396 Mr. R. Swinhoe on Furmosan Ornithologij. 



inch J claw of outer toe about the same size as that of the middle 

 toe ; inner toe shorter than the outer, with the claw nearly as 

 large as that on hind toe. Eyelids black. Bill bluish-black, 

 pale at base of the lower mandible and tinged with orange. Cere 

 olive-green. (These parts, however, are not very fresh, and may 

 have changed colour.) Occiput with a few lengthened acumi- 

 nate feathers.' 



February 15. — A Vive Palumbus pulchricollis, Hodgs., that I 

 had in a cage died this morning without giving me the oppor- 

 tunity of heai'ing its note. Base of bill and tumid cere pinkish- 

 purple ; apical half of bill pale yellow, with a slight tinge of lead- 

 colour. Bare skin about the eye leaden-blue ; eyelids black. 

 Irides pearly, with a faint tint of yellow. 



On the 1st of March was brought to me from the interior a 

 Grass-Owl, which strikes me as new. It appears to have its 

 nearest ally in Strix Candida, Tickell, of India. It is called by 

 the natives the " Monkey-face," and 1 will hence introduce it as 



Strix pithecops, sp. nov. 



Length 15 inches. Wing 132 inches. The second quill 

 slightly shorter than the first, which is the longest in the wing. 

 Tail 4-8 inches long, of twelve soft feathers. Tarsus nearly 3'6 

 inches long; middle toe and claw 2*5 inches. Bill yellowish 

 horn-colour. Toes brownish flesh-colour, with greyish-brown 

 claws. This bird answers in most respects to Dr. Jerdon's descrip- 

 tion of S. Candida ; but in ours the rufi" is white ; the tarsus is 

 feathered for nearly half its length, being bare on the hind part 

 of the tibial joint, and partly so along its posterior edge. A few 

 short tufts of feathers were scattered down the tarsi to within an 

 inch of the toes; and among these pale stiff procumbent bristles 

 occur which extend along the upper surface of each toe. Dr. 

 Jerdon^s bird (B. Ind. i. p. 118) is "scarcely plumed at the 

 knee." I take this to mean that the feathers scarcely extend 

 beyond the joint where the tibia meets the tarsus. Our bird 

 further differs in having a broad yellowish-buff collar x'ound the 

 neck, which is imperfect and disconnected at the back. It also 

 has a band of bark-brown feathers varied with buff running across 

 the breast. These two last are also not mentioned by Dr. Jer- 

 dou as characteristics of the alhed Indian form. I should say 



