256 Mr. R, B. Sharpe on Birds of Prey in the 



8. Syrnium DAViDi, sp. n, 



Ptynx fulvescens, David, N. Arch. Mus. vii. Bull. p. 4. 

 S. simile *S^. nivicolo sed multo majus et saturatius : supra- 

 caudalibus ct cavida basali immaculatis distinguendum. 

 Long. tot. 20, alje 14*6, caud. 10*4, tars. 2-1. 



Soon after commencing my studies on Owls, Pere David 

 pointed out to me that he was convinced that he had shot two 

 species of Syrnium at Moupin, one of which was the true S. 

 nivicolum, and the other had been determined by M. Jules 

 Verreaux as Ptynx fulvescens*, and still bore this identification 

 in his own handwriting. On comparing the Moupin example 

 with a specimen of the latter, shot by Pere David in Pekin, 

 it was easily seen that the two species were distinct ; for S. 

 rufescens belongs to the groups of S. uralense and S. nebu- 

 losum, and has, like them, a light-coloured disk, finely irro- 

 rated with circular bars of darker brown. The Moupin Owl, 

 on the contrary, has a dusky brown and mottled countenance, 

 so that it comes much nearer to S. nivicolum. The uniform 

 upper tail-coverts distinguish it as regards plumage ; and its 

 size is very much larger ; there are also many other slight 

 differences. 



The specimen is a male ; and I therefore give the dimen- 

 sions of a pair of the true <S^. nivicolum, shot by Pere David 

 in Moupin : — ? , total length 15*5 inches, wing 12*8, tail 

 8"3, tarsus 2*0; (J, total length 15, wing 11*6, tail 7'5. 



It will thus be seen that the male of S. davidi is larger 

 than the female of S. nivicolum. I am indebted to the cour- 

 tesy of Professor Alphonse Milne-Edwards for permission to 

 describe this new species, which forms part of the ornitholo- 

 gical collection in the Paris Museum. 



9. NiNox FuscA (Vieill. N. Diet. vii. p. 22) . 

 This little Owl, the type of which was known to be in the 

 Paris Museum, has always puzzled ornithologists, and baffled 



* This species is described in the text of the ' Fauna Japonica ' as S. 

 rufescens, and as S. fuscescem on the plate. It ought therefore to be 

 called Sip-nium rufescens. It is the more necessary to determine the cor- 

 rect title of the species, because there is a Syrnirmi fulvescens of Sclater 

 and Salvin, from Central America. 



