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plumage is not barred, but has only 

 longitudinal spots and streaks of dusky 

 black or brown. 



Distribution. — Almost cosmopolitan . 



This Owl is found in China generally, 

 reaching the Yangtse Valley during the 

 winter. 



WHITELEY'S OWLET. 



GLAUCIDIUM WHITELEYI (bLYTh). 



Description. — Length 10 inches. 



Beak greenish, cere brown. Legs 

 yellowish, toes with a few stiff 

 bristles. Iris yellow. 



Plumage is brown crossed with 

 narrow whitish bars. Abdomen and 

 under tail coverts white streaked with 

 brown. Tail with 6 to 8 white bars 

 interrupted at the shaft of the feather. 



In some specimens the whole upper 

 parts, neck, sides, flanks, and thighs 

 are suffused with rufous. 



Distribution. — South and Central 

 China. It is a common resident in 

 the Yangtse Valley. 



Nest and Eggs. — The nest is usually 

 bailt in holes in old decayed portions 

 of tall trees, or at times in the desert- 

 ed nests of other birds. The eggs are 

 white and roundish in shape. 



Notes. — This is the little Owl that 

 often awakens us at night with its 

 blood curdling screech. A pair of 

 these Owls drove some Magpies (Pica 

 pica sericea) from an old nest in a tree 

 on the Mission Compound at Kiangyin. 

 They laid five eggs, all of which were 

 hatched, though one fledgling was 

 considerably under-size and disappear- 

 ed from the nest. The young were 

 fed chiefly on young frogs which were 

 abundant in the rice fields at the time 

 (June). When about half fledged the 



