ON NISUS RUFITORQUES AND N, POLIOCEPHALUS. 



NOTE I. 

 ON NISUS RUFITORQUES AND N. POLIOCEPHALUS, 



BY 



H. SCHLEGEL. 



Since my treating of these two species in my work entitled 

 «Muséum d'histoire naturelle des Pays-Bas" , I have had an 

 opportunity of examining a larger series of specimens of 

 them and am now enabled to confirm the results of my 

 former studies. 



I consider these birds with the allied Nisus iogaster of 

 Amboina and Ceram and a certain number of other spe- 

 cies as belonging to a group of Sparrow-hawks , differing from 

 the common sparrow-hawk and its allied species by a greater 

 head , stronger bill , larger eyes , less slender tarsus and 

 especially by shorter but thicker toes , the last charac- 

 teristic applying more especially to the middle toe. 



Of these three species, Nisus rufitorques has the widest 

 range: being found in Bouro, in the Halmahere Isles, 

 New-Guinea and the adjacent islands, and even in 

 the Fidji Archipelago. The distribution of Nisus poliocepha- 

 lus is confined to New-Guinea, the Papoa islands and the 

 Aru islands^ and Nisus iogaster has only been observed in 

 Ceram and Amboina. The latter species, is very conspi- 

 cous: in perfect plumage by the deep rusty red color of 

 its lower parts ; in immature plumage by the white color 

 of the lower parts being only interrupted by a small 



Notes from the Leyden IMuseutn. 



1 



