1. 8TRIX. 297 



13. Striz delicatula. 

 Adidt. Above pearl-grey, with faint zigzag grey mottlings on all 

 the feathers, which have mesial white tips preceded by a spot of 

 dusky blackish ; wing-coverts coloured like the back, the mottlings 

 a Httle coarser, edge of the wing and outer margin of the bastard 

 wing pure white, the rest of the latter resembhng the other coverts • 

 pnmary-coverts resembling the other series, with distinct white 

 apical spots, and washed near the base with orange-buff- quills 

 externally mottled with grey, with a subterminal white drop • the 

 primaries externally washed with pale orange, inclining to white 

 near the base, all the quills white on the inner web, showing con- 

 spicuously when the wing is spread, primaries with remains of four 

 dark brown cross bands ; tail-feathers whitish, mottled with coarse 

 vermiculations of brown, and crossed with four bars of the latter 

 colour, the markings disappearing on the outermost tail-feather 

 which IS almost entirely white, with the remains of three bands only • 

 facial disk pure white, with a dusky rufous patch in front of the eye ■ 

 ruff composed also of pure white feathers, the uppermost with central 

 streaks or zigzag cross markings of black, becoming narrower on the 

 lower ones and disappearing on the gular plumes of the ruff; some few 

 of which have a narrow brown tip ; rest of under surface of body pure 

 sdky white, with no dusky spots on the chest, but a few on the sides 

 of the body and abdomen, and indications of some tiny ones on the 

 under wmg-coverts, the lower series of which are dusky at tip, form- 

 ing a famt wing-bar ; the quills underneath white, mottled at the 

 tip with greyish, and having three faintly indicated dusky spots or 

 bars on the inner web; bill horn-colour; feet yellowish. Total 

 length 13 inches, wing 11, tail 4-7, tarsus 2-35. 



y. Strix punctatissima. 



Adult (type). Above dull brown, with a few scattered spots of 

 dusky white, and minute flecks of the same on the dorsal feathers ■ 

 sides of neck light golden buff, indistinctly marked with transverse 

 lines of brown, becoming gradually obscure and disappearing ou 

 the hind neck; the wing-coverts more or less washed externally 

 with deep golden buff, many of the white spots also tinged with 

 the same colour, the buff' predominating along the edge of the wino- 

 and at the base of the primary-coverts ; quiUs dull brown like the 

 back, sHghtly varied with minute flecks of white, and vermiculated 

 with golden buff on the outer webs, much more distinct on the pri- 

 maries, where it forms four irregulariy defined bauds ; the secon- 

 daries with a distinct white terminal spot ; the inner linino- of wing 

 ashy brown, the base of the feathers buffv white, the inner webs 

 with two or three indistinct bands ofwhirish; tail golden buff, barred 

 across with four bands of dark brown, the interspaces vermiculated 

 with the same colour, especially towards the tips of the feathers 

 which are there almost entirely brown, with a white terminal spot • 

 general colour of face vinous' rufous, inclining to black round the 

 eye ; the cheeks silvery white, washed with rufous : facial ruff rich 



