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Show 470 MR. R. B. SHARPE ON SYRNIUM MAINGAYI. [May 17, Prof. Howes then pointed to the interesting fact that the ophthalmite had assumed more nearly the characters of the antenna than those of the more modified antennule, and concluded by saying that while in his opinion the specimen did not finally settle the morphology of the eye-stalk, he had nevertheless brought the drawing forward in the hope that study of it might curb the eagerness with which, in our craving for novelty, we were sometimes too ready to reject the older interpretation. A paper was read by Mr. W . F. Kirby, F.E.S., entitled "A Revision of the Subfamily Libellulina, with descriptions of new Genera and Species." Mr. Kirby stated that the last compendium of this group had been published by Dr. Brauer in 1868, in which 40 genera were admitted. This number was now raised to 88. All of these were fully characterized in the present paper, in which 52 new species were also described. Mr. Kirby likewise gave a short sketch of the characters of the Libellulina, and especially of the neuration of this group, which he considered to be of primary importance. This paper will be published entire in the Society's ' Transactions.' The following papers were read :- 1. Notes on Specimens in the Hume Collection of Birds. - N o . 5*. O n Syrnium maingayi. By R. B O W D L ER S H A R P E , F.Z.S. [Received April 15, 1887.] This is a perfectly good species, and was described by Mr. Hume in the sixth volume of 'Stray Feathers' (p. 27). At the time of writing the ' Catalogue of Birds ' I had seen but one specimen, collected by Dr. Maingay, in Lord Tweeddale's Museum, and I came to the conclusion that it was not to be separated from Syrnium indrani of Southern India and Ceylon. Since the advent of tbe Hume Collection to the British Museum, with its increased series of these Wood-Owls, I have come to the conclusion that the Malaccan species is distinct, and in fact that it is the best characterized of any of the Bulaca group. 1. SYRNIUM MAINGAYI. Syrnium indrani, pt., Sharpe, Cat. B. ii. p. 282. Syrnium maingayi, Hume, Str. F. vi. p. 27 (1878); id. Str. F. 1879, p. 46. Adult (type of species). General colour above warm chocolate-brown, more or less distinctly barred across with rufous-buff cross markings, predominating on the hind neck and forming a tolerably 1 For No. 4, see P. Z. S. 1886, p. 354. |
