XXIV. TEEMÉSZETEA.JZI FÜZETEK. 1901. 



DESCRIPTION OF TWO PROBABLY NEW EUROPEAN 



BIRDS. 



by Dr. Julius von Madakász, 



1. Scops cypria n. sp. 



Though LoKD LiLFOED has already called attention in the «Ibis« 1889 

 p. 312, to the fact, that all the specimens of the Scops OjvI obtained by him 

 and Dr. F. H .H. Güillemaed in Cyprus were very dark in plumage, still 

 I was much surprised by the Ciiprean Scops Oic], which our Collector Mr. 

 C. Glasznek latety sent me from Cyprus. 



By no means could I identify this bird with the Scops scops of Lin- 

 naeus. Though I compared the Cyprean Scops Owl with specimens of the 

 common Scops Owl from different localities (Tunis, South of France, 

 Hungary, Dobrudsha, South of Paissia etc.) and found that all the spe- 

 cimens from those localities are more or less light in colour, washed 

 with orange — or sandy buff, and varying not much in shade ; whilst the 

 Oyprean Scops Owl is a very dark coloured bird, without any decided 

 shade of buff". 



The Cyprean Scops Owl — as I propose to call Scops cypria — I con- 

 sider to make a distinct insular form ; it is not only characterised by its 

 dark coloration, but it is somewhat a larger bird and has a distinct habitat, 

 being resident in Cyprus : probably one of the peculiar insular forms, 

 which inhabits the Island; whilst the common Scops Owl is only a sum- 

 mer visitor in the south of Europe and goes very far South in winter. 



My tj'pe specimen, which belongs now to the Hungarian National 

 Museum was shot on the 8*^ of February 1901 in Cyprus (Livadia) and 

 according to the note of the collector it is a male and measures as follows : 

 Length circ. 21, wing 16'5, tail 7"5, tarsus 2'2 cm. 



2. Parus aphrodite n. sp. 



Adult male closely allied to Parus minor, Temm., of Eastern-Asia, 

 but the under part is more creamy and the upper breast is suffused with 

 yellow. Length 13'5, wing 6'9, tail 6'2, culmen 1, tarsus P9 cm. Adult 

 female. Similar to the male, but has the underparts more yellowish. 

 Length 13"2, wing 6*7, tail 6, culmeu 1, tarsus 1*8 cm. 



Both male and female were shot near Larnaca on 18*^ February and 

 3*1» March 1901. 



A full description of these new birds with coloured plate will fol- 

 low in the next Volume. (pag. 272.) 



