PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 533 



of the 'Touclie' bush. They are extremely tame and stupid and can 



almost bo cauglit in tlie liaiid. They will sit (iniot on a branch for 

 iionrs and are easily snared witli a noose. This habit acc(mnts for the 

 extermijiation of their near relative in Mauritius. Generally exces- 

 sively fat. Their voice is a very hoarse and dee]) coo." (Abbott, ^fS.) 



Family I'.IJTEONID.^.. 



28. MILVUS ^GYPTIUS Gmelin). 



Two specimens, October 12 and December 19. " Kites are occasion- 

 ally observed, bnt are not common, probal>]y only wanderers from 

 Madagascar or the Comoro Islands." (Abbott, MS.) 



Family FALCONIDyE. 



2<l. TINNUNCULUS NEWTONI. Gurney. 



Five specimens, October 19-Xovend)er 7. 



''This is not a very common species, only ab(mt twenty individ- 

 uals being observed during my stay of three months in Aldabra. 

 Tliey appear to be most common in the bare and stony interior of 

 Grand Terre, Aldabra, particularly near the water hole at Tata uuica." 

 (Abbott, MS.) 



Family STEIGID^. 



30. STRIX FLAMMEA 



Four specimens, October 4-December 12. 



In the absence of suitlcieut material for comiiarison, I am unable to 

 determine the subspecies to which these specimens belong. They are 

 very different from an example from Angola [S. poens'is., Fraser ?), the 

 only African Barn Owl in the V. S. jSTational Mnsenm collection, but 

 resemble very closely in coloration S. f. ddicatKla^ from Australia, 

 Samoa, etc. They are much larger, however, than the latter. 



'•This owl is rather common. Its cry is freipiently heard at night, and 

 is almost identical with that of the American variety. Occasionally 

 seen in the day time." (Abbott, MS.) 



Family CTJCULIDJ^. 



31. CENTROPUS INSULARIS. Ridgway.' 



Fonr specimens, September 25-November 18. 



" A common and extremely tame sj^ecies both in Aldabra and Assump- 

 tion. Very fond of lizards and, it is said, also of rats. While J did 

 not actually see them capture any of the latter, I believe that they do 

 catch small ones. This bird has two notes, one like Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo- 



' See also p. 522. 



