Birds of Kohat and Kurram. .255 



females, to wliom he made advances, he invariably found, to 

 his cost, a;)propriated." 



[1141.] PALiEORNis scHisTicEPs. The Slaty-hcadcd Par- 

 roquet. 



Fulton, J. B. N. H. S. xvi. p. 58 (Chitral : summer visitor, 

 occurring up to 7000 ft.) ; Rattray, t. c. p. 661 (very common 

 in the Murree Hills) ; Ward, op. cit. xvii. p. 727 (common 

 in summer and autumn up to 7500 ft.). 



Flocks of this Parroquet visit the District during April 

 (noted on various dates from the 8th to the 26th) and stay 

 a few days. I came across a small nesting-colony on the 

 19th of June near Zeran, 5800 feet (Kurram Valley) ; the 

 young birds had just floven. 



[1157.] Asio ACCiPiTRiNus. The Short-eared Owl. 

 Ward, J. B. N. H. S. xvii. p. 727 (occurs in the plains). 

 456. c? ad. Samaua, 6500 ft., 5th ]March. 

 Migrates through Kohat in March, but apparently only 

 in small numbers. 



[1159.] Syrnium biddulphi. Scully's Wood-Owl. 



Fulton, J. B. N. H. S. xvi. p. 58 (Chitral : not common, 

 occurs up to 8000 ft.) ; Ward, op. cit. xvii. p. 727 (fairly 

 common in Kashmir : eggs taken in April and May). 

 90. cJ . Kohat, 1760 ft., 19th January. 



637. S ' Hangu, 2700 ft., 3rd March. 



Fairly common from November till April in the orchards 

 and wild olive-groves of the Kohat and Miranzai Valleys. 



This species spends the day in evergreen trees, but without 

 troubling much about concealment, being often mobbed by 

 Crows, Mynas, Bulbuls, &c. An individual so mobbed was 

 rescued and taken to Major Magrath, who kept it till dusk 

 and then let it go. He says that it allowed him to handle 

 it and scratch its head, and appeared to be of a gentle dis- 

 position. He adds that the bird is a not uncommon winter 

 visitor to Bannu. 



[1164.] Ketupa ZEYLONENsis. The Brown Fish-Owl. 



668. S ad. Kachai, 2700 ft., 11th March. 



Probably not rare, as the streams of the District are full of 



