STRIGIDvE — THE 0WL8. g7 



smallf^st of all known Owls, and has the general aspect of a Glnucidium. 

 From the fact that feathers of birds were iound in its stomach, we may 

 reasonably infer tluit it is of exceedingly rapacious habits, like the species 

 of that genus. 



Species. 



M. whitneyi. Above grayish olivc-bi-own, sprinkled with small, rather 

 obscure, spots of pale rusty, and interrupted by a whitish nuchal collar ; 

 outer M-ebs of the lower series of scapulars pure white. Wings spotted 

 with white and pale fawn-color; tail grayish-brown, crossed by live to six 

 narrow interrupted bands of pale fawn-color. Eyebrows and lores pure 

 white ; a cravat of the same on the chin. Beneath white, marked with large, 

 rather longitudinal, ragged blotches of pale rusty, mottled with dusky. 

 Bill pale greenish ; iris yellow. Length, 5.50 - 0.25 ; extentof wings, 14.25- 

 15.25 (measurements of freshly killed specimen.'s). Wing, 4.00 - 4.40 ; tail, 

 1.90 - 2.30. Hub. Fort Mohave, California (April), and Socorro Island, 

 west coast of Mexico. 



Micrathene whitneyi, Coues. 



WHITNEY'S OWL. 



Athene whitneyi, C'oopeh, Proe. C'al. Aead. .So. IStil, p. 118. Micrathene whitneyi, CouEs, 

 Tr. Ac. Nat. .Sc. Phihul. 18(56, 15. — Em.iot, lllu.st. Am. B. I, xxix. — UiiAVSos 

 (Lawrence), Ann. N. Y. Lye. — (.'ori:s, Key, 1872, 207. 



Sp. Ciau. Adidl {$, 208, J. G. Cooper, Fort Mohave, California, April 26, 18G1). 

 Above u'nlier-brown (less pure and uniform than in Glaucidium), each feather with an 

 irregular, t. i.isversely elliptical .spot of pale rufous, these largest on the forehead, border- 

 ing the white eyebrows; the feathers everywhere minutely mottled transversely with 

 darker, this being most noticeable where l)ordering the yellowish .^spots. Scapulars with 

 their outer webs almost wholly white. Wings with the ground-color a little darker than 

 the back ; lessor coverts with numerous spots of light rufous, there being two on each 

 feather, one concealed ; middle and secondary coverts with a very largo oval spot of 

 pure white terminating the outer webs, Uie white spot on the latter preceded by a pale 

 rufous one. Secondaries with five (exposed) bands of pale oehraceous (the last terminal), 

 these p.xssing into white on the edge; primary coverts with three large oehraceous spots; 

 primaries with about six (including the terminal) conspicuous spots of the same, those an- 

 terior to the emargination, on the third, fourth, and fifth quills, almost white. Tad like 

 the wings, but more uniform ; crossed by six irregular narrow bands of pale oehraceous. 

 the last, or terminal, of which is not well defined ; these do not touch the .shaft, and 

 on the inner webs they are pure white. Lori\s and eyebrows, cheeks, lining of the 

 wings, and ground-color of the lower parts, white ; ear-coverts and snb-orbital space 

 like the crown, Init more rusty ; lateral lower parts much washed witii plumbeous, this 

 especially prevalent on the flanks. Behind the .shar))ly defined white of the cheeks is a 

 black trinsverse wash. Throat, jugulum, breast, and abdomen, with each feather having 

 a medi.il longitudinal ragged-edged blotch of pale rufous, these blotches most clearly 

 defined on the abdomen, more eonfiised anteriorly ; anal region and tibiic almost immaeu- 

 lale ; tibisB with numerous transverse narrow blackish bars, on a pale oehraceous ground. 

 Lining of the wing fiiintly spotted at the bend, and on the primary coverts, the terminal 

 half of which is plain du.sky ; under surface; of primaries blackish, with obscure transverse 

 paler spots, — tho.se anterior to the emargination almost white; those beyond darker, tho 



