Mr. D. G. Elliot on Nydale kirtlandi. 49 



tural Sciences of Philadelphia/ the same bird under the name 

 of Nyctale kirtlandi, stating that two specimens had been pro- 

 cured ; and this name was continued by Cassin in his 'Illustrations 

 of the Birds of California/ and a figure given. Baird, Cooperj 

 and others, in their respective works, have also kept this form dis- 

 tinct, but restored Shawns name of albifrons, making N. kirtlandi, 

 Hoy, a synonym. So few specimens in the plumage of N. albifrons 

 having ever been seen, this bird has been allowed to retain a place 

 among the feathered tribes of America as a species; and I am 

 happy to be able, from proofs which have lately come into my 

 hands, to accord this bird its proper place in the American and 

 European avifaunas. In a small collection of birds, lately re- 

 ceived by Mr. R. B. Sharpe, to enable him to make some 

 investigations for his work on the birds of Europe, there 

 was a specimen of an Owl from the neighbourhood of Bar- 

 celonnette, in the Basses-Alpes, marked as the young of Strix 

 tengmalmi, which I at once perceived to be the bird named 

 by Shaw and Hoy respectively. In order to make its paren- 

 tage more sure, Mr. H. E. Dresser, and Mr. Bond, at my 

 request, kindly placed in my hands a young and old of 

 Nyctale tengmalmi. Mr. Dresser's specimen of the young 

 bird is from Wytegra, Lake Onega, Russia, and that of Mr. 

 Bond from Granheim, Norway ; so I have representatives from 

 most distant localities. The specimen belonging to Mr. Sharpe 

 from Barcelonnette is the youngest of all, and approches closest 

 to that described by Dr. Hoy ; the others, although in similar 

 plumage, have begun to exhibit the mottlhig on the lower part 

 of the breast. There is no doubt whatever about these examples 

 being the young of the true A^. tengmalmi, as every particular 

 is recorded upon the labels that came with them. As there 

 has been considerable doubt among ornithologists regarding 

 the specific distinctness between the N. tengmalmi of Europe 

 and N. richardsoni of America, I thought that this would be a 

 favourable opportunity, while investigating the young, to ex- 

 amine also the adult birds from the two continents. The result 

 arrived at is that they are identical. In fact, there are two speci- 

 mens lying before me — one from Norrland, Sweden, belonging 

 to Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser, taken from their magnificent 



SER. III. VOL. II. E 



