i8q2.J Merriam 0)1 Megascofs ffammeolus idahoensis. lOQ 



contrabt with the white color on the same parts of /iiexica?ia, 

 and the deep, dark, retldish chestnut of the same parts in Af. gallo- 

 pavo^ the eastern United States bird. The lower back is a deep 

 blue black and is wanting in those brilliant metallic tints so prev- 

 alent in the eastern bird and in the type of viexicana. The 

 primaries of the wing are black with white bars in contrast with 

 M. gallopavo the primaries of which are white with black bars ; 

 in this respect the new race more nearly resembles M . g. mexl- 

 cana^ and approaches M. g. osceola of Florida described by 

 Scott, which has narrow, white bars on the primaries. The 

 adult female is darker than that of the other races, and the de- 

 cided dark ochraceous buH" edgings will scp irate it iVom the 

 white of mexicana and from the dark reddish chestnut of M. 

 gallopavo. \\\ the young of both sexes the edgings of all the 

 feathers ai'e paler or lighter than those of the adults, but in all 

 cases the buti' is present, while in the other races the edgings are 

 either red or white. 



It gives me pleasure to name this new Turkey after mv friend, 

 Mr. D. G. Elliot, who, both in his published works and in field 

 study has, in a greater degree than any other ornithologist, made a 

 specialty of the game birds of America. 



THE DWARF SCREECH OWL {MEGASCOPS 

 FLAMMEOLUS IDAHOENSIS MERRIAM). 



BY DR. C. HART MERRIAM. 



(Plate II.) 



In studying the bird life of a limited area in the summer sea- 

 son it is usually possible to secure specimens of most of the 

 diurnal species. Not so, however, with the Owls, and the ditli- 

 culty increases inversely with the size, and is greatly augmented 

 in the case of species that spend the day in holes in trees. As 

 a rule these species are obtained by chance. Who has not 

 heard small Owls about his camp fire at night for weeks, or even 

 22 



