OTUS. 255 



213. OTUS LONGICORNIS (Grant). 

 LONG-HORNED SCREECH OWL. 



Scops longicornis Grant, Bull. Brit. Orn. Club. (1894), 3, 51; Ibis (1894), 

 504; (1895), 439; Shaepe, Hand-List (1899), 1, 287; McGregor, 

 Bull. Philippine Mus. (1904), 3, 7. 



Otus longicornis McGregor and Worcester, Hand-List (1906), 46. 



Bany-ao, Benguet. 



Luzon {Whitehead, McGregor) . 



Adult male. — Upper parts bright rufous, the feathers with streaks and 

 irregular bars of blackish brown, mostly near their tips; forehead, line 

 over each eye, and complete collar white, the feathers blackish at their 

 tips; collar narrow but distinct on hind neck, wider on breast; loral 

 plumes with white bars and black tips, the longest plumes about 28 mm. ; 

 ear-tufts colored like the head, longest feathers 31 mm.; ear-coverts 

 barred with white, blackish brown, and rufous; chin whitish; throat and 

 sides of throat white, each feather with a black tip and subterminal 

 rufous line; breast rich rufous boldy mottled with black and less white; 

 abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts largely white, the feathers mottled 

 with blackish and rusty brown; thighs rufous; wings blackish, mottled 

 and speckled with fulvous and rusty brown, tail similar. Bill dingy 

 dull green, tip and cutting edge dark brown ; cere dirty flesh at base 

 but dull yellowish green over nostrils; legs whitish flesh; nails gray; 

 iris bright yellow. Length, 184 ; wing, 145 ; tail, 72 ; culmen from base, 

 17; tarsus, 33. 



Adult female. — Similar to the male. Length, 190 ; wing, 153 ; tail, 71 ; 

 culmen from base, tip broken, 18; tarsus, 30. 



Downy young. — The natal down is pure light gray; this soon gives 

 place to a soft gray plumge barred with brown, darker on head and upper 

 parts. A nest with three downy young was found in Benguet, Luzon. 

 on May 26. 



"A single male specimen of this remarkable little owl was obtained. It 

 most nearly resembles Scops pennatus, but may be instantly recognized 

 ])y having the basal half of the tarsi entirely devoid of feathers, as well 

 as by the length of tlie horn-like feathers on the head, wliich measure 

 38 mm., whereas in 8. pennatus the longest are only 23. The markings 

 on the feathers of the head are coarse and form black bands, and the 

 whole of the markings on the back and under parts are coarser and less 

 neat. Length, 203; wing, 142; tail, 74; tarsus, 29; of which 15 is naked 

 and covered with small octagonal scales." (Grant.) 



The subject of Grant's remarks, quoted above, was a long-horned 

 screech owl collected by Whitehead in "North Luzon." The same col- 

 lector secured specimens in Lepanto and I have seen a living example 

 which was reported as having come from Nueva Ecija.' 



