58 



HUB0NI0J3. 



Fig. 1. Leg of & qiu, nat. size. Fig. 2. Leg of 8. japonicus, n.at. size, to sliow 

 difference in size and extent of tarsal feathering. 



Subsp. e. Scops malayanus. (Plate IV, fig. 1.) 



Scops malayanus, A. Say, Madr. Journ. xiii. pt. 2, p. 147. 



Adult. Above dark brown, freckled with very minute vermicula- 

 tions of sandy buff, rather coar,ser on the scapulars ; nearly aU the 

 plumes of the upper surface variegated with distinct spots or bars of 

 white, in many cases concealed, but very broad and distinct on the 

 hind part of the neck, where they form a tolerably pronounced 

 coUar ; outer scapulars largely marked with sandy buff and white, 

 forming a conspicuous shoulder-patch, the white predominating on 

 the lower scapulars, which are broadly tipped with blackish on the 

 outer web ; head rather darker than the back, and slightly washed 

 with greyish, most of the plumes blackish in the centre, and spotted 

 on both webs with sandy buff or whitish ; ear-tufts orange-buff, 

 vermiculated with brown towards the tips, and carrying generally a 

 subterminal white spot ; wing-coverts rather darker than the back, 

 but rather more rufescent, the mottlings very distinctly rufous sandy 

 colour, the uppermost of the median series externally marked with 

 white spots, the spurious quills also notched with white on the outer 

 web ; greater coverts slightly shaded with grey and largely marked 

 with white on the outer web ; primary coverts dark brown, barred 

 indistinctly with frecklings of sandy buff ; quills brown, externally 

 barred with pale sandy buff, the tips of both primaries and secondaries 

 thickly mottled with yellowish buff towards the tips, the primaries 

 externally notched with white ; lower back, rump, and upper taU- 

 coverts dark brown, thickly vermiculated with sandy rufous, and 

 varied with half-concealed sandy spots ; tail dark brown, mottled 

 with sandy-buff vermiculations, especially towards the tips of the 

 feathers, and crossed vdth five sandy bars on the outer tail-feathers, 

 four on the centre ones ; lores whitish, the hair-like elongated shafts 



