322 



SPEOTYTO CUNICULARIA VAR. HYPOG^A. 



Athene cwnicularia, Bp., Consp. i, 1850, 38.— Dahw., Voy. Beagle, iii, 31.— Schomb., Gui- 

 ana, ii, 731.— Bridges, P. Z. S. xi, 109 ; Ann. Nat. Hist, xiii, 50u.— Gray, Geu. 

 of B. 6p. 19; List Br. Mus. 92.— Peaus, U. S. Expl.Ex. 1848,77.— Hartl., Ind. 

 Syst. Azara, 4. 



Pholeoptynx cunicalaria, Kaup, Mon. Strig. Cont. Orn. 1852, 106.— Sci-. & Salv., P. Z. S. 

 1868, 143 (Buenos Ayres). 



Slrix grallaria, Spix, Av. Braz. 1, 21. — Temm., P. C. 146. 



Koctua grallaria, Steph., Gen. Zool. xiii, pt. ii, 67. — Less., Man. i. 111 ; Tr. Orn. 102. 



Koctua urueurea, Less., Tr. Orn. 103. — TscH., Wieg. Arch. 1844, 267 ; Fn. Peru, IIC. 



Athene patagonica, Pealb, U. S. Expl. Exped. 1848, 78. 



b. guadeloupensis. 

 Speotyto cunicularia var. guadeloupensis, Eidgw. — B. B. & E., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 90. 



c. hypogcea. 



Strix cunicularia, ViEiix., Ois. Am. Sept. i, 1807, 48. — Say, Long's Exp. ii, 36, 200. — Bp., 

 Am. Orn. i, 1825, 68, pi. 7, f. 2 ; Syn. 1828, 36.— Nctt., Man. i, 1832, 118.— AuD., 

 Orn. Biog. v, 1839, 264, pi. 432. 



Surnia cimicularia, AvD., Syn. 1839, 23 ; B. Am. i, 1840, 119, pi. 31.— DeKay, N.Y. Zool. ii, 23. 



Athene eumcularia,Bp., List, 1838, 6 (not of Consp.). — Cass., B. N. A. 1858, 60 {nee Mo- 

 lbsta), — Kenjst., p. E. E. Eep. x, 1859, pt. iv, 20. — Heeem., ibid. pt. vi, 33. — 

 Coop. & Sdck., N. H. Wash. Ter. 1860, 157.— ICaup, Tr. Z. S. iv, 201.— Canc, 

 Am. Nat. ii, 1869, 583 (biography).— Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870, 437. 



TJlula cunicularia, Jabd., ed. Wils. 1832, iii, 325. 



Speotyto cunicularia var. kypogcea, Coties, Key, 207. — B. B. & E., N. A. B. iii, 1874, 90. 



St7-ix hypugcea, Bp., Am. Orn. i, 1825, 72. 



AOiene hypogwa, Bp., Consp. i, 1850, 39 (hypogcea). — Woodh., Sitgr. Eep. 1853, 62 (hypu- 

 gcea). — Cass., 111. 1854, 188 (hypugcea).— Brbw., N. Am. Ool. 1857, 75 (hypugcea).-^ 

 Cass., B. N. A. 1858, 59 (hi/pugcea).—NswB., P. E. E. Eep. vi, 1857, 17.— Coop. 

 & Suck., N. H. Wash. Ter. 1860, 157.— Hayd., Eep. 1862, 154 (hypugcea).— 

 Coop., B. Cal. i, 1870, 448 {hypuga;a).—'ST-EV., XJ. S. Geol. Surv. Ter. 1870, 462 

 (hypugaa). — Merr., iUd. 1872, 696 {hypugcea). — Allex, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1872, 

 lyo (Kansas and Utah). — Snow, B. Kans. 1873, 2 {hypugcea). — Hold., Pr. Best. 

 Soc. 1872, 208 {hypugcea). 



Athene (Speotyto) hypogwa. Gray, Hand-list, i, 1869, 43, No. 437. 



Strix, cdlifornica, AuD., Orn. Biog. pi. 432 (name on plate). 



Athene socialis, Game., Pr. Phila. Acad, iii, 1846, 47.— ScL., P. Z. S. 1857, 201 (Xalapa).— 

 Dress., Ibis, 1865, 330 (Texas). 



NoTE.^As the older authors generally made no distinction of the races, the term 

 cunicularia includes all, in most cases. 



Sal). — The true cunicularia is South American ; var. guadeloupensis is considered by Mr. 

 Eidgway as a local form, of Guadeloupe. A'ar. hypogcea is the North American form, 

 occurring in open places in the United States west of the Mississippi, and in Middle 

 America. In addition. Gray gives Antillean forms of Speotyto under the names of do- 

 mingensis. Mull, (dominicensis, G-m.),a,QAfusca, Vieill.; the latter is, however, an entirely 

 different bird, while the former is scarcely identifiable. 



Lieutenant JVarren's Expedition. — 5182-84, Fort Pierre ; 9965, Running Water; 9066-67, 

 Loup Fork of Platte. 



Zater ^xpedJttons.— 54300-01, 60090, 60342-47, Wyoming; 59843, Soda Springs, Col- 

 orado; 60634-36, Big Sandy Creek; 61637, Utah; 61761-64, Idaho. 



After examination of many Burrowing Owls from all parts of the West, in the field 

 as well as in the closet, I am of the decided opinion that the differences alleged to 

 exist between the birds of opposite sides of the Rocky Mountains have no foundation in 

 fact. The ascribed distinctions fall largely within the limit of individual variation, 

 and may be observed in any sufficient series of specimens from a single locality. Nor 

 am I, indeed, fully satisfied of the necessity of separating the North from the South 

 American bird, although in view of some slight average distinctions they may be held, 

 conventionally at any rate, as climatic races. 



The Burrowing Owl is the only bird of its family inhabiting, in any 

 numbers, the entirely treeless regions of the West, and may be consid- 

 Digitized by Microsoft® 



