40 VISCOUNT "WALDEN ON THE BIKDS OP CELEBES. 



" If the races are separable, I should think that probably the birds from Ceram, and 

 Amboyna also (according to Wallace), and perhaps those from Celebes, should stand as 

 E. magicus, and those from Morty, Gilolo, Temate, and Batchian as E. leiccospila, 

 from which the pale-coloured bu'ds from Bouru mai/ be also separable. But the 

 differences are too slender to form a basis for specific distinction, and very probably 

 are not constant." 



Mr. G. E. Gray (Hand-list, i. p. 46) treats these forms as distinct species, but makes 

 them both to be inhabitants of Celebes. 



32. Ephialtes mexadensis (Quoy et Gaimard), Voy. Astrolabe, Zool. i. p. 170, pi. 2. 



fig. 2, "Menado" (1830); Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Oti, p. 20; WaUace, Ibis, 

 1868, p. 25. 



ffab. Gorontalo (Forsten) ; Macassar, Menado, Island of Floras (WaUace). 



Dr. Hartlaub (Faun. Madagasc.) identified the Madagascar brown form, Scojjs mada- 

 gascariensis, Grandid., with the Celebean E. menaclensis, but retained S. rutilus, Pucher. 

 (Archives du Mus. iv. pi. 22), as a distinct species. Professor Schlegel (Rech. s. 1. 

 Faun. Mad.) concurs with Dr. Hartlaub, but besides points out that S. rutilus is 

 nothing but the rufous phase. Mr. J. H. Gurney (Ibis, 1869, p. 452) admits the 

 identity of the two Madagascar forms, but considers the Madagascar to be a larger 

 local race of the Celebean E. menadensis, and {in epist.) " would be disposed to rank 

 it as one for which a specific name is convenient." One of Forsten's Celebean 

 examples (Mus. Pays-Bas, /. c), " teintes tirant fortement au roux," leads us to expect 

 that E. menadensis will yet be found in Celebes exhibiting the rufous livery of S. 

 rutilus, Pucher. The Flores habitat rests solely on the authority of Mr. Wallace. 

 Celebean examples only are contained in the Leyden Museum. 



NiNox, Hodgson. 



33. NiNOX JAPONICDS (Bp.), Consp. i. p. 41 (1850), ex Schlegel, Faun. Jap. pi. 9. 

 Noctua hirsutajaponica, Schlegel, Nederl. Tijdschr. 1866, p. 182. 



Eab. Celebes (Von Bosenberg) ; Ja.])a.n, China (Schlegel). 



The occurrence of a species of Ninox in Celebes was first made known by Professor 

 Schlegel (/. c). One example, collected by Von Rosenberg, is stated by the Professor 

 to be absolutely identical with Japanese and Chinese individuals. A second Celebean 

 example, obtained by the same collector, Professor Schlegel considers to be more nearly 

 related to the Ninox of continental India. A third example, sent from the island of 

 Sanghir, the same author regards as most nearly resembling the Bornean form Athene 

 borneensis, Bp., but with larger dimensions. The range of the subgenus Ninox is 

 extensive. Its members are found in Ceylon, which furnished the type of Sfrix hirsuta, 

 Temm. ; in Southern and Central India, S. lugubris, Tickell ; in the Himalayas, N. 

 nipalensis, Hodgs., whence they extend eastward and north-eastward to Japan, where 



