13. GLAUCIDIUM. 219 



oxhibitiug a tolerably distinct shoulder-patch ; wing-coverts tawny 

 rufous, barred with black, the greater series white on the outeV 

 web, with a few irregular bars of black, forming a sort of alar bar ; 

 (luills deep tawny or chestnut, broaflly barred across with black, the 

 bars replaced by spots, and gradually disappearing towards the base 

 of the feathers ; the innermost secondaries fulvous, barred with black, 

 and resembling the scapulars ; upper tail-coverts whitish, barred 

 with black, and resembling the tail ; the latter black, tipped with 

 white, and crossed with nine other bars of the same colour ; lores 

 whitish, slightly washed with brown, the shafts developing into long 

 hair-like bristles ; round the eye a fringe of buffy white feathers ; 

 sides of face rufuus, barred with brown ; chin and cheeks white, the 

 latter forming a triangular patch on the sides of the face, and sepa- 

 rated from the fore neck, which is also white, by a broad band of 

 ta^vny feathers, narrowly barred with black ; rest of under surface 

 of body white, the sides of the body thickly barred with black, these 

 becoming more distinct on the flanks ; the upper breast rufous or 

 fulvescent, barred with black, and resembling the sides of the neck ; 

 leg-feathers white, tinged with rufous on the thighs, which have a 

 few remains of blackish bars ; mider tail-coverts buffy white ; under 

 wing-coverts white, with a few brown markings near the edge of 

 the wing, where there is also a tinge of rufous, the greater series 

 with dusky brown tips. Total length 7'8 inches, wing 4-9, tail 2-9, 

 tarsus 0-9. 



Ohs. Whether G. malabariciim be specifically distinct from G. radl- 

 atuni will be a matter for Indian ornithologists to decide ; but the 

 general appearance of Malabar birds is very difterent from those of 

 Northern India. The rufous head and wings, and the greater breadth 

 of the white bars on the tail, are very conspicuous in the southern 

 form. Mr. Hume (Rough Azotes, ii. p. 411) notices certain diifer- 

 ences between these little Owls from Northern and Southern India, 

 but does not consider the difference to be specific ; the Museum also 

 contains both grey and rufescent birds from the Himalayas, but none 

 so chestnut in appearance as the ones from Malabar. 



Hah. South India. 



a, h. Ad. sk. South India. J. Gould, Esq. [P.]. 



c. Ad. St. Madras. Dr. Jerdon [P.]. 



fZ,t'. Ad. St. Madras. Rev. 11. H. Baber [P.]. 



f,g. Ad. sk. Malabar. Purchased. 



18. Glaucidium cuculoides. 



Noctua cuculoides, Gould, Cent. Ilimal. B. pi. 4 ; Schl. Mus. P.-B. 



Striges, p. So ; id. Bcnie Accipitr. p. 28. 

 Noctua am-ibarbis, Hodys. J. A. S. B. vi. p. 369. 

 Athene am-ibarbis, Gratj, Gen. B. i. p. 35. 

 Athene cuculoides, Gray, Gen. B. i. p. 35; Bhjth, Cat. B. Mus. A. 



S. B. p. 38; Cuss. Cat. Strif/khe I'hilad. Mus. p. 14; Bp. Consp. i. 



p. 40 ; Ilorsf. lS- 3Ioore, Cat. B. Mus. E. I. Co. i. p. (Ui ; StricJd. 



Orn. Si/n. p". 1G7 ; Jerd. B. Lid. i. p. 145; Grai/, Hutul-l. B. i. 



p. 39 ; Hume, Rough Aoies, ii. p. 414 ; id. JVests and Eijgs Ind. B. 



i. p. 71. 



