96 



iutboxid-t;. 



the less amount of feataering on the toes, as seen in the following 

 ■\voodcut. 



Leg of Scops lettla. Leg of Scops mcdaharicus {griseiis, Jerd.). 

 Hah. Southern India and Ceylon. 



Ohs. In this species we have a parallel case with the Spizaeti of 

 India, where the hill form, S. mpalensis, differs only slightly in plu- 

 mage, but depends for its characters on the exaggerated feathering 

 of its tarsus for separation from S. drrliatus (cf. Sharpe, Cat. B. i. 

 p. 261). The Malabar Scops Owl resembles in the main the Hima- 

 layan S. lettia, but differs in the smaller extent of the tarsal fea- 

 thering, which does not cover the toes. If I am right in consider- 

 ing Scnps f/riseus to be the same species as S. malaharkus, of which 

 it is the grey phase, then it is certain that S. lettia never shows 

 such a thoroughly rufous phase as the typical S. malabaricus. In 

 its rufescent form it is nothing but a large S. lempiji. The Ccy- 

 lonese bird appears to be identical with the South-Indian, though 

 in the Museum the majority of the specimens are rufescent. I have 

 not, indeed, seen a really grey-plumaged bird from Ceylon, the 

 darkest examined being of a very dark brown, blackish on the head 

 and greyish underneath, with very coarse vermiculatious. 



