366 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



DESCRIPTIOIV OF A ViEW OWt. FROM JPOBTO RICO. 



By ROBEKT BII>C}\%^AY. 



ASIO POETOEIOENSIS, Sp. UOV. 



Sp. ch. — Above dnsky brown, nearly or quite uniform on the dorsal 

 region; the scapulars, however, narrowly bordered with pale ochraceous 

 or dull buif ; feathers of the head narrowly, and those of the nape 

 broadly, edged with bufl'y ; rumi> and upper tail-coverts paler brown 

 or fawn-color, the feathers marked near their tips by a crescentic bar 

 of dark brown. Tail deep ochraceous, crossed by about five distinct 

 bands of dark brown, these very narrow on the lateral rectrices, but 

 growing gradually broader toward the intermediae, which are dark 

 brown, with five or six pairs of ochraceous spots (corresponding in i)osi- 

 tion to the ochraceous interspaces on the other tail feathers), these spots 

 sometimes having a central small brown blotch. Wings witli dark brown 

 prevailing, but this much broken by a general and conspicuous spotting 

 of ochraceous ; primaries crossed with bands of dark brown and deep 

 ochraceous, the latter broadest on the outer quills, the pictura of which 

 is much as in A. accipitrinus, but with the lighter color usually less ex- 

 tended. Face with dull, rather pale, ochraceous prevailing; this becom- 

 ing nearly white exteriorly, where bordered, around the side of the 

 head, by ^ uniform dark brown post-auricular bar; eyes entirely sur- 

 rounded by uniform dusky, this broadest beneath and behind the eye. 

 Lower parts pale ochraceous or bufi", the crissum, anal region, tarsi, and 

 tibiiie entirely immaculate ; jugulum and breast marked with broad 

 stripes of dull brown, the abdomen, sides, and flanks with narrow stripes 

 or streaks of the same. Lining of the wing nearly immaculate ochra- 

 ceous. Bill dusky; iris yellow. Wing, 11.25- 12.tK); tail, 5.25-5.50; 

 culmen, .70; tarsus, 1.85-2.00; middle toe, 1.20-1.30. 

 JSab. — Porto Eico. 



In "History of North American Birds," Vol. Ill, p. 25, under the head 

 of " Otus hrachyotus,''^ reference was made to this form of the Short-eared 

 Owl, as follows : "A specimen from Porto Eico (No. 39G43) is somewhat 

 remarkable on account of the prevalence of the dusky of the upper 

 parts, the unusually few and narrow stripes of the lower parts, the 

 rouudish ochraceous spots on the wings, and in having the i)rimaries 

 barred to the base. Should all other specimens from the same region 

 agree in these characters, they might form a diagnosable race. The 

 plumage has an abnormal appearance, however, and I much doubt 

 whether others like it will ever be taken." That the latter unfortu- 

 nate prediction was quite unnecessary is fully demonstrated by three 

 additional specimens kindly sent me for examination by Mr. George 

 N. Lawrence, all of which closely resemble the one in the National 



