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Show 450 ON BIRDS FROM DUKE-OF-YORK ISLAND. [May 20, 15. ALCYONE PUSILLA (Temm.); Gould, B. Austr. ii. pi. xxvi.; Sharpe, Kingf. p. 53, pi. xvi. A single fpecimen of this bird "from Wood Harbour, at the north end of New Ireland" is rather larger than North-Australian skins in the British Museum with which I have compared it, and has the blue flanks connected by an imperfect breast-band. The latter, however, is a somewhat variable character. 22. NINOX VARIEGATA. Noctua variegata, Q. et G. Voy. de l'Astr. Zool. i. p. 166 Atlas, pi. i. fig. 2. Athene variegata, Scl. P. Z. S. 1869, p. 123 et 1878, p. 290. Ninoxsolomonis, Sharpe, P.Z. S. 1876, p. 673, pi. lxii. Ninox novee-britanniee, Ramsay, Pr. L. S. N. S. W . ii. p. 105. One specimen, marked female, from the Topaia district of New Ireland and obtained in 1878, agrees with the individual from the Solomon Islands, which I have compared with the type in the Paris Museum. N, novee-britanniee is, no doubt, identical. 23. NINOX JACQUINOTI. Cheveche rayee, Hombr. et Jacq. Voy. au Pole Sud, Atl. pi. % • 1- Athene jacquinoti, Bp. Consp. i. p. 42 (1850). Athene tceniata, Jacq. et Puch. Voy. au Pole Sud, Zool. iii. p. 50 (1853). Ninox tceniata, Sharpe, Cat. Birds, ii. p. 186. A single female specimen, obtained in New Britain in May 1878, I refer somewhat doubtfully to this species. The upper surface is rather spotted than barred; and there are some irregular shaft-stripes and edgings on the white abdomen. I shall take an early opportunity of comparing this specimen with the type at Paris *. 24. HENICOPERNIS LONGICAUDA. Mr. Gurney, who has kindly examined this specimen, states that although Mr. Sharpe agrees with him in believing it to be H. longicauda in immature dress, they have neither of them seen an example previously in similar plumage. 25. BAZA REINWARDTI. Mr. Gurney has kindly sent me the following note on this specimen:- "The Baza probably does not differ specifically from B. reinwardti; but on comparing it with seven adults from other localities (ranging from New Guinea northwards), I find that it differs from them all in having the brown colour on the back somewhat less extended, and in the transverse bars on the under surface being a pure grey without admixture of brown, or with scarcely any, instead of having a decided brown tint as in all the others. " Mr. E. P. Ramsay has sent me a copy of an article on the Zoology of N e w Guinea, in which he speaks of the N e w Ireland race * P.S. July 22.-I have now made the comparison, and consider this specimen to be correctly determined. But the type (Mus. Paris) is an immature bird - P. L. S. |