420 Mr. H. Seebohm on the 



BUTEO FEROX. 



An example of the Long-legged Buzzard from Samarcand 

 is rn the rufous phase described by Bogdanow from the Cau- 

 casus. Possibly this so-called "phase" of plumage may 

 represent the eastern form. 



SYRNIUM URALENSE. 



Mr. Kibort has sent me a fine example of the arctic form 

 of the Ural Owl from Krasnoyarsk. It is the greyest ex- 

 ample I have ever seen. Examples from Hakodadi are 

 slightly more rufous, those from the Amoor still more so, 

 and those from Lapland are the most rufous of all. If 

 Pallas's name be retained for the arctic form, we must call 

 the Lapland bird Syrnium lituratum. 



Asio ^EGOLIUS. 



Examples of the Short-eared Owl sent me from Krasno- 

 yarsk are very interesting. The female does not differ from 

 our bird ; but the males are very much greyer, and are good 

 specimens of the Strix agolius of Pallas, the arctic form o 

 Asio brachyotus. In China, as might be expected, our bird 

 reappears. 



ATHENE BACTRIANA. 



Three examples of the Little Owl from Samarcand belong 

 undoubtedly to the species originally described by Capt. 

 Hutton from Candahar, and afterwards redescribed by S win- 

 hoe from near Shato, in North China, as Athene plumipes 

 (P. Z. S. 1870, p. 448). This appears to be a good species. 

 The toes are thickly feathered almost to the claw, whilst in 

 A. noctua and its ally they have only a thin covering of hairy 

 bristles. The tarsus is also much shorter, measuring ri to 

 1 inch, whilst that of A. noctua measures 1*4 to 1*25. Athene 

 glaux is conspecific with A. noctua. Examples of the former 

 from the countries south of the Mediterranean are very dis- 

 tinct from those of the latter from the countries north of the 

 Mediterranean; but examples from Greece are paler, ap- 

 proaching the southern form; and in Asia Minor both 

 extremes occur together with intermediate forms. 



