CICCABA.— SPEOTTTO. 31 



Tehuantepec; but it is very probable that they do not occur together, but that 

 C. virgata belongs to the eastern or Atlantic side, and C. squamulata to the western 

 or Pacific side of the Isthmus. 



SPEOTYTO. 



Speotyto, Gloger, Handb, Naturg. p. 226 (1842) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ii. p. 142. 

 Pholeoptynx (subgenus), Kaup, Isis, 1848, p. 769. 



This genus is strictly confined to America, being distributed over the western and 

 southern parts of the northern continent, Mexico, and Central America, except, 

 perhaps, the southern portion, a large part of South America, including Argentina and 

 Chili, and several of the West Indian islands. Its habit of living in deserted burrows 

 of rodents and armadillos is peculiar amongst American Owls. Living chiefly on the 

 ground the tarsi are longer in proportion than in any other genera; they are feathered 

 in front, bare behind. The size is small, the head without ear-tufts ; the cere is tumid, 

 the nostril in the middle of the swollen part. The plumage is of very uniform pattern, 

 but there is some variation in tint and a considerable amount in size in different 

 individuals. The first primary is long. 



1. Speotyto cunicularia. 



Strix cunicularia, Molina, Stor. Chili, p. 343 ' ; Bp. Am. Orn. i. p. 68, t. 7. f. 2 ^ 



Athene cunicularia, Bp., Grayson, Pr. Bost. See. N. H. xiv. p. 270 ^. 



Speotyto cunicularia, Sumichrast, La Nat. v. p. 237 ^ ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ii. p. 142 ^ 



Athene hypogaa, "Woodh. in Sitgr. Exp. Zuni & Col. Rivers, p. 62' ; Sol. P. Z. S, 1857, p. 201"; 



Salv. Ibis, 1865, p. 193'. 

 Pholeoptynx hypogaa, Sol. P. Z. S. 1859, p. 368 ' ; Sol. & Salv. Ibis, 1860, p. 401" ; Duges, La Nat. 



i. p. 138". 

 Speotyto cunicularia, var. hypogaa, Lawr. Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 297"; Bull. U. S. Nat. 



Mus. no. 4, p. 37"; Bidgw. in Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, iii. p. 90". 

 Speotyto cunicularia hypogeea, Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Birds, i. p. 395, t. 12. f. 14^'; Jouy, Pr. 



U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 787 '' ; Fisher, Bull. U. S. Dep. Agr. no. 3, p. 189, t. 25 " ; Allen, 



Bull. Am. Mus. N. H. v. p. 34". 



Supra brunnea, undique albido maculata, auricularibus fuscis ; gula alba, fascia nigra notata ; pectoris lateribus 

 fuscis albo maculatis, hypocbondriis fuscis transfasciatis, corpore reliquo subtus palJide cervino-albido ; 

 alis fuscis, primariis in pogonio externo cervino-albido maculatis ; cauda fasciis quinque albidis nigricanto 

 marginatis notata ; tarsis antice plumosis, ad digitos setosis. Long, tota circa 9"0, alas 6-5, caudae 2-9. 

 (Descr. exempl. ex Duefias, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Hab. North Amekica, Western States, Texas i*. — Mexico, San Pedro Sonora {JRoU- 

 nette'^^), Nuevo Laredo in Nuevo Leon {F. B. Armstrong), Cametas in Chihuahua 

 {W. Lloyd), Zacatecas {W. JB. Eichardson), Hacienda Angostura in San Luis 

 Potosi (Joui/^^), Tres Marias Is.^ ^^ Mazatlan ^^ [Grayson), Presidio de Mazatlan 

 [Forrer), Ixtlan, Venta del Astillero [Br. A. C. Buller, in mus. Rothschild), 

 Guanajuato, Guadalajara (Bages^^), Santana near Zapotlan [W. Lloyd), Plains of 

 Colima ( W. B. Richardson), Jalapa [SalW, de Oca^, Ferrari-Perez), Cof're de Perote, 



