SENNETT ON BIEDS OF THE RIO GRANDE OF TEXAS. 41 



scratched with white shaft-lines, bounded below by the pure white of the malar region. 

 Eyebrows white, pretty definitely bounded above by the color of the crown. Region 

 immediately about the bill whitish, but mixed with the long, heavy, black bristles that 

 project far beyond the bill, which latter is greenish at base, growing dull yellowish at 

 the end. The sparsely haired toes are somewhat like the bill ; the claws are brownish- 

 black. Iris lemon-yellow. Length about 6^ inches; alar expanse 14 ; wing 3^ ; tail 

 2i; tarsus f ; middle toe without claw about the same, its claw f. 



The foregoing description is taken from an adult male procured May 8, 1877,at Hidalgo, 

 Texas, by Mr. George B. Sennett — the second specimen known to have occurred within 

 our limits, the first having been discovered by Capt. C. Bendire, near Tucson, Arizona 

 in 1872. In the description, however, some allowance has been made for the known ■ 

 variations which the species presents. But the bird, like others of the genus, and like 

 many other Owls, is dichrous — that is, it occurs under two phases of coloration, one 

 being the "normal" plumage, as just given, the other being the condition known aa 

 crythrism, or rufescence. The latter is as follows : — 



Entire upper parts deep rufous-red, with the lighter markings of the head, «fcc., obso- 

 lete or entirely obliterated; tail the same, with dark bars scarcely traceable. Dark 

 cervical collar, however, conspicuous. White of the under parts tinged with yellowish 

 or fulvous ; the markings of the under parts similar in color to the ground of the upper 

 parts, but duller and paler; tibiae rufous, without markings. Gular collar blackish. 

 Various intermediate stages have been observed, and it is presumed that the species 

 is to be found in every degree of transition from the slightest departure from the normal 

 state to the complete assumption of the erythritic condition. 



9 : These color conditions are common to both sexes. The female is only distin- 

 guished from the male by her superior size. Length 7 inches or more ; wing 4 or rather 

 more; tail nearly 3; tarsus^. 



In extreme cases, the rufous becomes intense and almost uniform, a light rufous 

 replacing even the white of the under parts, and there being no traces left of bars on 

 the wings or tail. Mr. Ridgway speaks of having examined over fifty specimens, find- 

 ing " every possible shade" between the two extremes described. — E. C] 



About uooD ou May Sth, when about three miles from Hidalgo, as Mr. 

 Dean and 1 were riding toward the town, he asked me if I wanted a 

 Nigbthawk or something like it, high up in an ash-tree on his side 

 of the road. I told him to shoot, and 1 would soon tell him. After 

 firing, the bird sailed down into the thick woods. As soon as the 

 bird was "marked down", we plunged in with our horses, through the 

 thorns and undergrowth, and in a short time I found this beautiful little 

 Owl, with face down and wings spread out upon the ground, perfectly 

 lifeless. This was the first Owl smaller than Nyotale acadica, Acadian 

 Owl, that I had had ever captured. Small Owls were frequently heard 

 evenings and cloudy days when passing by the woods, but no others 

 were seen. 



402—^—6.50x14.00x3.50x2.45. May 8, Hidalgo. 



FALCONID^. 



Circus cyaneus hudsonius, (L.) Coues.— Marsh Eawlc. 



This is far the most common Hawk seen on the trip. We met it at 

 Galveston, Corpus Christi, and on the Eio Grande. Only a few in per- 

 fect blue plumage seen, and none secured. Two or three were shot, but, 

 falling in the dense chaparral, were lost to us. 



104— 5 —21.25 X 49.00 x 15.50 x 9.50. Mar. 27, Brownsville. 



