1837.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 401 



Megascops elegans (Cass.). 



A very young bird of this rare species, collected by Mr. Tasaki in 

 "' the northern part of Liu Kiu," has been presented to our Museum (No. 

 110974). Head and neck are partly in the down of a pale russet cin- 

 namon, becoming still paler on the nape, transversely barred with ill- 

 defined dusky vermiculations, the white spots on scapulars and wing- 

 coverts are absent, and the whole under surface is strongly suffused 

 with russet, each feather with peculiar dusky markings somewhat like 

 two letters x placed on top of each other and united by the black shaft- 

 streak running through the middle of both, the semiluue of each x at 

 the same time embracing a roundish spot of paler color; the wing pat- 

 tern very much as in the adults, but the bands on the tail-feathers more 

 distinct and better defined. 



Ninox japonica (Temm. &, Sciil.)- 



Having for comparison only one specimen of this bird from Japan 

 proper, I cannot say with absolute certainty whether Nishi's bird ( S ad.) 

 from Yayeyama Islan<l, now in our Museum (U. S. IsTat. Mus., No. 

 110,973) is a typical N. japo7iica, or whether it presents any peculiar- 

 ities of its own. 



It is very dark sepia brown above, head and neck being still darker 

 blackish or " clove-brown" (Ridgw., Nom. Col., pi. iii, No. 2), abruptly 

 defined from the sepia-brown of the back; wings strongly tinged with 

 russet; the brown spots on the under surface bold, broad, and of a sat- 

 urated burnt umber ; the broad edges to the jugular feathers ochra- 

 ceous; tail rather dark, with five bars; concealed spots on scapulars 

 large and white ; loral feathers basally very white. 



Dimensions. — 5, Yayeyama Island. — Wing, 204°''^; tail-feathers, 

 111™™ ; bill from nostrils, 13™'" ; tarsus, 30™™ ; middle toe, without claw, 

 25™'". 



It agrees very closely with a specimen in Mr. Henson's collection, 

 kindly submitted by the owner for inspection ( 9 ad., Henson,No. 120; 

 Hakodate, Oct. 20, 18S5), except that in the latter the color of head and 

 back seems to be uniform dark sepia brown, with perhaps a faint shade 

 of grayish on head and neck ; the spots on the under surface are also 

 browner, and the concealed scapular spots somewhat smaller. 



This specimen measures as follows: 9, Hakodate. — Wing, 217™™; 

 tail feathers, 118™™; bill from nostrils, 13™™: tarsus, 30™'"; middle toe, 

 without claw, 20'"™. 



On the whole the two specimens agree so well that they may unhesi- 

 tatingly be referred to the same form. A good series of Japanese spec- 

 imens is, however, one of the more important desiderata of our mu- 

 seum. 



Falco peregrinus Tunst. 



Falco pererjr'mus oricnialis Stejneger, Zeitsclir. Ges. Oru., 1387, p. — . 



With a few unimportant exceptions the specimen of Peregrine Falcon 

 which Mr. Nishi broughthome from Yayeyama Island agrees in nearly 

 PR GO. N. M. 87 26 



