THE BIRDS OF HAITI AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 239 



The story runs that on February 1, 1788 M. l'Abbe Madoule, master 

 of mathematics, M. le Comte de Bermont, and M. Toupin climbed to 

 the summit of La Selle from the northwest at about ten leagues from 

 Port-au-Prince. They found trees covered with moss, the ground 

 torn by the rootings of wild pigs, and reported an abundance of 

 pigeons, thrushes, and woodpeckers. From eight in the evening un- 

 til one in the morning they heard hollow cries imitating the human 

 voice that they attributed to some nocturnal bird, as they had seen 

 feathers resembling those of a swan at the edge of sort of a den or 

 cavern. The account is so definite as to suggest that they may have 

 heard the calls of Tyto ostologa. As these adventurers noted that 

 the feathers examined were like those of a swan we may suppose 

 that they were white, which maj' be a clue to the color of this bird. 



There is no indication that this species, which was far larger than 

 any others now recorded for its family, is still living. It must be 

 considered one of the most extraordinary members of a highly 

 interesting extinct fauna. 



Family STRIGIDAE 87 



SPEOTYTO CUNICULARIA TROGLODYTES, new name 



HISPANIOLAN BURROWING OWL, CHOUETTE A TERRIER, COU-COU, 



COTJ-COU TERRE 



Speotyto dominicensis Cory, Auk, 1S86, p. 471 (Haiti). 



Buhio de paja, Oviedo, Hist. Gen. Nat. Indias, Libr. 14, Cap. 7; Reprint, 

 Madrid, 1851, p. 446 (recorded). 



Chouette, Saint-M£ry. Descrip. Part. Franr. lie Saint-Domingue, vol. 1, 1797, 

 p. 263 (Dondon). 



6T The small eared owl described and figured by Vieillot (Hist. Nat. Ois. Am6r. Sept.. 

 vol. 1, 1807, pp. 53-54, pi. 22) as le Hibou Nudipede, Bubo nudipes, is currently Identified 

 as a species found in Central America. In the original description Vieillot gives no 

 locality, stating of his specimen only " de ma collection." On page 45 of the work cited, 

 however, in discussing the chouette nudipfdc of Porto Rico, which is Oymnasio nudipes, 

 be says " cette Chouette porte un vetement qui a de 1'analogie avec celui du Hibou 

 nudipede ; mais ses couleurs ne sont pas nuanc^es et distributes tout-a-fait de m§me. 

 Le Hibou a les plumes de la tete elevens en forme d'aigrettes, la Chouette les a aussi 

 courtes que les autres. * * * L'une et l'autre se trouvent a Saint-Domingue et a 

 Porto-Ricco." The same author later (Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat., vol. 7, 1817, p. 46) bases 

 the name Strix psilopoda on the plate cited above, stating that " on le trouve a Saint- 

 Domingue et a Porto-Ricco." In the Tabl. Meth., Ornith., vol. 3, 1823, p. 1282, he 

 uses this latter name again saying that the bird is found on both the islands mentioned. 



It is true that the decription and plate agree closely with the Central American owl 

 currently known as Otus nudipes, except that the figured bird has a more rounded tail, 

 but at the same time it is curious that if it is that species Vieillot should have given 

 the range as " Saint-Domingue et Porto-Ricco " as he collected personally on the first 

 island mentioned. Further at that date there were few specimens accessible to him from 

 the region extending from Costo Rica to Panama, the range of the species to which the 

 name is cow attributed. 



In this connection it may be noted that Oviedo (Hist. Gen. Nat. Indias, Libr. 14, cap. 

 7; Reprint, Madrid, 1851, p. 446) describes a small eared owl from the Dominican 

 Republic saying " hay buhos, pero muy chiquitos <5 no mayores que las lechugas que he 

 dicho [referring to the burrowing owl], 6 assi aquellas orejas 6 cuernos levantados en 

 le cabega y de proprio plumaje, 6 los ojos pequenos a proporcion del cuerpo ; pero muy 

 claros, como los buhos de Espafia." 



In view of the above it seems not impossible that a small eared owl may exist in 

 Hispaniola, a matter that 6hould be borne in mind in future investigations. 



