Mr. P. L. Sclater on art undescribed Species of Hawk. 275 
never proved good. My original hen bird had been kept twenty 
years in confinement before I had her; the male bird was said 
to be only a year old when it came to me. The only nest made 
by the old Owls is a shallow hole scratched in the earth at the 
bottom of the cage. I have introduced a lining of short straw 
into the hole after the first egg is laid. The earth is scratched 
away from the hole by both birds; but the cock commences the 
operation, and performs the greater part of it. The period of 
incubation is thirty days, and one week usually elapses in addi¬ 
tion between hatching the first egg and the last. The Owls are 
kept in a cage about eight feet square and about the same 
in height, and are fed on rats, rabbits, and birds. 
Easton, Norfolk, May 7th, 1859. 
XXVIII .—Characters of an undescribed Species of Hawk from 
New Caledonia . By Philip Lutley Sclater. 
(Plate VIII.) 
Mr. Gurney has kindly entrusted to me for examination some 
specimens of Rapacious Birds which he has lately acquired 
from New Caledonia. Amongst them is an example of a species 
of Hawk apparently hitherto unnoticed, and which I have little 
hesitation in considering as new. Its simple style of colora¬ 
tion has induced me to propose to call it 
Accipiter haplochrous. (Plate VIII.) 
Saturate schistaceus, capite et dorso medio nigricantioribus: 
nuchse plumis intus albis: rectricum pogoniis internis pal- 
lide schistaceis, vittis numerosis nigricantibus subobsolete 
transfasciatis: abdomine toto a pectore medio cum crisso, 
tibiis et alarum tectricibus inferioribus albis : pectore medio 
et remigum pogoniis internis subtus albis, nigro trans- 
versim lineatis: rostro plumbescenti-nigro; pedibus au- 
rantiis, unguibus nigris : long, tota 14*5, alse 9*3, caudae 
66, tarsi 2*6. 
Hab. in ins. Nova Caledonia. 
The single specimen of this bird sent is labelled as a female. 
It was killed on the island “ Nu,” Port de France, New Cale¬ 
donia, in April 1858, and appears to have been prepared by Mr. 
John Macgillivray. 
The nearest ally of this fine species that I am acquainted with 
