BIRDS. 35 



of head and throat smoky brown, mottled with numerous small white dots, 

 on the tips of the feathers. Back and wing-coverts the same, with the 

 white spots larger and purer. Wings : primaries, same dark brown, mottled 

 with dull chesnut red ; the tip of each, with the exception of the three 

 first, is marked with a triangular white spot, of the same kind with those 

 over the rest of the body, but larger. Tail, transversely barred with 

 brown and reddish fulvous, and the extreme points mottled with white. 

 Under surface. Breast, belly and lining of wings, fulvous, mottled with 

 brown ; — the feathers being transversely barred with narrow brown lines. 

 Under side of tail, pale gray, with well defined transverse bars of a darker 

 gray. Short downy feathers on tarsi, of a brighter fulvous than the rest of 

 the under surface. 

 Form. — Third primary rather longer than second; first equal to third. Wing, 

 exceeding the tail in length by nearly one inch and a quarter. Short 

 feathers on the tarsus, extending about one-third of its length, below the 

 knee. Tarsi, elongated. Toes and lower part of tarsi, with few scattered 

 brown hairs. 



Total length 13^ 



Wing Qi 



Tail 44 



Tarsi ...... 2^^^ 



Tip of beak to rictus . . . 1 i 



Middle toe, from root of claw to base . l-Jj 



Habitat, James Island, Galapagos Archipelago, {October.) 



I am indebted to Mr. G. R. Gray for the description of this species, which is 

 deposited in the British Museum. Only one specimen was obtained during our 

 visit to the Galapagos Archipelago ; and this formed part of the collection made 

 by the direction of Captain FitzRoy. 



This owl is in every respect a true Strix ; it is fully a third less than the 

 common species of Europe, and differs from it in many respects, especially in 

 the darker colouring of its plumage. The colouring of the Plate is not perfectly 

 accurate in its minuter details. 



