38 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 66 
group, are now known to inhabit the highlands of Mexico and 
Guatemala and of the Philippines (Luzon), but the presence of a 
form of White-winged Crossbill within the tropics was wholly 
unexpected. The new bird, recently described as Loria megaplaga, 
closely resembles its Boreal relative in color, but possesses a much 
heavier bill, the mandibles approximating in bulk those of the Red 
Crossbills, whereas those of the White-winged species are of much 
feebler build (see fig. 39). 
Another problem in distribution is furnished by a new species of 
Brachyspiza, obtained at Constanza, at an elevation of about 4,000 
feet. Brachyspiza is a genus of non-migratory sparrows, ranging 
Fic. 39.—Upper figure, Santo Domingo Crossbill (Loxia megaplaga), show- 
ing heavy bill. Lower figure, White-winged Crossbill (Loxia leucoptera), 
showing slender bill. 
from the mountains of Mexico to Chili, with related species in 
British Guiana and Curacao, but hitherto not recorded from any part 
of the West Indies proper. The discovery of a species of this genus 
in the mountains of Santo Domingo is noteworthy, particularly as 
the new bird (Brachyspiza antillarum) is more nearly related to the 
mainland bird (B. capensis peruviensis) than to the form from 
Curacao (B. capensis insularis). A large owl (Asio noctipetens) 
found at Constanza proved to be new, though not distantly related 
to a species of Cuba and Mexico. The Santo Domingo Barn Owl 
(Tyto glaucops), described many years ago, but still very rare in 
museums, is represented by three fine specimens, the first received by 
the National Museum. Five examples of the equally rare Narrow- 
