152 



Wing of Ni7iox scutulata, to show proportional length of primaries. 



Range. Indian peninsula and Ceylon ; China and Japan : ranging 

 southwards throughout the Malayan region to Australia and New 

 Zealand; Madagascar. 



Key to the Sj^edes. 



a Breast streaJied, each feather broadly centred 

 with darker coloiu-. 

 a'. Hind neck not spotted. 

 a". Wing-coverts uniform, with no rows of 

 white spots. 

 a'". Belly white, streaked or largely spotted 

 with brown. 

 a*. Head grej^, much lighter than the 

 back, which is browner ; tail clear 



frey, tipped with white, the black 

 ands in strong contrast. 

 fl*. Axillaries barred with brown and 

 white ; breast-spots brown ; size 

 large ; whig 8-8'75 inches .... luguh-is, p. 154. 

 h^. Axillaries imiform orange-chest- 

 nut ; breast-spots chestnut : size 



small ; wing G-6o inches affinis, p. 155. 



h*. Head dark brown, generally uniform 

 with the' back, seldom greyer ; tail 

 dark brown, with blackish brown 



bars scutulata, p. 156. 



c*. Head light brown, like the back; 

 tail nearly uniform, with no trace 



of bars . /. boobook juv., p. 169. 



b"'. Belly dark ochraceous, streaked with 



brown ochracea, p. 167. 



b". Wing-coverts externally spotted with 

 white ; outer edge of primaries with 



distinct rows of white spots philippetisis, p. 167. 



b'. Hind neck spotted. 

 c". Leg-feathers tawny or fulvous. 



— "All our efforts to refer this little Owl to any known species have been with- 

 out success ; we must therefore consider it to be new. Its nearest ally seems 

 to be N. Ochracea, Schl., from Celebes. The specimen is in apparently full 

 dress ; but whether the rufous plumage may be only a phase, as in some other 

 Owls, we are unable to decide. The light-coloured beak and the half-naked 

 tarsi and toes, without any hairs, are especially to be noticed." 



