( 405 ) 



Strix punctatissima Gray. 

 Nov. ZoiiL. VI, 1899, p. 175. 



Mr. G. M. Green lias beeu Incky enougli to shoot a male of this rare owl at 

 Crater Mount, Elizabeth Bay, Albemarle Island, on August 28th, 19(M). He marks 

 the iris as brown. 



This owl is probably met with on most islands, but is rare and ditiicnlh to 

 procure on account of its retiriuy nocturnal habits. It is a small dark form, the 

 wing of the Albemarle specimen measuring only about 225 mm. Its ally on the 

 continent, Stri.r Jlammea contempta Hart., is half as big again, though very much 

 like it in colour. In its small size it comes nearest to S. Jlammea bargci Hart., from 

 Curai^ao, but that is a very light form, as light as the English race. Dark forms 

 are found on many islands {nigrescens on the Lesser Antilles, deroc.ptstorffii on the 

 Nicobars, insularis on the Gape Verde Islands), but they all differ considerably in 

 colouration, and mostly in size, from S. j>ii/ictatissima. 



Asio galapagoensis (Gould). 



Nov. ZooL. VI, 1899, p. 175. 



Green obtained many specimens at Elizabeth Bay, Albemarle, where it was 

 very common ; also two at Webb's f!ove, Albemarle, and one at Gardner Bay, 

 Hood Island. " Length (in flesh) 15 in., width (spread) 38 in. '■ Eyes orange." 



[Speotyto cunicularia becki subsp. nov. 



One burrowing owl, marked " cJ," was obtained by Mr. Beck on Guadeloupe 

 Island, Pacific Ocean, on December 1st, 1900. It differs from the North American 

 ioxm, Sj>eoti/to cunicularia hi/pogufia,m being decidedly darker, more chocolate brown 

 above. This character is apparently a good distinguishing one, but from the single skin 

 we may not say if there are other differences as well. The wing measures 108, the 

 tail about 80, tarsus 43, bill from cere to tip 12i, gonys barely 6 mm. The bill is 

 jiorliaps smaller than in S.c. hi/pogaea. The large-billed S.c. rostrata from Glarion 

 Island is totally different (bill from cere to ti|i 17, gonys Of to 7 or more). None of 

 the other forms known to us is quite like this Guadeloupe specimen, and we therefore 

 have no doubt tliat it belongs to a special insular form.] 



Fregata aquila L. 



Nov. ZooL. VI, 1899, p. 175. 



We have again received very large intermediate and comparatively very small 

 individuals from the Galapagos Islands, and can thus corroborate our former state- 

 ment that the large and small specimens of the Frigate-bird cannot be separated as 

 two distinct subspecies. The bills of our Galapagos birds measure from to 1 1 cm., 

 and the wings from 56 to 60 cm. On the other hand, Fregata ariel (Gould) must be 

 kept specifically distinct. Dr. Finsch, in a very interesting popular article in the 

 Ornithologische Monatsschri/t, 1900, p. 452, declares that his studies have convinced 

 him that there is only one species of Fregata ; but he is entirely mistaken. 

 Either he did not see the difference, or the museums in which he made his studies 

 had no specimens of the small form. The latter is of a much more southerly 

 distribution, e.\ce])t in Borneo not going as far as the equator ; it is smaller, tlie 



