12 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL, MUSEUM vol. 70 



bars on the tail darker and broader. Wing, 310; tail, 188; culmen 

 from cere, 22 milimeters." 



The second specimen is like the type above but lighter below. 

 Both specimens are so different from Strix aluco nivicola or any of 

 the related forms that it is doubtful if they are specifically related. 

 For this reason I have now thought it best to raise it to specific rank. 



Since writing the above the two specimens have been shown to 

 Dr. Peter Suschkin and he agrees with me that they represent a 

 distinct species. He has called my attention to certain differences 

 that I failed to notice or mention. The most important is a difference 

 in the structure of the wing. In Strix nivicola the second to fourth 

 outer primaries are slighth^ notched on the outer web and slightly 

 narrowed on the fifth, while in Strix nivipetens the notches on the 

 outer web extend to the sixth primary and are more pronounced. 

 In Strix 7iivipetens the six outer primaries are sinuated on the inner 

 web, while in Strix nivicola only four are. The fifth primary is the 

 longest in Strix nivipetens^ the fourth and sixth equal and slightly 

 shorter, the third slightly longer than seventh, while in Strix nivi- 

 cola the fourth and fifth are subequal and longest, the third slightly 

 shorter but longer than sixth. Strix nivipeteiis is a larger bird 

 than St^ix nivicola^ with a slightly different color pattern, per- 

 fectly obvious to the eye but hard to define. The barring to the 

 feathers above and below is coarser and darker, with an admixture 

 of ochraceous-buff. The center of the belly is ochraceous-buff, un- 

 marked in the type, but with a few obscure bars in the unsexed 

 specimen, instead of the light huffish, almost white of Strix nivicola. 

 This difference was not mentioned in the original description. There 

 are other minor differences, both in color and structure, but enough 

 has been given to show that this is a very distinct species. Doctor 

 Suschkin is of the opinion that it represents a tropical type of the 

 genus and has nothing to do with the northern races. 



Family PSITTACIDAE. Parrots 



42. PSITTACULA DERBIANA (Fraser) 



Palaeornis derbiana Fraser, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1850. p. 245, pi. 25 

 (cage bird). 



One male, and one female, near Hsia-yan-tsun, March 29; one 

 male immature, Hofuping Mountains, Mekong Valley, November. 



Shortly before receiving the Yunnan collection, the National Mu- 

 seum received two females purchased by the Rev. David C. Graham 

 at Chengtu, Szechwan, which were said to have been brought from 

 further south. One is apparently adult and the other a younger 

 bird. The adult is not essentially different from the adult female 

 from Yunnan; the vounger bird has the forehead behind the black 



