SCOTIAPTEX. 259 



north to more southern British Provinces; south to Georgia and 



northern Texas 368. S. nebulosum (FoRST.). Barred Owl. 



i 2 . Top of toes naked, except a small pointed strip on outer side of basal joint 

 of middle toe. 



Plumage essentially as in S. nebulosum, but averaging slightly darker. 

 Hab. Gulf States, from Florida (and lower Georgia ?) to Texas. 



368a. S. nebulosum alleni EIDGW. Florida Barred Owl. 



a 2 . Head and neck deep brown, marked with roundish white spots ; whole of lower 

 parts barred and transversely spotted with brown. 



Length about 19.00, wing 12.00-13.50, tail 8.50-9.00, culmen .90. Egg 2.05 

 X 1.80. Hab. Highlands of Mexico, north to New Mexico, Arizona, 

 California, and Lower California. 



369. S. occidentale XANTUS. Spotted Owl. 



GENUS SCOTIAPTEX SwAmsoN. 1 (Page 256, pi. LXXYLL, fig. 3.) 



Species. 



COMMON CHARACTERS. Dusky grayish brown and grayish white, the former 

 prevailing above, the latter predominating beneath ; the upper surface varied by 

 irregular markings having a transverse tendency, the lower parts with the dark 

 markings in the form of ragged longitudinal stripes, giving way to transverse bars 

 on the flanks; face grayish white, with narrow concentric rings of dusky; bill pale 

 yellow; iris yellow; toes very densely clothed with hair-like feathers; length 

 25.00-30.00, extent 54.00-60.00, wing about 16.00-18.00, tail 11.00-12.50, culmen 

 1.00. 



a 1 . Plumage with dark sooty tints predominating, the inner webs of primaries with- 

 out a distinct whitish patch on basal portion. Nest usually in trees. Eggs 

 2-3, 2.16 X 1-71. Hab. Northern North America, breeding far northward; 

 south, in winter, to northern border of United States. 



370. S. cinereum (&MEL.). Great Gray Owl. 



a*. Plumage with light mottled brownish gray and grayish white prevailing, the 

 inner webs of quills with distinct whitish patch on basal portion. Downy 

 young : " Upper parts very much darker than in the adult, dull (almost 

 sooty) chocolate-brown ; the head covered with close dark feathers very 

 slightly tipped with whitish brown ; upper parts very little marked with 

 white ; facial disk scarcely defined ; under parts sooty brown closely barred 

 with dull white ; wings and tail much darker than in the adult, the outer 

 primaries only indistinctly barred with dull grayish brown." (DRESSER.) 



1 Scotiaptex SWAINS., Classif. B. ii. 1837, 217. Type, Strix cinerea GMEL. 



NOTE. The substitution of Ulula CUT. for Scotiaptex SWAINS, as the name for this genus was an error. 

 Strix uralensis PALL., the type of Ulula, I am now convinced, from recent very careful examination and com- 

 parison with both S. cinera and Strix striduln LINN, (the latter being the type of the genus Syrnium SAVION.), 

 is much more nearly related, structurally and otherwise, to the latter, so much so, in fact, that Ulula can rank 

 at most only as a subgenus of Syrnium. 



