276 Mr. P. L. Sclater on an undescribed Species of Hawk. 



is the Accipiter poliocephalus of Mr. G. R. Gray, from tlie Aru 

 Islands, described in the ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society ' 

 for last year*. It is, however, quite distinct in coloration from 

 that bird. Other near relatives seem to be Accipiter rufitor- 

 quesf, of the Feejee Islands, Accipiter hyogasterX, of Amboyna, 

 and Astur trinotatus^, of Celebes. Mr. Gurney thinks that these 

 species, together vs^ith the well-known so-called Goshawk of New 

 Holland [Astur novce hollandia, Gould, B. Austr. i. pis. 14, 15), 

 constitute a small group of stout-built Hawks, which may be con- 

 sidered in some degree distinct. The term Leucospiza, proposed 

 by Dr. Kaup for the isolation of Falco nova hollandice, might be 

 employed for the subgeneric denomination of these birds. They 

 are all remarkable for simplicity of coloration in an Order where 

 this is the rule rather than the exception. 



Besides Accipiter haplochrous, Mr. Gurney received three 

 other species of Accipitres in the same collection, namely, Hali- 

 astur sphenurus (Gould, B. Austr. i. pi, 5), J and $, killed at 

 Port S. Vincent, New Caledonia, May 21st, 1858 ; Astur ap- 

 proximans (Gould, B. Austr. i. pi. 7), ? juv., from " Nu," New 

 Caledonia, March 21st, 1858; and three examples of a Circus, 

 probably identical with Circus assimilis, as figured in Gould^s 

 ' Birds of Australia' (i. pi. 26). The latter were obtained in Port 

 de France and Port S. Vincent in March, April, and May, 1858. 



Mr. G. R. Gray has lately communicated to the Zoological 

 Society a " List of New Caledonian Birds," which was read at 

 their Meeting on May 10th last ; and gives a complete account 

 of what is known of the ornithology of this island. 



The accompanying figure of Accipiter haplochrous is by Mr. 

 Wolf, and represents the bird reduced to one-third of its natural 

 dimensions. 



* See P. Z. S. 1858, p. 170. 



t Accipiter rufitorques, Peale, Zool. U. S. Expl. Exp., Birds, p. 68 ; 

 Cassin, ibid., ed. 2. p. 90, Atlas, pi. 2. figs. 1 & 2. This species is figured 

 by M. M. Hombron and Jacquiiiot in Plate 2 of the Atlas of the " Voyage 

 au Pol Sud," as " Epervier oceanien, § on variete"; their " Epervier 

 oceanien J," being referable to Accipiter hyogaster. See Dr. Pucheran's 

 remarks in the " Zoologie " of the same work, vol. iii. p. 48. 



X Falco hyogaster, Miill. Verb. Ethn. p. 110. 



§ Astur trinotatus, Temm. MS. : Bp. Consp. i. p. 33. 



