots, — those anterior to the emargination almost white; those beyond darker, the 



