2 CO Hasbrouck, Distribution of North Americati Megascofs. \\u\y 



THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE 

 GENUS ME GAS CO PS IN NORTH AMERICA. 



BY EDWIN M. HASBROUCK. 



In the earlier accounts of travel and exploration in this country 

 the little Screech Owl is referred to by nearly every writer on 

 natural history. In 1 75S Linnaeus described and named the Red 

 Owl Strix as/o, and it remained for many years the sole known 

 representative of the genus Mcgascops. Later birds closely 

 related to this species were found in various quarters of the globe, 

 until now the genus may be said to have an almost cosmopolitan 

 distribution. 



In 1S32 it was discovered that material differences existed 

 between the birds of the eastern United States, and those from 

 the southwest, the latter being described as the Mexican Screech 

 Owl (Scops tric/iopsis). In 1854 a further separation occurred 

 when the Texan form (Scops mccallii) was described. Since 

 the discovery of the Texan race, ornithologists have come to rec- 

 ognize more and more the importance of fauna] areas, and the 

 evident relation to them of peculiar local forms. M. asio has 

 been divided into so many subspecific forms that there appears to 

 be absolutely no region left (in this country) from which a valid 

 form is likely to be described. So complicated and so little 

 understood is the group, that up to the present time no attempt 

 has been made to define the geographical distribution of its 

 numerous forms. Future data must necessarily make some 

 changes in the details of distribution as here mapped, particularly 

 in the case of southern species which as yet are little known, but 

 with these exceptions it is hardly probable that any material 

 differences will be effected. 



The persent paper includes all members of the Megiscops 

 group known to occur north of Panama, a total number of twenty- 

 one 1 forms, of which ten are full species, and eleven subspecies, 

 as follows. 



'Three forms recently described by Brewster, aikeni, macfarlanei, and saturatus have 

 not as yet been admitted to the A. O. U. list of North American birds, but are 

 included here as they appear to rest on a good basis. 



