SYENIUM, 9 



1. Syrnium sartorii. 



Syrnium nebuloswm, Scl. P. Z. S. 1858, p. 295 ' ; Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 237 ^ ; Herrera, La 



Nat. (ser. 2) i. pp. 178, 321 '. 

 Syrnium nebulosum, var. sartorii, "Ridgw. in Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am, Birds, iii. p. 29 *. 

 Syrnium nebulosum sartorii, Ridgw. Man. N. Am. Birds, ed. 2, p. 258 \ 



Supra fuscum, albido frequenter fasciatum ; facie albida, fusco indistincte fasoiata : subtus album, usque ad imum 

 pectus fusco fasciatum, abdomine distinete fusco striato ; alls fuscis, albo fasciatis ; Cauda fusca, fasciis 

 sex albidis angustis notata ; tibiis albidis. Long, tota circa 19-0, alae 14'5, caudse 9"0. (Descr. maris ex 

 Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 



Hab. Mexico, Ciudad in Durango (Forrer), Cerro Viejo Jojolitan, Sierra de Cuyutlan, 

 Colonia Brizuela near Autlan in Jalisco (A. C. Bidler), Monte Alto [Sumichrast ^), 

 Valley of Mexico [Herrera ^), La Parada [Boucard ^), Mirador [Sartorius *). 



This Owl is the Mexican representative of the common Barred Owl of North 

 America, Syrnium nebulosum (Forst.). It was described by Mr. Eidgway-* from a 

 specimen sent to the United States National Museum by Dr. Sartorius from Mirador, 

 on the Atlantic slope of the mountains of Vera Cruz, not far from Huatusco. We 

 have no further evidence of its occurrence in that region, but it is apparently not 

 uncommon in Western Mexico, where the late Dr. A. C. Buller obtained several 

 examples in the State of Jalisco, and where Mr. Forrer found it in the mountains 

 between Durango and the Pacific Ocean. It is in all probability this bird, and not the 

 true S. nebulosum, that is referred to by Sumichrast ^ and Herrera ^ as occurring in the 

 Valley of Mexico. 



S. sartorii may be readily distinguished from S. nebulosum by the darker colour of 

 its markings, which are, as Mr. Ridgway says, of a blackish sepia on a white ground, 

 instead of reddish umber on an ochreous-white ground, the face being almost destitute 

 of darker concentric rings. 



The habits of this Owl doubtless resemble those of the Barred Owl of North 

 America, which have been recently fully described by Capt. Bendire and Dr. Fisher, 

 and its food analyzed and found to consist to a great extent of mice and a few other 

 small mammals, a few birds, insects, and even frogs, fish, and Crustacea. 



2. Syrnium Mvescens. (Tab. LXI.) 



Syrnium nebulosum, Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 221 (nee Porst.) \ 



Syrnium fuhescens, Scl. & Salv. P. Z. S. 1868, p. 58"; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ii. p. 258'; 



Salv. Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 480 *. 

 Syrnium nebulosum, yav. fulvescens, Ridgw. in Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, iii. p. 29 '. 



Supra chocolatino-brunneum, fulvo transfasciatum et maculatum ; disci facialis plumis albis, fulvo et nigro 

 variegatis ; alarum tectricibus minoribus in pogonio externo maculis rotundis albis distinete notatis ; alis 

 caudaque brunneis, fulvo transfasciatis : subtus fulvum, in pectore albicans brunneo frequenter trans- 

 fasciatum ; ventre pallide fulvescenti-albido, fulvo strigato ; crisso immaculate ; tectricibus subalaribus 

 pallide fulvis ; tarsis cum digitorum phalangibus primis dense vestitis plumis fulvis, nigrieante punctu- 



BiOL. CBNTE.-AMEK., Aves, Vol. III., November 1897. 2 



