MIOROPALLAS. 37 



MICKOPALLAS. 



Micrathene, Coues, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1866^ p. 15 (nee Sundevall) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. ii. 



p. 224. 

 Micropallas, CoiieSj Auk, 1889, p. 71. 



Micropallas contains two closely allied species, which are the smallest of the Striges. 

 One of these is found in the South-western States of North America, Texas, and Lower 

 California, and in Mexico as far as Guanajuato and Puebla. The other has as yet 

 only been noticed on the island of Socorro. The genus is closely allied to Glaucidium, 

 but has a tarsus longer in proportion to the middle toe, scantily haired instead of 

 ■densely feathered, and a shorter more even tail. 



Dr. Coues's name Micrathene, first proposed for this genus, being subsequently 

 found by its author too much like Micrathena of Sundevall, he substituted Micwpallas 

 for it, and under that title it has since passed. 



1. Micropallas whitneyi. 



Athene whitneyi, Cooper, Pr. Cal. Ac. Sc. ii. p. 118 (1861) '. 



Micrathene whitneyi, Coues, Pr. Ac. Phil. 1866, p. 51 ^ ; Elliot, Birds N. Am. i. t. 29''; Ridgw. in 



Baird, Brew., & Ridgw. N. Am. Birds, iii. p. 87*; Ferrari- Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. 



p. 165 ' ; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 178, 321 '. 

 Micropallas whitneyi, Bendire, Life Hist. N. Am. Birds, i. p. 411, t. 12. f. 13 '; Fisher, Bull. U. S. 



Dep. Agr. no. 9, p. 200 \ 



Supra griseo-brunnea, fulvo maculata ; torque eervicali albido, scapularibus in pogonio esterno albis ; alis fulvo 

 et albo maculatis, Cauda fasciis maculosis sex notata ; superciliis et macula utrinque menti albis, oculorum 

 ambitu fulvo : subtus griseo-albida, fusco et fulvo irregulariter variegata et fasoiata. Long, tota circa 5'5, 

 ales 4-4, caudse 2-0, tarsi 0-75. (Descr. maris ex Tucson, Arizona. Mus. nostr.) 



Sab. NoETH America, Texas, Arizona, Southern and Lower California. — Mexico, 

 Guanajuato {A. Duges ^), Valley of Mexico (Herrera ^), San Salvador el Verde 

 (Ferrari-Perez ^}. 



First discovered near Mojave, California, in 1861, by Dr. J. G. Cooper i, the Elf-Owl, 

 as this little species is called, has since been found to inhabit an extended area 

 stretching from near the mouth of the Eio Grande in Texas to Arizona and Lower 

 California. In Texas it is apparently rare, but we have two specimens from that 

 State sent us by Mr. F. B. Armstrong from Hidalgo. In Arizona it is said to be 

 the commonest Owl of the district, whence most of the specimens that have been 

 obtained have been sent. Here, too, it breeds in numbers, Mr. F. Stephens and 

 Mr. W. E. D. Scott having found more than a dozen nests in about six hours near 

 Tucson. The nest is almost invariably placed in a deserted Woodpecker's hole in thife 

 giant cactuses which abound in that country. The birds are nocturnal in habit and 

 become active shortly after sundown. Their food is chiefly coleoptera and a few other 

 insects, and occasionally small mammals. Capt. Bendire gives a full account of the 



