222 GutxNEu., New Pigmy Owls. [April 



TWO NEW RACES OF THE PIGMY OWL FROM THE 

 PACIFIC COAST. 



BY J. GKINNELL. 



(Contribution from the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the 

 University of California.) 



Students of California!) birds have long been aware of the 

 existence within this state of two readily distinguishable races of 

 the Pigmy Owl. One inhabits the humid coast belt south to 

 Monterey County, the other occupies the relatively much more 

 arid Sierra Nevada, and mountain ranges of southern California. 

 The first-indicated subspecies has borne the nruie Glaucidium gnoma 

 californicum; the second, having been assumed to be the same as 

 the Rocky Mountain bird, was called, in common with the latter, 

 Glaucidium gnoma gnoma. 



Beyond a haunting suspicion that the Californian interior bird 

 might prove different, upon comparison of actual specimens, from 

 that of the Rocky Mountain region, the situation remained un- 

 changed until, in 1910, E. W. Nelson (Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. 

 XXIII, p. 103) named the Rocky Mountain Pigmy Owl as dis- 

 tinct from the true G. g. gnoma at the southern end of the Mexican 

 Tableland. The northern bird received the name Glaucidium 

 gnoma ynnicola. In Nelson's description of it comparison is made 

 with not only. true gnoma but also with californicum,, the latter 

 name being clearly used foi the small, reddish-brown humid coasl 

 race. 



These comparative remarks at once aroused a query as to the 

 relationships of the Californian interior bird; and the writer for- 

 warded to Mr. Nelson two southern California specimens for criti- 

 cal examination. These he pronounced to be riot his G. g. pinicola, 

 but probably representative of a distinct new subspecies. Since 

 the only question in the writer's mind was in regard to the dis- 

 tinctness between the Californian interior race and Nelson's 

 yinicola of the Rocky Mountains, the course of action seemed to be 

 perfectly clear, that is, to formally name the southern California 



