18/6.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON A NEW SPECIES OF OWL. 673 



7. Description of an apparently new Species of Owl from 



the Solomon Islands. By R. Bowdler Sharpe. 



[Received June 16, 1876.] 



(Plate LXII.) 



Mr. Sclater has kindly submitted to my inspection a specimen of 

 an Owl received by him from the Solomon Islands, which I cannot 

 refer to any species of Ninox at present described. I therefore 

 propose to call it 



Ninox solomonis, sp. ii. (Plate LXII.) 

 2V. affinis N. hypogrammse sed minor: secundariis et cauda pallide 

 brunneo transfasciatis et corpore subtus alhido brunneo transver- 

 sim fasciato distinguendus. 



Adult. General colour above chocolate-brown, the head nearly 

 uniform and more greyish brown, with a few concealed fulvous bars 

 on the feathers, a little more distinct on the forehead ; loral plumes 

 white, with black shafts produced into hair-like bristles over the 

 nostrils ; ear-coverts greyish brown, slightly streaked with fulvous ; 

 scapulars varied with a few white bars on the outer webs, the median 

 and greater coverts similarly barred ; primary-coverts nearly uniform 

 dark brown ; quills dark brown, barred across with lighter brown, 

 these bars buffy white on the inner web and notched with the same 

 colour on the outer, imparting a checquered appearance to the outer 

 aspect of the wing; tail dark brown, barred across with lighter 

 brown, shading off into whitish on the inner webs, the outer webs 

 notched with the same colour, the lighter bars being ten in number 

 not including the light brown tip ; under surface of body whitish, 

 barred across with dark brown, these bars acquiring a slight reddish 

 tinge from a conterminous narrow rufous bar adjoining the broader 

 brown one ; sides of the upper breast more uniform brown ; legs 

 tawny with light brown cross bars ; under wing-coverts white barred 

 with rufous and brown, the lower ones white transversely barred 

 with ashy brown and resembling the lower surface of the quills. 

 Total length 11 inches, wing 8 - 3, tail 4*(io, tarsus 1*2. 



Ilab. Solomon Islands (Mas. P. L. S.). 



This specimen is the one recorded by Mr. Sclater (P. Z. S. 1869, 

 p. 123) as Athene variegata; but on comparing it with the key to 

 the species given by me in my 'Catalogue of Birds' (ii. p. 152), it 

 will be found not to agree with the diagnostic characters of that 

 bird. It is also not 2V. tceniata, the only species of Ninox known 

 from the Solomons, as the upper parts of the latter are barred with 

 i'ulvous, whereas in the present bird they are uniform. It is closely 

 allied to N. hypogramma, but is very much smaller and has the 

 secondaries and tail-feathers barred across with paler brown ; the 

 under surface also is white with broad transverse rows of brown, 

 whereas the general aspect of N. hypogramma below is rufous. 



