186 [OcroBER, 
square spots of reddish white on their outer webs, and the latter with numerous 
irregular lines, and narrow bands of reddish and brown. | 
Hab. Northern Asia, Japan? ‘ En Mer, cétes du Japon, lat. 29° 47/ N. long. 
NOYTO NBN dic 
Obs. Thisis one of the handsomest of the small species of owls, and bears some 
resemblance, rather remote, however, and on a small scale, to the large Horned 
Owls. It issomewhat like E. semitorques, (Temm.) but wants the white on the 
throat and breast, and is smaller and differently colored, and has the toes bare. 
It resembles also to some extent both LE. /ettia, (Hodg.) and E. lempiji, (Horsf.) 
but is larger than either, and otherwise different. ‘The brown stripes and lines 
on all parts of the plumage are unusually delicate. 
Two specimens are in the collection of the Academy, the more adult of which 
was obtained by Dr. Wilson from Mr. J. P. Verreaux, of Paris, by whom it was 
designated as probably an undescribed species. It bearsa label indicating the 
locality as above. | 
6. Ephialtes Hendersontt, nobis. 
Form. Resembling £. capensis. (Smith) and E. senegalensis (Sw.) but smaller 
than either, and has the bill ‘shorter and weaker; wing with the third quill 
longest, but only slightly exceeding the fourth: tail short. 
Dimensions. Total length of skin from tip of bill to end of tail 64 inches, 
wing 5, tail 2} inches. 
Colors. Generally very similar to those of E. capensis (Smith) and E. sene- 
galensis, (Sw.) but darker and with the fine lines and points of brown through- 
out the plumage much more numerous and distinct. Entire plumage above 
cinereous, mixed on the neck, back and rump with bright fulvous, every feather 
longitudinally striped and with numerous very irregular transverse lines and 
points of brownish black most distinet on the head and back. Frontal feathers 
nearly white, tufts and face very ‘pale cinereous, striped longitudinally, and 
minutely lined with dark brown. Plumage below variegated with white and 
brown, with a tinge of fulvous, every feather having stripes and minute lines 
and points, as on the back, but less numerous, with the white predominating 
and nearly pure on the lower abdomen and under tail coverts. 
Quills brown with quadrangular spots of white on the outer webs. Tail pale 
cinereous with irregular transverse bars of brown and exhibiting a different 
style of coloring from either of the species above mentioned. ‘Tarsi nearly 
white, obscurely spotted with brown. 
Sexes similar. 
Hab. Angola. ‘Came on board U.S. brig Perry off Novo Redondo.?’—Dr. 
Henderson’s label. 
Obs. It is not without some feeling of reluctance that I add another to the 
several nearly allied and little understood species resembling E. scops. (Linn.) 
Of these there are several which are clearly distinct and well marked, and the 
bird at present described is one of this character. My reluctance has arisen 
from the knowledge, that from the descriptions heretofore published, it is quite 
impossible for naturalists to identify. them, or to ascertain in what manner one. 
differs from another; and nothing short of actually examining the original spe- 
cimens in European collections, which was done by Dr. Wilson in 1851, can 
afford the necessary information. From his notes and from specimens which he 
procured during his visit to Europe, and from others previously in the collection 
of the Academy, I have the gratification of entirely coinciding with him in the 
opinion that the following are distinct, but some of them nearly related species ; 
Ephialtes scops, (Linn,) from which E. pennata, (Hodg,) cannot be distinguished ; 
E. capensis, (Smith,) E. senegalensis, (Sw.,) E. sunia, (Hodg.,) of which I am 
acquainted with both young and adult, and E. Hendersonzt, Cassin: and of ano- 
ther group also resembling E. scops to some extent, the following appear to be 
different; . lempije (Horsf.), which is S. zoctula, Temm., EB. javanicus (Less.) 
E. lettia (Hodg.,) E. spilocephalus (Blyth,) and E. mantis (Temm.,) which is 
S. rufescens, (Horsf.) Of all these species, specimens, and mostly saztes are 
now in the collection of this Academy, and I hope to give, at an early day, the 
