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ART. IV. — Descriptions of Owls, presumed to he nerv species^ in the collection of the 

 Academij of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia. By John Cassin. 



1. Syrnium virgatum, nobis.* Plate III. — S. supra umbrino-fusca, striis transversis, flavescente-albis, valde 

 distinctis in capite et uropygio. Infra simile sed fulvescente tincta, striis transversis valde irregulariter 

 notatis, abdomine pallide fulvescente, striis longitudinalibus nigris. Primariis fusco-atris, maculis 

 quadratis cinereo-albis. Cauda nigra, fasciis albescentibus. 



Long. tot. ab apice rostri usque ad finem cauda (exuvias) 14 poll, alse lOi caudae 6 poUices. 



Hob. America austraii. 



Form. — Aberrant ; rather robust, wings with the fourth and fifth primaries longest 

 and nearly equal, tail reaching but little beyond the ends of the wings. Tarsi thickly 

 feathered to the toes, which are naked. Bill strong; eyes rather small. 



Dimensions. — Total length of skin from tip of bill to end of tail about 14 inches, 

 wing 10 J, tail 6 inches. 



Colors. — Plumage of the entire upper surface of the body dark umber brown, 

 every feather having about three to five irregular transverse narrow bands of 

 yellowish white, most numerous and distinct on the head and rump. Upper tail 

 coverts with bands of pure white. Scapulars obliquely edged on their outer webs 

 with fulvous, on their inner webs more or less regularly banded with yellowish white. 

 Wing coverts with broader bands, and also mottled and pointed at their tips with 

 whitish. 



Primaries very darlc brown, nearly black, their external webs having about seven 

 square spots of greyish white, some of which enclose central spots of dark brown, and 

 all more or less dotted and mottled with the same color. These square spots less 

 regular on the first and second primaries ; all the primaries with broad pale tips. 

 Internal webs with regular bands of dark and paler brownish black. 



General color of the face similar to the head and back, superciliary feathers and 

 discal circle nearly white, spotted and with lines of deep brown. 



Breast deep umber brown tinged with fulvous, every feather having about three 

 very irregular transverse bands, which are broader and paler than those of the back, 

 though of the same general appearance ; on the lower part of the breast these bands 

 are nearly white. Abdomen pale fulvous, every feather with a longitudinal stripe of 

 black, and with one or two transverse irregular bands at the tip of the same color ; 

 ventral region and inferior tail coverts very pale fulvous, nearly white, with a trace 

 of blackish spots. Tarsi dark fulvous, mottled with brown. 



* Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, IV. p. 124, Dec. 1848. 



