No. 3.] 



SENXETT ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF TEXAS. 



417 



93. Strix FLAM]vn<:A Americana (And.) Coues. — Barn Owl. 



Common on the Lower llio Gran<l(% newtin^ in tlie Kteej) bunlcs of tlie 

 river in places usually quite inaccessible. I have often -wondered what 

 became of the birds and their eggs in case of a sudden rise of water such 

 as I saw in April. 



04. Bubo virginianus (Gm.) lip. — Great Horned Owl. 



At Lomita I obtained two specimens of this bir<l and obsen ed sev- 

 eral others. They are much lighter in color than Northern specimens; 

 otherwise I noticed no variation. 



100 



Lomita April 12 



21. 00 



.:}. 50 



15. 50 



8. 50 



95. Scops asio enano (Lawr.) Eidgw. — Eio Grande Screech-owl. 



IScops enano, COUKS, The Country, .July l'.i, 1878, i». 184. (Rio Grande of 

 Texas; G. B. Sennett. First introduced to U. S. fauna.) 



I give the identification of this form entirely upon the authority of Mr. Ridj^way, 

 who has made a si)ecial study of this family. — IC. C] 



I was fortunate this season in securing several specimens of an Owl 

 which have been recognized by Mr. It. liidgway as this variety, — 

 a Mexican form not before recognized within the United States, and 

 I believe it to be the only vari(ity of >Scopff anio on the Lowf-r Itio 

 Grande. ]S^othiug differing from the habits of our Xortheni form was 

 observed 5 nor did I see any in red i)lumage. The measurements given 

 below of my specimens w(^re carefully taken from the dri<;d skins, with 

 the exception of length and extent, which were taken in the flesh. 



Last year I found a set of three eggs, which I gave in my notes (liull. 

 U. 8. G. & G. Survey, vol. iv, No. 1, p. 40) as '^fScoptf anio var. macallii,'" 

 the bird not having been taken in hand. 



I did not succeed in obtaining any eggs this season, l>ut cajitured a 

 half-grown young with its parent in the same locality where I obtaine<l 

 my set of three eggs last season. The eggs average 1.37 by I.IC. 



.Just as I am about to send this MS. I receive a set of fi\e eggs of 

 this Owl, taken by Mr. Bourbois from one nest, on his ranch at Louiita, 

 about April 1. They measure 1.28 by 1.12 ; 1.28 by 1.10; 1.31 by 1.11 ; 

 1.28 by 1.14; 1.30 by 1.13. 



Specimen No. 489 has the iris greenish-yellow. 



