new Owf from Java. 403 



Meulen" of Amsterdam, which is especially rich in Javan 

 birds. 



As already shown in my diagnosis, this new Owl has the 

 toes feathered as in S. seloputo and S. maingayi from 

 Malacca, but is distinguished at once from both these species 

 by the uniform dark brown back, and by the great number 

 (from 16 to 18) of the cross-bars on the tail-feathers (in 

 S. maingayi there being only from 10 to 12). It is also 

 somewhat similar to S. leptogrammicum from Borneo, but 

 that species is smaller, has the back with light cross-bars, and 

 belongs to the section with naked toes. 



Mr. Bartels may be congratulated on this remarkable 

 discovery, the more so as Strigine Birds are everywhere 

 difficult to observe and to obtain, especially in tropical 

 forests. As regards Java, this is shown by referring to the 

 results obtained by three of its principal ornithological 

 explorers during many years of residence. Horsfield * 

 (1802 to 1819) obtained specimens of eight species of Owls, six 

 of which he described as new to science. The well-known 

 veteran ornithologist of Java, the late Dr. A. G. Vorderman 

 (from 1877 to 1902), got examples of only four species of 

 Owls, whereas his zealous young follower, Mr. Max Bartels, 

 during the last ten years has obtained (this new species in- 

 cluded) examples of eight species, but of most of them only a 

 few specimens. In all our museums, however, Owls from 

 Java are rare, and consequently there are many questions 

 relating to them to be solved, to some of which I call 

 attention in the subjoined list. In nomenclature I follow 

 Dr. Sharpens ' Hand-list of Birds.' I also refer to the recent 

 publications of Vorderman t and Bartels J, but only for those 



* " Systematic Arrangement and Description of Birds from the Island 

 of Java," Trans. Linn. Soc. London, vol. xiii. (1822). 



f " Systematise!! Overzicht der Vogels welke op Java inheemsch zijn 

 door A. G. Vorderman, van aanteckeningen voorzien door Dr. O. Finsch," 

 Natuurk. Tijdschr. v. Ned. Ind. lx. 1901, pp. 36-155. 



I M. E. G. Bartels, " Zur Ornis Javas," op. cit. lxi. 1902, pp. 129-172. 

 This list enumerates 239 species obtained by the author, who in a forth- 

 coming paper (to be published in the Journ. f. Orn.) increases the number 

 to 309 species. 



2d 2 



