328 NATURAL HISTORY MISCELLANY. 












preserved.” Mr. John Cassin, in his various papers on the owls, adopts the 
conclusions of Bonaparte, considering them as one species, and the gray _ 
f ea a owever, oa grt w the fant of the two stages of q 
plumage having been considere species, that “they 
do present a Pcs scarcely to be considered as fully solved.” But the — 
opinion that the Mottled and Red Owls are really but one species, is the — 
one now generally adopted by ornithologists. i 
From the information now at our command on ‘this subject, can we not — 
fully solve the problem? The facts recorded teach us that nestlings ad 
young flcdglings occur in both red and gray plumage, in some cases 4 
of one brood presenting both conditions; that old birds are sometimes — 
gray and sometimes red, both colors being common to both sexes, and A 
that occasionally red males pair vuki gray females, and the reverse; that 

rst, that 
these different conditions of plumage do not characterize age; second, iy 
that they dre not sexual siinttibiitae) third, that they are, unusual and 
irregular variations of plumage of one species. Though such variations 4 
are extremely rare, our bird is in this respect not without its parallels it q 
other countries. The best known instance seems to be en of the Brown 
Owl of Europe (Syrnium aluco), which, according to rs, i 
similar variations. And they apparently occur in other pal of S 
Considering, then, the sed and Mottled Owls as unquestionably onesie 4 
cha and on oni ed widely over the PETEA occurring from oii H 
really a e species of Scops in the United States? In 1854, dst 
a 
sin, in his [l/ustrations of the Birds of California, Texas, etc., d a 
species of Scops from California, Texas ‘in fo pe ! 
ral characters much resembling Beep asio, but smaller,” but whi 
considers new, giving it the name of Scops Maccallii (Western ioned l 
Owl). Its validity as a species distinct from S. asio has been pees : 
by very high authorities, and apparently with very good reasons, p 
and almost only distinction from S. asio of the north being its som’ 
smaller size. r. P. L. Sclater, one of the highest authoritie 
ican birds, in remarks (Proceedings of the Zodlogical 
1857) on a collection of birds from about Oxaca, in Southe 
mentions an owl under this name, which, though he says it, soeia 
the appearance of Scops asio, and is smaller,” but does not, hethi wre 
fit” this species (9. Maccallit). Dr. J. G. Cooper, who has coll 
sin are of but little account, while the character of smaller $ 
of no, or of negative, value. It is well known now to al 
have been at all attentive to the subject, that a disias in s on de 
birds in species resident over a large area is a constant atendan" di 
crease of latitudes, so that birds residing at points & 
