24 



NORTH AMKRICAN lURDS. 



9 (1,0")!), Dr.Klliot Coiies's (•"llcction, Wasliiiijrion, D. (".). Wincr-roriniiln, 2-3- 1-4. 

 Win,!,', l.'i.DO; tail, (1.10; (■iilnicn, .(i.". ; Imsiis, l.Sd: middle lo(>, 1.^(1. 



IlAn. Kiilirc I'ontineiil and adjacent islands nf Anieiiea ; also Enrope, Asia, Africa, 

 I'dlyiicsia. and Sandwich Islands. 



Loealilies: Oax.ara (Sci.. P. /,. S. 1850, ;!!)()); Cuba (("ah. ,ronni. Ill, 10,"); fJcNm.. 

 Ki>lit, ISO,"), 2'J."), wesi end) ; Arizona (Coi'KS, P. A. N. S. 18(i(>, 50) : Brazil (Pi;i,z. Oin. 

 liras. I, 1(1) ; lineiios Ayres (.•^ci.. ct S.u.v. P. Z. S. ISGS, M;;); tMiilc (Piili.irri, Mns. S. I.). 



In vit'W of tlio mitiuijfililo imUuc of tlic iliUbrences ln'tween tlio American 

 and Kuropwui Sliort-eiirod Owls (.seMoni at all appvooiahlo, and wlien appreri- 

 alilo not constant), we cannot ailmit a ilill'erence even of race between 

 tlicni. In fact, tins species seems lo lie the only one of tlie Owls conunon 

 til tlie two continents in wliich an American specimen cannot lie dis- 

 tinguishcil from the Enropcan. The average plnniage of the American 

 representative is a shade or two darker than tiiat of Kuropean e.xamples ; 

 bnt the lightest specimens 1 have seen are .several from the Ynkon region 

 in Ala.ska, and one from California (No. 6,888, Suisiin Valley). 



Not only am 1 unable to appreciate any tangible differences between 

 European and North American examiiles, but I fail to detect characters of 



the least importance whereby these 

 may be distinguished from South 

 American and Sandwich Island 

 specimens (" (/alojHigunmi.s, Gould," 

 and " scoulwiclicnsis, IMox."). Oidy 

 two specimens, among a great 

 many from South America (Para- 

 guay, Ihienos Ayres, lirazil, etc.), 

 are at all distinguishable from 

 Northern American. Tiiese two 

 (Nos. 13,887 and i::{,888, Chile) 

 are somewhat darker than others, 

 but not so dark as No. 10,020,9, 

 from Fort Crook, California. A 

 specimen fron\ the Sandwich Isl-- 

 ands (No. 13,8i)U) is nearly identi- 

 cal Mith these Chilean birds, the 

 only observable difl'erence consist- 

 ing in a more blackish forehead, 

 and in having just noticeable dark shaft-lines on the lower tail-coAcrts. 



lu the geographical variations of this species it is seen that the average 

 plumage of North American specimens is just appreciably darker than 

 that of Em-oi)ean, while tropical specimens have a tendency to be 

 still darker. T know of no bird so widely distributed which varies sf) 

 little in the different parts of its habitat, unless it be the Coh/lc rij)aria, 

 which, however, is not found so far to the south. The difference, in this 



Otus hrarliyotu.i. 



