1888.] HISTORY OF CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 527 



which with one exception are confined to the Austro-Malay sub- 

 region and Northern Australia. The exception is N. superciliaris 

 (Vieill.) from Madagascar, a species which neither in appearance nor 

 geographical distribution seems to be quite at home among the 

 others. 



The Christmas Island bird is closely allied to N.forbesi, Sclater, 

 from Timor Laut. It differs from it in the following characters : — 



1. The shade of the general brown colour of the plumage is a red 

 tawny brown, as distinguished from the yellower duller colour of 

 that bird. 



2. The absence of the dusky shade on the crown. 



3. The ground-colour of the upper breast is white, not tawny 

 yellow. 



4. The breadth of the bars below is equal to that of the inter- 

 space, not half their breadth. 



JV. hypogi'amma (Gray), from the Moluccas, is another near though 

 more distant ally, the obvious difference being on the upper surface, 

 which is dull brown, becoming ashy brown on the crown. N. hantu, 

 from Bourn, and N. squamipila (Bp. Consp), from Ceram, are also 

 allied, but sharply separated by the almost barbless bristles on their 

 tarsi, as well ashy other characters. N. variegatus (Quoy and 

 Gaim.) is the only other species placed in this section of the genus 

 (with crown of head uniform, not spotted). It is readily distin- 

 guished by its dull brown colour and spotted back, and by the 

 presence of spots on the forehead. 



Of these the first five species form a group which is charac- 

 terized by similarity of size (10-12 inches in length), the uniform 

 coloration of the crown of the head, and by greater length of the 

 tail. With regard to this last point, if the length of the tail is 

 compared with that of the wing the figures are as follows : — 



Length of Length of 



tail. wing. 



in. in. per cent. 



Ninox hypogramma . . 5"5 9'0 61'I 



N. squamipila 5*3 8'25 60*6 



N. hantu o'S 8-3 69*8 



N.forbesi 5-3 77 68-8 



N. natalis 5-0 7*2 697 



all over 60%- Whereas among the smaller species with spotted 

 crowns the figures are : — 



Length of Length of 



tail. wing, 



in. in. per cent. 



iV. ^Mwc^w/a^a (Quoy & Gaim.) 3'0 6*8 44*1 



N. granti, Sharpe 4*1 7'0 58".5 



N.jacquinoti 3-8 6-8 55'8 



all below 60°/o- While for N. variegata, with its spotted forehead, 

 they are 4*6, 7*9, 58"2. It therefore appears to hold an intermediate 

 position. 



36* 



