Annals of the Transvaal Museum 
2II 
in size in all respects, may be known as Chiquera ruficollis daviesi subsp. 
nov. after the late Lieut. C. G. Finch-Davies, by whom the specimen was 
collected. 
Intermediate between the Falcons and Kestrels we have a very distinct 
genus in DissodecteSy which appears to me to have widely separated allies 
of similar colour characters, grey predominating. D. dickinsoni appears 
to me to have evolved from the Madagascar species D. zoniventris, which 
is small, as in the case of many other island species, and doubtless 
formerly evolved from a larger species, such as “ Falco” eleonorae and 
Notofalco hypoleucus, which may again have evolved from a still larger 
northern species that has lost its former colour characters under arctic 
conditions. 
The two dimorphous Red-legged Kestrels which migrate from the 
northern hemisphere should be retained in the genus Tichornis, to dis- 
tinguish them from the resident monomorphous species that are scattered 
over the universe and bear the name of Cerchneis, of which C. capicola is 
the genotype. Cerchneis rupicoloides does not, however, appear to me to 
be correctly allocated in this genus, and I therefore propose to place it 
under the new generic name of Megacerchneis, characterised by its larger 
size and different colour markings ; it occurs quite commonly side by side 
with C. rupicola in South Africa, with parallels beyond our limits. Rho 
desian specimens of C. rupicola differ from southern birds in being smaller 
(wing length 210-230 as against 225-255 mm.) with smaller markings on 
the back and head usually more streaked; this form has been named 
rhodesi by Finch-Davies {Ihis, 1920, p. 620). 
V 
4 
Bubonidae 
The Eagle Owls of South Africa are readily separated generically on 
size, and colour of the plumage, bill and iris. Bubo capensis represents 
the typical Bubo, but B. africanus {maculosus auct., cf. Neumann, Journ. 
fur Orn., 1914, p. 37) represents a smaller subgenus, for which the name 
of Nisuella Bonaparte is available. B. lacteus on the other hand represents 
a distinct genus, for which the name of Nyctaetus Gloger is available. The 
South African Scops Owls should be placed in the genus Pisorhina, type 
Scops menadensis Quoy and Gaimard, characterised by the shape of the 
wing; our species has been subspecifically separated as follows (cf. Gun- 
ning and Roberts, Ann. Transvaal Mus. iii. in, 1911) : Pisorhina capensis 
capensis (A. Smith), type locality Grahamstown, P. c. grisea, type locality 
Bethulie, O.F.S., P. c. intermedia, type locality Pretoria, and P. c. pusilla, 
type locality Boror, P. E. Africa. 
The White-faced Scops Owl has been placed under Asio by Reichenow 
and under Scops by Sharpe and other authors ; but there is no reason why 
it should be referred to either, a generic name having been provided for 
it by Kaup, namely Ptilopsis, type Strix leucotis Temminck. The form 
occurring in South Africa was given the name of erlangeri by Ogilvie- 
Grant; but more recently Kollibay (Om. Monatsb. 1910, p. 148) has re- 
named it granti, erlangeri being preoccupied. 
The two species commonly referred to Glaucidium should be placed in 
different genera, Microglaux, type Strix perlata Vieillot and Smithiglaux, 
type Noctua capensis A. Smith. Asio capensis A. Smith should be referred 
to the genus Phasmaptynx of which it is the genotype. 
