Vol. XXl Stone, Generic Names of North American O-vh. ^75 



Family ASIONID.^. 



Genus Nyctalops Wagler, 1S32. Type N. stygins Wagl. 

 Asia Auct. {nee Brisson). 

 Otns Auct. {nee Pennant, nee Cuvier). 



366. Nycialops zvilsonianus (Less.). 



367. Nycialops accipitrinus (Pall.). 



Genus Asio Brisson, 1760. Type Strix bubo Linn., by elimination 



Otus Cuvier, 1799 {nee Pennant). 



Bilbo Dumeril, 1S06. 



Bubo/us Rafin., 1815. 

 375. Asio virginianus (Gmel.). 

 375rt. Asio V. pallescens (Stone). 

 375i^. Asio V. subarctic.us (Hoy). 

 375c. Asio V. saturattis (Ridgw.). 

 yt^d. Asio V. pacificus (Cassin). 



Genus Otus Pennant, 1769. Type O. bakkamccna Penn. 

 Scops Savigny, 1809. 

 Megaseops A. O. U. Check-List. 



373. Otus asio (Linn.). 



373rt. Otus a. Jioridanus (Ridgw.). 



373(5i. Otus a. mecalli (Cassin). 



373r. Otus a. bcndirei (Brevvst.). 



373c/. Otus a. kennieottii (Elliot). 



373^. Otus a. maxwellice (Ridgw.). 



373/". Otus a. cineraceus (Ridgw.). 



373^. Otus a. aikeni (Brewst.). 



373//. Otus a. maefarlanei (Brewst.). 



373.1. Otus trichopsis (Wagler.). 



374. Otus fiamtneola (Kaup). 



374«. Otus flammeola idahoetisis (Merriam). 



I regret very much to work such a revolution in the nomenclature 

 of such well-known birds as these owls, but it seems to me after 

 much careful study that these changes are inevitable if we follow 

 the rules in our Code of Nomenclature, and I consider the sooner 

 we have done with a disagreeable job the better. 



It will be noticed that the alterations are due entirely to the 

 discovery of the early use of the generic name Otus by Pennant 

 and by the enforcement of the rule relating to synonyms in the 

 case of Bubo Dumeril. Had Dr. Bowdler Sharpe been aware of 

 the former and realized the proper treatment of the latter case 

 when he wrote his excellent review of the owls in 1875 (Ibis, p. 



