( 175 ) 

 Genus STRIX L. 



Slrl.,; Linnaeus, .S>/. Xat. ed. X. p. 92 (1758). 



1. Strix punctatissima 'J raj-. 



Sirix pimclntisslnui, Gray, Zoo!. Vui/. Bemjle, III. Birds, p. 34, PI. IV. (1841) ; Salvin in Tmm. 

 Zuol. Snr. Loiul. IX. p. 494 : Sharpe, Gtt. B. Brit. .Uuk. II. p. 297 (1875) ; Ridgway in Pn.r. 

 U.S. Xat. Mils. XIX. p. 583. 



The baru-owl of the Galapagos Islands is the dwarf of the genns, and of a vcrj- 

 dark coloration. It is evidently restricted in its range to the Galapagos Islands. 

 Statements of its occurrence on the continent of South America are doubtless 

 erroneous. It has been said to occur at Para (Strickland's Orn. Sifnonyms, p. 182), 

 but the sjiccimen on which this assertion had been founded is the Australian .S. 

 (MStanopa (Salvin, I.e.). The birds said to be " rather abundant in the valley of 

 Quito" (Orton, Amer. Nat. IV. p. 711) belong probably to the form described by 

 Hartert as S. fifimmea contemptn (Nov. Zool. Y . p. .500), which resembles the 

 Galapagos species (or subspecies) a good deal in coloration, but is much larger. 

 (Wing 310 mm., in S. puni-tafissimn only '22i) mm.) 



Only Darwin and Habel seem to have procured specimens of this owl, wliile 

 neither Townsend nor Banr & Adams met with it. Harris believes that lie heard it 

 several times, and that he saw it, on T'hatham Island, lint unfortunately no specimen 

 was procured. 



Genus ASIO Briss. 



Ask>, Bris.son, Orn. I. p. 28 (17G0). 

 Nearly cosmopolitan. 



1. Asio galapagoensis (Gould). 



Bmi-hyolus gulajuKjornsh, Gould in I'mc. Ziml, S,„\ Loml. 18ii7, p. 10. 



OlKH (jiihip., Gould, Ziml Vui/. Beagh; III. p. 32, PI. III. 



Ash, golap, Sharpe, C'uf. B. Bril. J/ws. II. p. 238 (1875) ; Ridgway in Proc. V.S. Xat. Mas. XIX. 



p. 585. 

 Asio fjahipaycnsis, Salvin in Trans. Zool. Soc. IX. p. 493 (187(5). 



This owl is particularly interesting, being apparently the only known near ally 

 of the short-eared owl, which has a nearly — though not strictly — cosmopolitan dis- 

 tribution. Tiie authors quoted above have given accurate descriptions of tliis s])ecies, 



Ridgway has named Albemarle, Hood, Indefatigable, James, Tower ami Hindloe 

 Islands as its homes. We have also specimens from Duncan (common), Barriugtou 

 (common), Chatham and Gardner Islands. It was also observed on (Julpepper 

 Island, but it has never been obtained on < 'hailes Island. 



Genus FREGATA Biiss. 



Fregata, Brisson, Orn. TI. p. oOG (1760). 

 Intertropical seas. 



I. Fregata aquila (L.). 



Pilreamis iiijiiilii^, Linnaeus, Si/sl. A^af. ed. X. I. p. 133 (1758). 



FiTijata iiiinila and Fivi/ntti aquila viinor, Ridgway in Prvr. C.S. Xat. ilus. XIX. pp. 500, 591. 



Fregata aqiiilu, Grant, Cat. B. Bril. Miis. XXV. p. 443. 



Ridgway and Grant have quite correctly accepted the name /•'. ar/fl for the 

 small species found in the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, from Madagascar 



