SP. CHAR. _Adult_ (♂, 17,200, Fort Tejon, California; J. Xantus. Type of Xantus’s description). Above deep umber-brown, much as in _S. nebulosum_. Whole head and neck with circular and cordate spots of white, one near the end of each feather; on the scapulars and back, rump, wings, and tail, they are rather sparse and more transverse, but of very irregular form; they are most conspicuous on the scapulars and larger wing-coverts. Secondaries crossed with about six bands of paler brown, each spot growing white on the edge of the feather,—the last band terminal; primaries with seven transverse series of pale brown, or brownish-white, quadrate spots on outer webs, the last terminal; these spots are almost clear white on the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth quills. Tail with about eight very narrow, rather obsolete, bands of pale brown, growing whiter and more distinct terminally, the last forming a conspicuous terminal band. Ground-color of the lower parts dull white, somewhat tinged with ochraceous laterally; everywhere with numerous transverse spots and bars of brown like the back,—this predominating anteriorly, the white forming spots on opposite webs; on the lower tail-coverts the transverse spots or bars are very sharply defined and regular, the brown rather exceeding the white. Face, eyebrows, and lores soiled brownish-white, the former with obscure concentric semicircles of darker brownish. Facial circle blackish-brown, spotted posteriorly with white; across the neck in front, it is more broken. Legs white, with sparse obsolete transverse specks. Wing-formula, 4, 3, 5–6–2; 1=9. Wing, 13.10; tail, 9.00; culmen, .85; tarsus, 2.10; middle toe, 1.30. Length, “18”; extent, “40.” HAB. Southern Middle Province of United States (Fort Tejon, California, XANTUS; and Tucson, Arizona, BENDIRE). [Illustration: _Syrnium occidentale._] HABITS. Nothing is on record concerning the habits of this bird. GENUS NYCTALE, BREHM. _Nyctale_, BREHM, 1828. (Type, _Strix tengmalmi_, GMEL.) GEN. CHAR. Size small. Head very large, without ear-tufts. Eyes moderate; iris yellow. Two outer primaries only with their inner webs distinctly emarginated. Tarsi and toes densely, but closely, feathered. Ear-conch very large, nearly as high as the skull, with an anterior operculum; the two ears exceedingly asymmetrical, not only externally, but in their osteological structure. Furcula not anchylosed posteriorly, but joined by a membrane. [Illustration: =12053= ½ _Nyctale acadica._] Of this genus only three species are as yet known; two of these belong to the Northern Hemisphere, one of them (_N. tengmalmi_) being circumpolar, the other (_N. acadica_) peculiar to North America. The habitat of the remaining species (_N. harrisi_) is unknown, but is supposed to be South America. If it be really from that portion of the New World, it was probably obtained in a mountainous region. Species and Races.