IozL Stejneger, Analecta Ornithologica. [April 



Next comes Megascops of Kaup, concerning the type of 

 which authors seem to be at variance. The case, however, is 

 plain enough. In 'Isis' for 1848, p. 769, Kaup enumerates five 

 species under the subgenus Megascops, the first one being L Sc. 

 indica Gmel.,' while Sc. asio is only mentioned as No. 4. But 

 on p. 765, where he mentions the term for the first time, he 

 writes "Megascops (Scops asio, etc.)," by the species in paren- 

 thesis explaining the subgeneric appellation, which may there- 

 fore safely be said to have asio for type. Besides, the two 

 species mentioned are undoubtedly congeneric, so that the name 

 is applicable whichever may be regarded as the type. 

 The North-American species will stand thus : 

 R. 402. — Megascops* asio {Linn.). 



402a. — Megascops asio floridanus (Ridgiv.). 

 402*5. — Megascops asio maccalli (Cass.). 

 402c. — Megascops asio maxwelliae (Ridgzv.). 

 dpzd. — Megascops asio kennicotti (Elliot). 

 — Megascops asio bendirei (Breivst.). 



403. — Megascops trichopsis ( Wagl.). 



404. — Megascops flammeolus (Licht.). 



XXVIII. On Gyrfalcons. 



In Scandinavia only two Gyrfalcons are known to occur, the 

 common so-called 'Brown Gyrfalcon,' or the typical Falco gyr- 

 falco, and the form with whitish black-streaked head, usually 

 attributed to Iceland and South Greenland (cf. Collett, N. Mag. 

 Natur. XXVI, 18S1, p. 329). Both of these were known to 

 Linnaeus, who described the former as F. gyrfalco, the latter 

 as F. rusticolus. The first of these names is not any longer a 

 matter of dispute. The latter ought not be, for his diagnosis: 

 "Falco cera palpebris pedibusque luteis, corpore cinereo al- 

 boque undulato, collari albo. Habitat in Svecia" is clear 

 enough, and better than his diagnosis of F. gyrfalco. He 

 seems not, however, to have recognized the white Gyrfalcon, 

 which was well known to Briinnich. The latter describes, under 

 the specific name of islandus, three different birds, which he 

 considers "sine dubio varietates quas soli Daniae Regi vendere 



* Deriv. Gr. pryds = great ; o-komJ/ = a. kind of Owl. 



