SCOPS ASIO, SCREECH OWL. 303 



supposed, of being automatic, depending upon the stimulus of liglit. I 

 frequently saw them instantaneously contract or relax the quivering 

 iris in accommodating their vision to different objects, or different dis- 

 tances ; and moreover, they could move the two irides independently 

 of each other. For they often looked at objects with one eye only, the 

 other being sleepily half-closed ; and on such occasions the pupils were 

 generally of different sizes. They varied in diameter from that of a small 

 split-pea, to that of a finger-ring ; in the latter condition the iris was a 

 mere margin, about a tenth of an inch in diameter. In the nighttime, 

 I always found the pupil largely if not fully dilated ; at every stage of 

 conti'action it remained perfectly circular. 



(scops ASIO, (Linn.) Bp. .J'-C'- 



Red Owl; Mottled Owl; Screccli Owl. 



a. asio. 



Strix asio, Linn., Svst. Nat. i, 1766, 132 (Noctua aurita minor, Gates., i, 7 ; Aeio scops 

 caroUvensis^ Bmss., i, 497).— Gm., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 287.— Lath., Ind. Orn. i, 

 1790, 54.— Daud., Tr. Orn. ii, 1800, 216.-Shaw, G. Z. vii, 1809, 229.— WiLS., 

 Am. Orn. v, 1812, 83, pi. 42, f. 1.— Bl'., Syn. 1828, 36; Isis, 1832, 1139.— AuD., 

 Oru. Biog. i, 1832, 486; v, 1839, 392; pi. 97.— NuxT., Man. i, 1832, 120.— Brew., 

 ed. Wils. 687. ^ ,„„ t. 



Scops asio. Bp., Comp. List, 1838. 6 ; Consp. i, 18.50, 45.— Less., Tr. Orn. 10/.— Kaup, 

 Jiou. Striq. Cont. Orn. 1852, 112.— Cass., 111. 1854, 179.— Steickl., Orn. Syn. 

 1855, 199.— Brew., N. A. Ocil. 1857, 65.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 51.-C00P. & SuCK., 

 N. H. Wash. Ter. 1860, 155 f — Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870, 420.— Mayn., Nat. Guide, 

 1870, 131.— COUES, Key, 1872, 202, fig. 136-B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 49 ; 

 and of most authors. . ,„ r. 



Bvibo asio, VlElLi.., Oi.". Am. Sept. i, 1807, 53, pi. 21.— AoD., Syn. 1839, 29; B. Am. i, 1840, 

 147, pi. 40.— DeKay, N. Y. Zool. 1844, pi.' 12, figs. 25, 26.— GiR., B. L. I. 1844, 

 28.— Maxim., J. f. O. 1858, 23. 



Mihou asio, Temm., Planch. Color. No. 80. 



Otus asio, Steph., Gen. Zool. xiii, pt. ii, 57. 



Ephialtes asio. Gray, Geq. of B.— Woodh., Sitgr. Rep. 1853, 62. 



Strix naivia, Gji., Syst. Nat. i, 1788, 289.— Lath., Iiid. Oru. i, 1790, 55.— Daod., Tr. Orn. u, 

 1800, 217.— Shaw, Gen. Zool. vii, 230.— Wils., Am. Oru. iii, 1812, 16, pi. 19, f. 1. 



Asio nteria, Less., Man. Orn. i, 117. 



Otus nonius, Cuv., R. A. i, 2d ed. 341. 



Siirnia nwvia, Jam., ed. Wils. i, 96, 99. 



Bubo strialus, Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. i, 1807, 54, pi. 21. 



"Ephialtes ocreata, Licht., Mus. Berol." 



b. IcennicoitU. 



Scops kennicottii. ElxiOT, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1867. 69 ; B. Am.p. xxvii, pi. 1 1.— Dall & Bann., 

 Tr. Chic. Acad, i, 18C9, 273.— Bd., ihid. 311, pi. 27 (Sitka).— FmsCH, Abh. Nat. 

 iii, 1872, 28 (Alaska). 



Scops asio var. kennicotiii, CoTJES, Key, 1872, 203.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 53. 



c. maccalUi. 



EpUaltes choliba. Lawk., Ann. Lvc. N. Y. vi, 1853, 4 (not of ricill.). 



Scops maccallii, Cass., 111. 1854, 180.— Strickl., Orn. Syn. 1855, 200.— Bkew., N. A. 051. 

 1857, 66.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 52, i)l. 39 ; Mex. B. Surv. ii, 1859, pt. ii, Birds, 4, 

 pi. 1.— Deess., Ibis, 1865, 330 (Texas). (Xot Scops trichopsis, AVagl., Isis, 1832, 

 276 : See SCL. & Salv., P. Z. 1868, 57. •) 



Scops asio var. maccallii, CoUES, Key, 1872, 203.— B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 52. 



d. floridanus. 



(?) Scops asio, Cab., J. f. O. iii, 465 (Cuba). 



Scops asio var. floridanus, Ridgw. — B. B. & R., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 51. 



* Mr. Ridgway lias called my attention to the fact, that S. trichopsis of Wagler, to 

 which maccallii is referred by Sclater aud Salviu, as above .quoted, is a perfectly dis- 

 tinct species, as, on examination of typical spccipiens, I find it to be. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



