Mr. G. N. Lawrence on the Genus Gymnoglaux. 187 



The features by which the species may be distinguished 

 readily are given below : — 



1. G. nudipes. — Dark brown above ; all the feathers of the 

 under surface striped and barred, giving to these parts a 

 general dark appearance ; front rufous ; tarsi feathered for 

 half their length, and of a rufous colour, with brown bands. 

 Length 94 inches, wing Q\, tail 3|, tarsus 1^. 



2. G. newtoni. — Above of a much lighter rufous than G. 

 nudipes, and less densely striped and barred below; front 

 white ; the abdomen immaculate ; tarsi feathered for half 

 their length with whitish feathers tinged with rufous. Length 

 8 inches, wing 6j, tail 3^, tarsus l-j^. 



3. G. lawrencii. — Brown above, spotted with white; the 

 shaft- stripes on the under plumage heavy, and the webs with- 

 out the cross markings, but the ends of the feathers edged 

 with light brown ; lower part of abdomen without markiugs ; 

 front brown ; tarsi bare of feathers. Length 7\ inches, 

 wing 5|, tail 3j, tarsus 1^. 



[Our knowledge of the species of the genus Gymnoglaux 

 is so limited, and specimens are so scarce in collections, that 

 we welcome any information tending to throw light upon 

 the relationship of the species to one another. Still we can- 

 not quite accept Mr. Lawrence's present solution of the 

 question as to the number of species as final. When we 

 proposed the name G. lawrencii (P. Z. S. 1868, p. 327) we 

 took the opportunity of stating that a comparison of a speci- 

 men from St. Thomas with Daudin's type specimen of G. 

 nudipes, from Puerto Rico, still extant in the Paris Museum, 

 convinced us of their identity. The diversity of the colouring 

 of the plumage in some species of Owls is so notorious, that it 

 is very probable that greater variation in this respect may 

 exist in G. tmdipes than Mr. Lawrence gives it credit for 

 possessing. If so, G. newtoni and G. kruyii may, both be G. 

 nudipes after all. That Puerto Rico is inhabited by two 

 species of Gymnoglaux we hesitate to believe ; but should this 

 prove to be the case, the name to be reinstated, according 

 to our view, will be G. krugii, and not G. newtoni. — Edd.] 



