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pale but not pure wbite and heavily spotted undersurface. It is appropriately 

 earned 



Strix flammea schmitzi subsp. nov. 



Type in the Tring Museum from Fnnchal, collected by Padre Schmitz, who has done 

 much to increase oar knowledge of Madeiran ornithology, and to supply specimens 

 to various European museums. 



We are thus at present, in Europe and Northern Africa, ac(iuainted with : 

 a. Strix fammea flamvua : Southern Scandinavia, Central Europe to Frauce 

 and Switzerland, Austria, Hungarj-. (We have uo Russian material.) 



h. Strix flammea kirchlwffi. : Tangiers to Great Britain and Ireland. Perhaps 

 along the Mediterranean, through Italy to Egypt, but possibly the Italian and 

 North African birds are again separable ! A few times very dark birds have 

 ■occurred in England, but they are clearly visitors from the continent. The dis- 

 tribution in France of this form is not clear ! It seems that near Lyons and also 

 near Paris the dark and the light forms are found. Intermediate forms might occur 

 towards the west. I have not examined Irish individuals. 



c. Strix flammea maculata : Khartum, Bine and White Nile. (Brehm col- 

 lection ; Witherby collection.; 



d. Strix flammea schmitzi : Madeira (and ? Canaries). 

 ■e. Strix flammea imularis : Cape Verd Islands. 



VI. Gamilus glandarius. 



Mr. Rothschild has brought together a very large material of the Jay. This 

 shows clearly that there is a tendency in Western Europe, and especially in the 

 British Islands, to be darker above, while in the East there is generally a lighter 

 colouration prevalent. These differences, however, are so slight and variable, 

 and the gradation is so gradual, that it is not wise to apply a snbspecific name to 

 the darker form. 



VII. Ceryle lugubris continentalis subsp. nov. 



Hitherto the large black and white Kingfishers from the Himalayas and Assam 

 and from Japan have been united under the name of C. lugubris or C. guttata. 

 They are, however, distinguishable, the bird from India being generally darker 

 than the one from Japan. The former has narrower, the latter wider white bars to 

 the feathers of the upper surface. This is esjjecially apparent on the wing-coverts. 

 The wing of Japanese individuals is also generally about 1 cm. longer. 



The name Alcedo lugubris has been given by Temminck to the Japanese bird. 

 The Indian form requires therefore a new name, and I name it Ceryle lugubris 

 continentalis. (Type in the Tring Museum from Sikkim, shot by Mr. H. J. Elwes on 

 March 30th, 187G.) Gray called the Indian form Alci/on guttata, but this name is 

 not more available, since Boddaert has already named the African Great Kingfisher 

 (our present Ceryle maxima') Alcedo guttata. 



