Imperfectly Described, Species of Birds. 147 



skin ; the tarsus is feathered a little beyond the knee and 

 covered by octagonal scales. 



Dimensions. 



Total length .11^ inches. I Hallux 1 T V inches. 



Wing 13 „ I Bill from base . . 1 T \ „ 



Tarsus 2 T \ „ I „ gape.. 1 T V „ 



Middle toe 1 T V „ | Tail 8 



Scops Malayanus — New Species. 



It was not till after the strictest comparison had been 

 drawn between this species and the S. Aldrovandi of Europe 

 that I ventured to consider it as distinct. The grounds 

 upon which 1 have separated the two species are these. First, 

 the iotal absence of gray perceived in the plumage of S. 

 Aldrovandi; secondly, the superior strength of bill and 

 length of tarsus of that bird; thirdly, the distinct manner in 

 which the under surface of the primaries are mottled, these 

 differences I consider to be sufficient to warrant their separa- 

 tion, particularly as two species from Africa, S. Capensis and 

 S. Senegalensis have been described and acknowledged as 

 distinct — and also a species from Brazil, without possessing 

 greater distinctions. 



The present species was received from Malacca. 



I shall now endeavour to point out the more prominent 

 features in the plumage of the present bird. The under 

 surface is distinctly divided into two equal portions ; the 

 first including the chin, throat and breast, being wood-brown 

 mottled with u little white, light rufous, and black, irregular- 

 ly distributed ; the lower division including the belly, vent, 

 thigh coverts, and under tail coverts, is white, speckled with 

 deep brown and light rufous. 



The ground of the upper surface is ferruginous wood- 

 brown, closely speckled with black, and purest on the upper 

 tail coverts ; four large white spots occur on each side of the 



