MR. CASSIN'S DESCRIPTIONS OF OWLS. 53 



and irregularly spotted with pale brownish nearly white ; scapulars broadly barred 

 and edged with white. 



Lesser wing coverts with irregular lines of pale brownish and with large white 

 marks on their external webs ; external webs of primaries nearly black with eight to 

 twelve square spots or bands of fulvous; internal webs plain black or with very 

 obscure bands. 



Eyebrow white ;. a large semicircular segment of white covering the throat and 

 jaws, interrupted at the base of the bill by a few brownish feathers ; many of those 

 white feathers conspicuously tipped with black, forming a discal border. 



Breast with a very broad band of the same umber brown as the back, every 

 feather with irregular lines and minute spots of black, many of the feathers also with 

 somewhat circular but irregular spots of pure white, occasionally disposed in pairs. 

 Abdomen, flanks, and under tail coverts fulvous, every feather marked longitudinally 

 with black, and about one to three transverse lines of the same color assuming a 

 lyrate form, less distinct on the flanks. 



Tail umber brown, with about eight to ten irregular pale brownish white bands, 

 under surface paler, plumage of the tarsi pale reddish fulvous, tibial plumage darker 

 inclining to ferrugineous. 



Bill yellow. 



Total length of skin from tip of bill to end of tail about 9| inches, wing 8, tail 4^ 

 inches. 



Hah. South America. 



Obs. — Of this species there are in the collection several specimens; I am acquainted 

 with no species bearing much resemblance to it. 



3. NycTALE Harrisii, nobis.* Plate -V. — N. fronte, fascie, collare lato in cervice et infra corpora fusco- 

 flavo, naribus et fascia occipitale nigris. Supra castaneo-fusco, tectricibus alae et primariis maculis 

 albis rotundis, tectricibus caudae fuscis albo notatis, cauda fuscente nigra paribus tribus macularum 

 rotundarum albarum. 



Long. tot. (exuviae) ab apice rostra usque ad finem caudoe 7f poll, alae 51, caud^ 3 pollices. 



Hab. America australi "? 



Form.— ^\iOxi and robust, wings rather long with the fourth primary longest, 

 inner webs of quills very broad, tail rather long, weak; plumage of the inferior parts 

 of the body silky. Tarsi densely feathered to the toes, which are naked. 



Dimensions. — Total length of skin from tip of the bill to the end of the tail about 

 7| inches, wing 5|, tail 3 inches. 



Colors. — Front, face, wide collar on the back of the neck, entire under surface of 

 the body and tarsi pale fawn color ; spot on the nares and broad occipital band, 

 black, the latter covering the hinder part of the head, ears black. Throat nearly 



* Proceedings of Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, IV. p. 157.. February, 1849. 



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