﻿11 
  

  

  BIRDS. 
  

  

  BT 
  

  

  R. 
  BOWDLER 
  SHARPE. 
  

  

  The 
  birds 
  were 
  obtained 
  in 
  the 
  islands 
  of 
  Torres 
  Straits, 
  at 
  Port 
  

   MoUe 
  and 
  Port 
  Curtis 
  in 
  Queensland, 
  and 
  at 
  Port 
  Darwin 
  in 
  North- 
  

   western 
  Australia. 
  In 
  the 
  following 
  notes 
  the 
  references 
  to 
  other 
  

   works 
  have 
  been 
  limited 
  to 
  the 
  ' 
  Catalogue 
  of 
  Birds 
  in 
  the 
  British 
  

   Museum,' 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  this 
  work 
  is 
  published, 
  and 
  to 
  Mr. 
  Ramsay's 
  

   useful 
  list 
  of 
  Australian 
  birds 
  (Proc. 
  Linn. 
  Soc. 
  N. 
  S. 
  W. 
  vol. 
  ii. 
  

   pp. 
  177-203), 
  where 
  the 
  best 
  illustration 
  of 
  their 
  geographical 
  

   distribution 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  found. 
  

  

  1. 
  Cerchneis 
  cenchroides 
  (V. 
  ^ 
  IT.). 
  

  

  Sharpe, 
  Cat. 
  B. 
  Brit. 
  Mus. 
  i. 
  p. 
  431. 
  

  

  Tinnunculus 
  cenchroides, 
  Bamsay, 
  Pr. 
  Linn. 
  Soc. 
  N. 
  S. 
  W. 
  ii. 
  p. 
  177. 
  

  

  a. 
  Port 
  Denison, 
  May 
  1881. 
  

  

  2. 
  Ninox 
  peninsularis, 
  Salvad. 
  

  

  a. 
  5 
  • 
  Thursday 
  Island, 
  Torres 
  Straits. 
  Bill 
  yellow 
  with 
  black 
  

   tip 
  ; 
  feet 
  and 
  iris 
  yellow. 
  

  

  The 
  British 
  Museum 
  contains 
  a 
  good 
  series 
  of 
  this 
  apparently 
  

   well-marked 
  species, 
  which 
  differs 
  from 
  Niuox 
  connivens 
  by 
  the 
  

   rufous 
  streaks 
  on 
  the 
  lower 
  parts. 
  The 
  following 
  is 
  a 
  descrip- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Coppinger's 
  specimen 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Adah 
  female. 
  General 
  colour 
  above 
  dull 
  sooty 
  brown, 
  darker 
  on 
  

   the 
  head, 
  which 
  is 
  blackish 
  brown, 
  forming 
  a 
  tolerably 
  distinct 
  cap 
  ; 
  

   scapulars 
  brown 
  like 
  the 
  back, 
  with 
  large 
  white 
  markings 
  on 
  the 
  

   outer 
  web, 
  forming 
  a 
  continuous 
  white 
  line 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  

   back; 
  wing-coverts 
  almost 
  entirely 
  uniform, 
  with 
  only 
  here 
  and 
  

   there 
  a 
  spot 
  of 
  white, 
  a 
  little 
  plainer 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  web 
  of 
  the 
  median 
  

   and 
  greater 
  coverts, 
  the 
  latter 
  of 
  which 
  are 
  washed 
  with 
  pale 
  rufous 
  ; 
  

   bastard-wing 
  feathers 
  and 
  primary-coverts 
  uniform 
  sooty 
  brown 
  ; 
  

   quills 
  dark 
  brown, 
  barred 
  on 
  both 
  webs 
  with 
  lighter 
  brown, 
  taking 
  

   the 
  form 
  of 
  whity-brown 
  notches 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  web 
  ; 
  inner 
  secon- 
  

   dai'ies 
  spotted 
  with 
  white 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  and 
  barred 
  witli 
  white 
  on 
  

   their 
  inner 
  webs 
  ; 
  lower 
  back 
  and 
  rump 
  sooty 
  brown, 
  with 
  more 
  or 
  

   less 
  concealed 
  spots 
  of 
  white 
  ; 
  upper 
  tail-coverts 
  deep 
  brown 
  ; 
  tail- 
  

   feathers 
  dark 
  brown, 
  plainly 
  though 
  narrowly 
  barred 
  and 
  tipped 
  

   with 
  whity 
  brown, 
  these 
  light 
  bars 
  being 
  eight 
  in 
  number 
  besides 
  

   the 
  terminal 
  one 
  ; 
  lores, 
  base 
  of 
  forehead, 
  and 
  plumes 
  over 
  the 
  eye 
  

  

  