NO. 2106. NOTES ON THE SPOTTED OWL—OBERHOLSER. 253 



amount of dark mottling on the legs and feet of these specimens, so 

 that this can not be a racial characteristic. The only characters, so 

 far as we can discover, which will distinguish Strix occidentalis Tiua- 

 chucae from Strix occidentalis occidentalis are the larger white markings 

 on scapulars, cervix, superior wing-coverts, and posterior lower parts; 

 together with the paler, often whitish bars on wing-quills and tail- 

 feathers. This increase of white is most conspicuous and most nearly 

 constant on the scapulars, only average on the other parts; but 

 taken altogether, seems sufficient for the recognition of the Arizona 

 race as distinguished from that of California. 



Another subspecies described as Syrnium ocddentale luddum from 

 Mount Tancitaro, Michoacan, Mexico, by Mr. E. W. Nelson,* was 

 diagnosed as follows: 



"Darker and with much less yellowish buffy suffusion throughout 

 than in S. ocddentale; white markings larger and clearer white." 



The type is identical in all respects with a specimen from Taylor 

 Creek, Socorro County, New Mexico, except for being not quite so 

 dark above as the latter. As a matter of fact, most of the birds in 

 the New Mexico and Arizona series are fully as dark as the type of 

 Strix occidentalis ludda, several of them even more deeply colored. 

 Another Mexican example, from Guanajuato, is the same as Strix 

 occidentalis ludda from Michoacan, though somewhat lighter than 

 the type, with almost immaculate white legs and feet and more 

 restricted white markings on the. upper surface. From others of the 

 Arizona and New Mexico series it can not be distinguished. Since, 

 furthermore, all the characters valid for the separation of Strix occi- 

 dentalis ludda from Strix occidentalis occidentalis are the same as 

 those distinguishing Strix ocddentalis huacliucae from Stnx occidentalis 

 occidentalis, it follows that Stnx occidentalis ludda and Stdx ocddentalis 

 Tiuachucae are identical. Thus the name of the Arizona race becomes 

 Strix ocddentalis ludda Nelson,* because this name has several years 

 priority over Stnx occidentalis huacliucae Swarth.^ 



The above comparisons necessarily involved an examination of 

 Stnx ocddentalis caunna, from Mount Vernon, Washington. This was 

 originally described ^ as differing from Stnx occidentalis ocddentalis 

 principally by reason of darker general coloration and reduced white 

 markings. The before-mentioned specimens from California prove 

 beyond reasonable doubt that Stnx occidentalis caurina is a synonym 

 of Stnx occidentalis ocddentalis, for all its peculiarities are to be found 

 among these California birds. Many of the specimens of Stnx ocd- 

 dentalis ludda from Arizona and New Mexico are fully as dark above 

 as is Strix ocddentalis caunna, and some are even darker ; several are 

 as dark below, with nearly the same amount of ochraceous suffusion 



1 Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., vol. 16, November 30, 1903, p. 152. 

 « Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool., vol. 7, No. 1, May 26, 1910, p. 3. 

 3 Merriam, Auk, vol. 15, 1S9S, p. 40. 



