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Show 1876.] MR. R. B. SHARPE ON A NEW SPECIES OF OWL. 673 7. Description of an apparently new Species of Owl from the Solomon Islands. By R. B O W D L E R S H A R P E. [Received June 16, 1876.] (Plate LXII.) Mr. Sclater has kindly submitted to my inspection a specimen of an Owl received by him from the Solomon Islands, which I cannot refer to any species of Ninox at present described. I therefore propose to call it NINOX SOLOMONIS, sp. n. (Plate LXII.) N. affinis N. hypogrammse sed minor: secundariis et cauda pallide brunneo transfasciatis et corpore subtus albido brunneo transversim fasciato distinguendus. Adult. General colour above chocolate-brown, the head nearly uniform and more greyish brown, with a few concealed fulvous bars on the feathers, a little more distinct on the forehead; loral plumes white, with black shafts produced into hair-like bristles over the nostrils; ear-coverts greyish brown, slightly streaked with fulvous ; scapulars varied with a few white bars on the outer webs, the median and greater coverts similarly barred ; primary-coverts nearly uniform dark brown ; quills dark brown, barred across with lighter brown, these bars buffy white on the inner web and notched with the same colour on the outer, imparting a checquered appearance to the outer aspect of the wing; tail dark brown, barred across with lighter brown, shading off into whitish on the inner webs, the outer webs notched with the same colour, the lighter bars being ten in number not including the light brown tip; under surface of body whitish, barred across with dark brown, these bars acquiring a slight reddish tinge from a conterminous narrow rufous har adjoining the broader brown one; sides of the upper breast more uniform brown; legs tawny with light brown cross bars ; under wing-coverts white barred with rufous and brown, the lower ones white transversely barred with ashy brown and resembling the lower surface of the quills. Total length 11 inches, wing 8*3, tail 4*65, tarsus 1*2. Hab. Solomon Islands (Mus. P. L. S.). This specimen is the one recorded by Mr. Sclater (P. Z. S. 1869, p. 123) as Athene variegata; but on comparing it with the key to the species given by me in my 'Catalogue of Birds' (ii. p. 152), it will be found not to agree with the diagnostic characters of that bird. It is also not N. taniata, the only species of Ninox known from the Solomons, as the upper parts of the latter are barred with fulvous, whereas in the present bird they are uniform. It is closely allied to N. hypogramma, but is very much smaller and has the secondaries and tail-feathers barred across with paler brown; the under surface also is white with broad transverse rows of brown, whereas the general aspect of N. hypogramma below is rufous. |