12 
Mr. R. Ridgway on the Genus Glaucidium. 
A. Nostril opening in the middle of the cere. 
a. Sides of the breast distinctly spotted. 
1. G. gnoma. Colour varying from brownish plumbeous to reddish 
uifiber. Markings on the pileum guttate or circular. Tail dusky 
greyish brown or blackish dusky; bands white, not complete, 
7-8. Wing 3-30-4-00 inches, tail 2-40-2-80. 
2. G. jardinii. Colour varying from umber to dark sepia or bright 
ferruginous. Markings on the pileum larger, more generally 
distributed, cordate or circular. Tail dusky black or dusky fer¬ 
ruginous ; bands w r hite and incomplete, 5-7, or clear rufous, 
7- 8 (“ lansbergi ”). Wing 3-80-4-25, tail 2-55-3-00. 
3. G. nanum. Colour varying from brownish grey to reddish grey. 
Markings on the pileum partly linear and partly guttate. Tail 
dusky brown; bands clear rufous or reddish white, continuous, 
8- 12. Wing 3-85-4-60, tail 2-90-3-40. 
b. Sides of the breast not spotted. 
4. G. ferrugineum. Colour varying from brownish grey to bright 
ferruginous. Markings on the pileum narrowly linear. Tail 
dusky brown, brownish black, or ferruginous; if banded, the 
bands clear rufous, reddish white, or pure white ; if not 
banded, the colour uniform bright rufous.. Wing 3-50-4-60, tail 
2-20-3-50. 
6. G. pumilum. Colour varying from umber to rich chocolate, the 
pileum abruptly greyer. Markings on the pileum minute, cir¬ 
cular or elliptical. Tail black ; bands white, not continuous, 
4-5. Wing 3-30-3-70, tail 2-10-2-40. 
B. Nostril opening in the anterior edge of the cere. 
6. G. siju. Colour greyish brown. Markings of the pileum dia¬ 
mond-shaped. Tail dusky brown; bands continuous, white, 
white and rufous, or rufous, 6-7. 
1. Glaucidium gnoma. 
Glaucidium passerinum, var. californicum, Ridgw. Proc. 
Boston Soc. N. H. May 1873, p. 94. 
Glaucidium gnoma , Sharpe, Ibis, Jan. 1875, p. 56, pi. i. 
Hob. Western Province of North America, from Paget 
Sound to Arizona (Nat. Mus.) m ; Colorado ( C . E. Aiken); 
Vancouver Island (fide Sharpe, l.c .); Tablelands of Mexico 
(cab. G. N. Lawrence); Guatemala (fide Sharpe , l. c.). 
This form is very much more nearly related to the G. pas¬ 
serinum of Europe than to any of the other American species, 
G.jardinii being its nearest ally. After a very careful com¬ 
parison of specimens, I find it to differ from its European 
