494 MR. O. SALVIN ON THE AVIFAUNA 
Genus STRIX. 
The most recent views unite the Barn-Owl of America with the European Striv 
flammea, which ranges, under various names, over the whole of Asia and Australia. 
Stria punctatissima is a distinct and peculiar species, well differentiated from the 
widely ranging bird. 
STRIX PUNCTATISSIMA. 
Strix punctatissima, G. R. Gray, Zool. Voy. Beagle, iii. p. 34, tab. iv. ; Sel. & Saly. P. Z. S. 1870, 
p. 323. 
3 (Indefatigable Island) supra griseo-nigricans, albo minutissime irroratus: plumis 
singulis (remigibus et rectricibus inclusis) macula subapicali nigra, apicibus ipsis albis 
nigro circumdatis: subtus ochrascenti-albus, nigro vermiculatus, plumis singulis macula 
subapicali nigra, deinde macula subrotundata alba terminatis: disco faciali extus rufo, 
gulam yersus multo obscuriore, intus nigro irrorato; facie rosaceo-alba: loris et ocu- 
lorum ambitu fuscis: alis et cauda ochraceo-fulvis fusco vermiculatis, illis fasciis latis 
fuscis transfasciatis: hac fasciis quatuor transversis angustis fuscis notata: tarsorum 
dimidio antico plumato, dimidio postico et digitis plumis sparsis capilliformibus vestitis: 
long. tota 12:0, ale 9-0, caudie 4:1, tarsi 2-4. 
Hab. James Island (Darwin); Indefatigable Island and Abingdon Island (//ade/). 
Strix punctatissima is, I believe, restricted in its range to the Galapagos, though its 
presence elsewhere has been asserted more than once. In Strickland’s ‘ Ornithological 
Synonyms’ (p. 182) it is stated to be found at Para; but having recently examined 
Strickland’s bird I find it identical with the Australian S. castanops, an erroneous 
locality having been doubtless attached to the specimen. Professor Orton, in his notes on 
some birds in the Museum of Vassar College (Am. Nat. iv. p. 711), says that S. puncta- 
tissima is rather abundant in the valley of Quito. 1 omitted to examine his specimens 
when visiting Vassar College last year (1874), but am inclined to believe that they 
should rather be referred to the ordinary South-American form of S. flamiea. 
Dr. Habel says:—* I only obtained two specimens of this Owl, both on Indefatigable, 
and did not observe it on either Bindloe or Abingdon or the other islands touched at. 
From this I gather that it is not an abundant species, unless its habit of not stirring 
until nightfall is the reason I did not observe it oftener. Asio galapagensis came near 
our tent soon after sundown. The food of Strix punctatissima appears to consist chiefly 
of insects, as I found the remains of grasshoppers in their stomachs.”—ZH. 
Genus Burteo. 
Most recent authorities place the large accipitrine bird of the Galapagos in the genus 
Luteo, though Mr. Gould instituted a genus Crawirea' to receive it. Under this name 
a wide-ranging species of the American continent, C unicinctus, has been classed. In 
" Changed by Sundevall to Dromolestes, Gifvers. af K. Vet. Ak. Forh. 1874, p. 27. 
