of Madagascar and the adjacent Islands. 458 



was subsequently shown by him to be founded on S. rutilus in 

 brown hvery [torn. cit. pp. 255, 321). 



24. NiNox MADxiGASCARiENSis, Bonap. Madagascar Hairy- 

 footed Owl. 



Of this Owl I have seen but one example, that contained in 

 the Museum of the Jardin des Plantes ; and by the kindness of 

 M. Verreaux I had the opportunity of comparing it with other 

 Owls of the genus from various localities in the same collection. 

 Of these the Madagascar specimen agrees most nearly with an 

 example of N. hirsuta, sent from Nepal by Mr. Hodgson, and 

 indeed only differs therefrom in having the dark spots on the 

 breast and abdomen more clearly defined and of a more dis- 

 tinctly guttate shape. Whether this peculiarity is sufficiently 

 important and constant to entitle the Madagascar form to specific 

 recognition can only be decided by the comparison of a series of 

 specimens from the two countries ; and I leave the question for 

 the present as open to further investigation whenever the needful 

 materials may be available for the purpose. 



25. Athene superciliaris (Vieillot). Soiinerat's Owl. 

 MM. Schlegel and Pollen consider the bird they have described 



{op. cit. pp. 49-51, pi. xvii.) under the name of Noctua polletii to 

 be distinct from, though nearly related to the Strix superciliaris 

 of Vieillot (N. Diet. H. N. vii. p. 33) ; but having in company 

 with M. Verreaux compared Vieillot^s type-specimen now in the 

 Paris Museum with a specimen recently brought from Mada- 

 gascar by M. Grandidier, which is in the same collection, they 

 appear to me to be specifically identical, and I agree with M. 

 Verreaux in regarding Noctua polleni as a synonym of A. super- 

 ciliaris. The type of this last is destitute of any memorandum 

 as to the locality whence it was procured ; and being an old spe- 

 cimen, it is of course in less perfect preservation than M. Gran- 

 didier's example ; it is nevertheless quite perfect enough for the 

 purpose of comparison. 



26. Otus madagascariensis, A. Smith. Madagascar Long- 

 eared Owl. 



MM. Schlegel and Pollen {op. cit. p. 51) follow Dr. Hartlaub 



