450 ON BIRDS FROM DUKE-OF-YORK ISLAND. [May 20, 



15. Alcyone pusilla (Temra.) ; Gould, B. Austr. ii. pi. xxvi. ; 

 Shavpe, Kingf. p. 53, pi. xvi. 



A single specimen of this bird " from Wood Harbour, at the 

 north end of New Ireland" is rather larger than North-Australian 

 skins in the British Museum with which I have compared it, and 

 has the blue flanks connected by an imperfect breast-band. The 

 latter, however, is a somewhat variable character. 



22. NlNOX VARIEGATA. 



Noctua variegata, Q. et 6. Voy. de l'Astr. Zool. i. p. 1GG et 

 Atlas, pi. i. fig. 2. 



Athene variegata, Scl. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 123 et 18/8, p. 290. 



Ninox solomonis, Sharpe, P. Z. S. 18/6, p. 673, pi. lxii. 



Ninox novce-britannice, Ramsay, Pr. L. S. N. S. W. ii. p. 105. 



One specimen, marked female, from the Topaia district of New 

 Ireland and obtained in 1878, agrees with the individual from the 

 Solomon Islands, which I have compared with the type in the Paris 

 Museum. N. novce-britannice is, no doubt, identical. 



23. Ninox jacquinoti. 



Cheveche rayee, Hombr. et Jacq. Voy. au Pole Sud, Atl. pi. iii. 

 fig. 1. 



Athene j acquinoti, Bp. Consp. i. p. 42 (1850). 



Athene tceniata, Jacq. et Puch. Voy. au Pole Sud, Zool. iii. p. 50 

 (1853). 



Ninox tceniata, Sharpe, Cat. Birds, ii. p. 186. 



A single female specimen, obtained in New Britain in May 1878, 

 I refer somewhat doubtfully to this species. The upper surface is 

 rather spotted than barred ; and there are some irregular shaft-stripes 

 and edgings on the white abdomen. I shall take an early opportunity 

 of comparing this specimen with the type at Paris*. 



24. Henicopernis longicatjda. 



Mr. Gurney, who has kindly examined this specimen, states that 

 although Mr. Sharpe agrees with him in believing it to be H. longi- 

 cauda in immature dress, they have neither of them seen an example 

 previously in similar plumage. 



25. Baza reinwardti. 



Mr. Gurney has kindly sent me the following note on this specimen : — 

 " The Baza probably does not differ specifically from B. reinwardti; 

 but on comparing it with seven adults from other localities (ranging 

 from New Guinea northwards), I find that it differs from them all 

 in having the brown colour on the back somewhat less extended, 

 and in the transverse bars on the under surface being a pure grey 

 without admixture of brown, or with scarcely any, instead of having 

 a decided brown tint as in all the others. 



" Mr. E. P. Ramsay has sent me a copy of an article on the 

 Zoology of New Guinea, in which he speaks of the New Ireland race 



* P.S. July 22. — I have now made the comparison, and consider this specimen 

 to be correctly determined. But the type (Mus. Paris) is an immature bird. — 

 P. L. S. 



