V0l i8^ nI ] Stone, Xorth American Homed Owls. I ^ ^ 



former is of course a synonym pure and simple of B. virginianus 

 (Gmel.), while under pacificus he apparently intended to include 

 all western Horned Owls known to him and not coming under 

 arctic/is Swains. The diagnosis of pacificus, however, clearly 

 applies to the light-colored owls. Mr. Ridgway apparently 

 noticed this fact, and although he had at first used pacificus Cass, 

 for the dark owl of the Northwest and Rocky Mountain region, he 

 afterwards proposed the name saturatus for this form. 



According to the laws of nomenclature pacificus Cass, cannot be 

 ignored, and while its application to the light-colored western 

 Horned Owls seems sufficiently clear, the separation of the dark 

 western bird as saturatus Ridgw. emphasizes it still more. 



Just here, however, there is another point to consider, i. e., 

 whether there are not two well marked races of these light-colored 

 birds included under the old " subarcticus." 



I have for some years past noticed that the Horned Owls from 

 southern California differed from the light-colored examples from 

 farther east in their uniformly smaller size and the increased 

 mottling on the feathers of the tarsus. These differences I think 

 are sufficiently well marked to warrant the separation of the two 

 forms. 



The name pacificus Cass. (Dwarf Horned Owl) I would restrict 

 to the small southern California subspecies, as Cassin calls 

 particular attention to the general small size of examples of this 

 variety, and furthermore had California specimens in the series 

 that he studied. For the large form from the Great Plains I 

 would propose the name 



Bubo virginianus occidentalis. Western Horned Owl. 



The several races would then be distinguished as follows, 

 using in part the phraseology of Ridgway's ' Manual.' 



a' . Color darker, with dusky markings more extensive or more numer- 

 ous. Plumage much mixed with tawny or ochraceous. 



b'. Moderately dark, face mostly rusty and plumage with an excess 

 of tawny rufous. . . . Bubo virginianus (Gmel.). 



b". Extremely dark, face usually sooty brown mixed with whitish, 

 plumage with less tawny, sometimes none. 



B. virginianus saturatus Ridgw. 



