( 446 ) 

 Strix candidus Tick. 



Strix candidus Tickell, Journ. As. Soc, Bengal ii. p, 672 (1833 — "Throughout Bengal and the 

 upper provinces in tracts of long grass. . . ."). 



(J?, Owgarra, Angabnnga River, 6000— 8000 ft., 29. i. 05, 22. xi. 04. (Nos. 

 A 1888, 2031.) A. S. Meek coll. " Iris .lark brown. Fuel smoky brown ; black 

 and horn-colour. Bill light horn-colour." 



This species is new to the Papuan region. The two specimens shot by 

 Sir. Meek are fine adult birds. The first primary is very dark, most of the 

 outer web being deep brown, and the white spots on the upper surface are 

 very small and longitudinal. The contention of ornithologists, so far, is that 

 the "grass-owls" from India to the Philippines and Australia are one and the 

 same. Our material is very meagre, and not sufficient to show whether several 

 races are separable or not. 



Strix flammea meeki snbsp. nov. 



Differs from the Australian Strix ./iammea delicatula Goold by the colour 

 of the tail, the outer two pairs of rectrices being pure white, without or with 

 a few tiny, obsolete spots, the rest cream-colour or pale buff with a few dusky 

 spots and three or four very narrow dusky cross-bars. The spotting on the 

 nape is not so large as, more delicate than in, S. f. delicatula. In the narrow 

 bars and very light tail it resembles S. f. sumbaensis Hart., but the latter has all 

 the rectrices barred, or only the outermost pair white, almost without or with 

 a few obsolete spots ; moreover the bill of S. f. sumbaensis is decidedly thicker 

 and higher, also slightly more arched than in S. f. meeki. 



Type of S. f. meeki : c? ad., t'ollingwood Bay, north-east coast of British 

 New Guinea, 5. ix. 06. A. S. Meek coll. (No. 2791.) 



Besides the type specimen we have two more skins : 



S ? ad., Collingwood Bay, 5. ix. 06. A. S. Meek coll. (Nos. 2789, 2790.) 

 The underside is of a beautiful silky white with some small dusky spots, almost 

 of the shape of arrow-heads. The inner webs of the outer remiges are white, 

 shaded with yellowish buff aloug the shaft and spotted with dusky uear the 

 tip only. The face-disk is white, with a rust-red spot in front of the eye. 

 Cnlmen 35—36, wing 292—293, metatarous about (iO, tail 103—113, height of 

 upper bill at nostril 10 mm. (about 11 in S. f. sumbaensis ■ 



There is only one record of a " Barn Owl " from New Guinea, and that is 

 one obtained near Port Moresby by Goldie. Count Salvador! recorded it as 

 " Strix delicatula." 



