62 



ment about the bill, gives it much of the expression of the family 

 Strigidce. It was this resemblance that induced me to give it the 

 above generic name. Dr. DiefFenbach statės that its native name 

 implies that its habits are noctumal : the natives catch the bird by 

 torchUght. He further informs us that it chiefly inhabits the South 

 island of New Zealand, but is very rare even in that locaHty, which 

 is in some degree the result of the destruction it meets with from the 

 attack of cats and dogs, to which its habit of freąuenting the lower 

 branches only of trees the more readUy exposes it. 



As I have never published a specific character, I subjoin the fol- 

 lowing : — 



Strigops habroptiltjs, g. r. Gray. Str. olivaceo-viridis viridi- 



griseo tinctus,plumis singulis strigd mediand flavd nigro-marginatd 



extus irregulariter transverse nigro-fasciatis, tectricum majorum 



retnigum secundariorumque pogoniis exterioribus catiddgue totd 



pallide umbrinis transverse luteo-fasciatis fasciis irregulariter 



nigro-marginatis ; snbtūs palUdior luteo tinctus plumis singulis 



strigd mediand luted piceo-marginatd extus irregulariter transverse 



piceo fasciatis ; fronte, genis, regionibus auricularibus plumisgue 



ad rostri basin prominentibus pallide umbrinis medio luteo-notatis ; 



rostro albo, pedibus plumbeis. 



Upper surface sap-green, -svith a verdigris tinge on the wings ; 



each feather marked in the middle with yellow, which is margined 



on the sides with black, from which spring irregular transverse bands 



of the šame colour ; the outer webs of the greater wIng-coverts, 



ąuills, secondaries and the entire tail, brownish buff, irregularly 



banded transversely ■n'ith black ; between every alternate set lemon- 



yellow ; the inner \vebs of ąuills and secondaries black, more or less 



transversely banded with lemon-yellow. Under surface pale green- 



ish yelloNV, tinged vvith lemon-yellow, more or less marked along the 



shaft with pale yellow, which is narrowly margined with brovvnish 



black ; some of the feathers have transverse bands of the šame 



colour. 



The top of the head bro^-nish black, margined outerly w'ith sap- 

 green, tinged in some pjaces with verdigris, and marked in the middle 

 •with pale yellow ; the front, cheeks, ear-coverts and the projecting 

 feathers of the face pale umber, marked in the middle with yellowish 

 •vvhite. Bill wliite ; feet plumbeous- black. 



Length, 2 feet 4 inches ; bill, 1 inch 8 lines ; wings, 1 1^ inches ; 

 tail, 91 inches; tarsi, H inch. 



