104 



ORNITHOLOGY. 



however, it can be readily distinguished by its much longer tarsi ; a 

 character especially mentioned in the original description by Professor 

 Lichtenstein, in his Catalogue of the Duplicates in the Berlin Museum, 

 p. 59. (Verzeichniss der Doubletten des zoologischen Museums der 

 Kiinigl. Universitat zu Berlin, 1823.) 



This species is quite distinct from the Strix furcata, Temm. (PI. 

 Col. 432), of which we have seen specimens from the West Indies. 

 The latter, so far as shown in the specimens to which we allude, may 

 always be recognized by its white quill-feathers, and generally more 

 light-colored plumage and emarginate tail. That bird [S. furcata), is 

 the most handsome species of its genus. 



2. Strix peatincola, Bonaparte. 

 Sfrix pratincola, BoNAP. Comp. List. p. 7 (1838). 



Strix americana, AuD. Orn. Biog. II, p. 421 (1834, but not of Gmelin, 1788). 



Wilson, Am. Orn. VI, Plate L, fig. 2; Aud. B. of Am. Plate 

 CLXXI ; Oct. ed. I, Plate XXXIV. 



Mentioned by the naturalists of the Expedition as having been ob- 

 served in Oregon. Specimens from that country which we have ex- 

 amined, present no material variations from the bird of the States on 

 the Atlantic, unless it is a tendency to the white color in the quills 

 which characterizes Strix /areata o£ the West Indies, alluded to in the 

 preceding article. In specimens from California, it is quite usual to 

 find the quills very light-colored, but, perhaps, never forming such a 

 strong character in that respect, as in the West India bird, just men- 

 tioned. This bird, from any locality in North America, is, however, 

 very liable to variation in the shades of its colors, though it will be 

 ascertained by sufficiently extensive examination, that the pattern of 

 the markings always remains the same. Such is the case, too, in all 

 the species of this difficult genus, and in fact, in much the greater part 

 of all others. 



The present bird is larger than its near relative of Europe, Strix 

 flammea, with which it was considered identical by the earlier Ameri- 

 can naturalists, and is fully entitled to be regarded as a distinct species. 

 It is much more abundant in the Southern than in the Northern 



