Ridgway.] VO [May 21, 



formed by a terminal deltoid spot on each feather; a blackish 

 stripe, formed of blended streaks (parallel with the edge of the wing) 

 running from the bend, to the primary-coverts. Under surface of 

 primaries dusky, with transverse spots of white anterior to the emar- 

 gination, these white spots being eight in number on the longest 

 quill; axillars plain white. Wing, 3.60; tail, 2.60; culmen, .45; tar- 

 sus, .60; middle toe, .55. Wing-formula 4, 3, 5-2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1. 



Adult female (36874, Ft. Whipple, near Prescott, Arizona, Oct. 11, 

 1864; Dr. Coues). In general appearance scarcely different from 

 the male. Upper surface more ashy, the specks of whitish less nu- 

 merous, being confined chiefly to the head ; those on the scapulars 

 however, are large, though very sparse; the middle wing-coverts 

 have each a conspicuous roundish white spot near the end of the 

 lower web; secondary-coverts similarly marked, forming a band 

 across the wing. The primaries and tail are as in the male, ex- 

 cept that the latter has eight instead of seven white bands. The 

 brown of the gular band extends upward over the throat to the re- 

 curved feathers of the chin; the white dots in the brown of the 

 side are considerably larger, and though very irregular, are more cir- 

 cular than in the male; the stripes on the abdomen, etc., are rather 

 broader, and less deeply black, than in the male. Wing, 4.00 ; tail, 

 2.80 ; culmen, .48. Wing formula as in male. 



One specimen in the S. I. collection (No. 59069) differs from those 

 described in being much darker colored. The original label is lost, 

 but this specimen is probably from the northwest coast, as the darker, 

 more reddish colors, bear about the same relation to the paler gray 

 suits of the southern birds, that the dark northwest coast style of 

 Scops asio (aS. " kennicottii"), does to the true asio. The stripes be- 

 neath are nearly pure black, the general tint above being a reddish 

 sepia-brown. Wing, 3.65; tail, 2.70. 



The Glaucldium califomicum requires comparison only with the G. 

 passerinum of Europe, to which it is quite closely related, though from 

 which it is easily distinguished by the characters pointed out in the 

 diagnoses. It is not at all like gnoma, nor indeed any other Ameri- 

 can species, with which it has been confounded by nearly all ornith- 

 ologists — even by Cabanis, in his excellent paper above cited. 



I have seen only one Mexican specimen of this species. This one 

 is one in Mr. Lawrence's collection ; the locality is not indicated on 

 the label, but it is probably from the higher regions of the interior. 



