244 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



ASIO DOMINGENSIS DOMINGENSIS (Muller) 

 EISPANIOLAN SHORT-EARED OWL, LECHUZA, CHOTJETTE, CHAT-HUANT 



Strix dommgensis P. L. S. Muller, Vollst. Naturs. Suppl. Reg.-Band, 1776, 

 p. 70 (Hispaniola). 



Chouette ou Grande Cheveche de Saint-Domingue, Buffon, Hist. Nat. Ois., 

 vol. 1, 1770, pp. 392-393 (" Saint-Domingue"). 



Strix dominieensis Gmelin, Syst. Nat., vol. 1, pt. 1, 1788, p. 296 (His- 

 paniola).— Shaw, Gen. Zool., vol. 7, pt. 1, 1809, p. 261 (based on Buffon). 



?8trix dominieensis, Ritter, Naturh. Reis. Westind. Insel Hayti, 1836, p. 155 

 (specimen). 



Asio domingensis dommgensis, Wetmore, Proc. Biol. Soe. Washington, vol. 41, 

 October 15, 1928, pp. 165-166 (discussion of nomenclature). — Bond, Proc. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 80, 1928, p. 50 (St. Michel, specimen).— Moltoni, 

 Att. Soc. Ital. Scienz. Nat, vol. 68, 1929, p. 316 (Moca, San Juan, specimens). 



Resident; rare. 



W. L. Abbott collected a female of the native short-eared owl 

 March 19, 1922, at the Laguna Rincon, near Cabral, Dominican Re- 

 public. E. L. Ekman, under date of December 2, 1929, writes that 

 he obtained a pair near San Juan. The Ciferris collected specimens 

 at Moca October 12, 1927, San Juan February 3, 1928, and Sabana 

 San Thome, near San Juan May 30, 1928. Another, a male, was 

 secured by James Bond from four or five seen near St. Michel, Haiti, 

 March 4, 1928. Abbott notes that his bird had eaten a rail, 

 apparently a sora. 



That Buffon examined a specimen of the short-eared owl from 

 Hispaniola, and noted the peculiarities that distinguished this species 

 from the widespread Asio flammeus, has been overlooked in recent 

 decades. His remarks are as follows: 



" Cet oiseau nous a ete envoye de Saint-Domingue, & nous paroit etre une 

 espece nouvelle differente de toutes celles qui ont ete indiquees par tous les 

 Naturalistes ; nous avons cru devoir la rapporter par le nom a celle de la 

 chouette ou grande cheveche d'Europe, parce qu'elle s'en filoigne moins que 

 d'aucune autre ; mais dans le reel, elle nous paroit faire une espece a part, & 

 qui meriteroit un nom particulier ; elle a le bee plus grand, plus fort & plus 

 crochu qu'aucune espece de chouette, & elle differe encore de notre grande 

 cheveche, en ce qu'elle a le ventre d'une couleur rouffatre, uniforme, & qu'elle 

 n'a sur la poitrine que quelques taches longitudinales ; au lieu que la chouette 

 ou grande cheveche d'Europe, a sur la poitrine & sur le ventre le grandes taches 

 brunes, oblongues & pointues, que lui ont fait donner le nom de Chouette flam- 

 bee, noctua flammeata." 



The early authors who were so assiduous in coining Latin names 

 for all birds whose descriptions appeared in current literature did 

 not neglect this note of Buffon's as the species was styled Strix 

 domingensis by Muller in 1776 and Strix dominieensis by Gmelin in 

 1788. The bird must bear the first name mentioned, that of Muller. 



The species indicated by the Strix dominieensis of Ritter may be 

 the present one but that is not certain. 



