812 BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



M[iarathene] graysoni Ridoway, Man. N. Am. Birds, 1887, 267. 

 M[icropaUas\ graysoni Ridoway, Man. N. Am. Birds, 2d ed., 1896, 267. 

 Micropallas graysoni Salvin aad Godman, Biol. Centr.-Am., Aves, iii, 1897, 38 



(Socorro I.). 

 [Micropallas] socorroensis [lapsufl] Shakpb, Hand-list, i, 1899, 299 (Socorro I.; 



nomen nudum). 



Genus SPEOTYTO Gloger. 



Speotyto Gloqee, Hand-und Hilfsbuch der Naturg., 1842, 226. (Type, Strix 



cunieularia Molina.) 

 Pholeoptynx Kaup, Isis, 1848, 769. (Type, Strix cunieularia Molina.) 



Small terrestrial Bubonidse (wing about 147-190 mm.) with nostril 

 near center of the semibulbous cere; relatively small head, without 

 ear-tufts; small, simple, nonoperculate, symmetrical external ear- 

 openings, and long legs (the tarsus twice as long as middle toe without 

 claw). 



BUI rather stout; top of cere less than half as long as chord of cul- 

 men, broad, depressed below the swollen nasal bulbs. Nostril small, 

 circular, near center of the much swoUen or semibulbous cere. 

 External ear-openings small, simple, nearly oval, nonoperculate, sjm.- 

 metrical. Wing rather large, with longest primaries exceeding distal 

 secondaries by nearly one-fourth the total length of wing; eighth and 

 ninth, or seventh, eighth and ninth," primaries longest, the tenth 

 (apparent outermost) equal to or slightly longer than sixth;* three 

 outer primaries with inner webs sinuated (though sometimes only 

 the outermost very distinctly so). Tail less than half as long as wing, 

 truncate or very slightly rounded, composed of twelve (rarely 

 thirteen") rectrices. Tarsus twice as long as middle toe without 

 claw, naked behind, clothed in front with short, hair-like feathers 

 (sometimes' changing to bristles on lower portion), the upper side of 

 toes (except ternoinal phalanx) scantily bristled; outer toe decidedly 

 shorter than inner toe. 



Coloration. — Adults brown above, spotted, barred, or otherwise 

 variegated with duU white or buffy; under parts white or buffjr 

 broadly barred or transversely spotted with brown; superciliary 

 region, chin and jugular area white; a gular coUar of mixed brown 

 and buffy. Young plain brown above, except wings and tail, which 

 are marked as in adults; upper tail-coverts, large space on wing- 

 covert area, and under parts of body plain buffy, the upper throat 

 and a jugular area plain white. 



Range. — Treeless districts of North, Middle, and South America; 

 north to British Columbia (interior) and Manitoba, east to the Great 



o Second and third or second, third and fourth, from outside. 



6 Fifth from outside. 



" According to Hubert Lyman Clark, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., xvii, 1895, 562. 



