Part 37

Length of tarso-metatarsi, 56 mm.

Habitat: Mauritius. {80}

STRIX SAUZIERI NEWT. & GAD.

Strix sauzieri Newton & Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. XIII, p. 286, pl. XXXIII, figs. 11-18 (1893).

Messrs. Newton and Gadow describe this species from four metatarsi, three tibiae, and two humeri. They state that the relative length of the tibia to the metatarsus is very constant and characteristic of the various families and genera of owls. In the present instance this comparison indicates a species of Strix.

The longer and higher cnemial process of the tibia and the shortness of the humerus serve amply to justify the specific separation of this Mauritian owl.

The following are the measurements:--

Humerus, length 71 mm. Tibia-tarsus, length 90-93 " Tarso-metatarsus, length 63-66 "

Habitat: Mauritius.

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"CIRCUS HAMILTONI" FORBES.

Circus hamiltoni Forbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 186 (1892--no proper description).

A very large harrier, much larger than Circus gouldi, but not so big as Harpagornis.

Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.

"CIRCUS TEAUTEENSIS" FORBES.

Circus teauteensis Forbes, Trans. N.Z. Inst. XXIV, p. 186 (1892--no proper description).

Another very large harrier from Teaute, which has never yet been properly described.

Habitat: Middle Island, New Zealand.

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ASTUR ALPHONSI NEWT. & GAD.

Astur sp. Milne-Edwards, Ann. Sci. Nat. (5) XIX, Art. II, pp. 25, 26, pl. 15 fig. 2. (1874).

Astur alphonsi Newton and Gadow, Trans. Zool. Soc. XIII p. 285, pl. XXXIII, figs. 9, 10. (1893).

Messrs. Newton and Gadow bestowed the name Astur alphonsi on a pair of tibiae, a pair of metatarsals, and the metacarpals of the left side of a goshawk apparently of the same size and relative proportions as A. melanoleucus of South Africa. They justified their description of this goshawk as a distinct species, first of all by the fact that most of the Mascarene extinct species were distinct; and then because the bony ridge for the M. flexor digitorum communis was more strongly developed, the fibula reached further down the tibia, the peroneal crest was straighter and longer, and the cnemial crest slanted more gradually into the anterior inner edge of the shaft of the tibia.

Milne-Edwards gives the measurements of the solitary tarso-metatarsus of this bird which he had for examination as follows:--

Total length 80 mm. Width at proximal extremity 11 " Width at distal extremity 13 " Width at smallest part of shaft 6 "

Messrs. Gadow and Newton give the length of their tarso-metatarsi as 81 mm., of their tibiae as 117 mm., and of the metacarpals as 55 mm.

Habitat: Mauritius.

Seven tarsi in the Tring Museum.