SCOPS. 299 



from yellow to brown ; cere dusky ; feet lie.shy grey to greenish 

 yellow. Tarsi stout, feathered to the base of the toes, the 

 feathering sometimes in Himalayan birds concealing the junction 

 of the middle and inner toe, but generally stopping just short of 

 it. 4th quill usually longest, 5th subequal, 1st shorter than 10th. 



Length of Himalayan birds about 10 inches ; tail 3-25 ; wing 

 6-75 ; tarsus 1-25 ; bill from gape 1. South Indian, Ceylonese, and 

 Malayan birds are considerably smaller : length about 8, wing 6. 



Distribution. Throughout the Oriental Region. This Owl is 

 found in all parts of India, Ceylon, and Burma, except in absolute 

 deserts and in the higher Himalayas. 



The Owls classed together in the present species were united 

 by Blyth and, at one time, by Jerdon, but have since been divided 

 into four by Hume. The four species are : — 



Scojjs lettia, from the Himalayas, Assam, and Burma; large 

 (wing 6-45-7'2), and " with the bases of the toes feathered."' 



S. lempiji, Burma, Malay Peninsula and Ax'chipelago ; smaller 

 (wing 6-6-5), more rufous, " and with the bases of the toes 

 exposed." 



S. mahibaricus, west coast of India and Ceylon ; small (wing 

 5*5-6"l), colour more rufous. 



S. hakhamosna v. griseus, throughout India, except the west 

 coast ; small (wing 5'6-6*6) and greyer. 



The last two are united by 8harpe under the name of *S'. mala- 

 haricus, and made a subspecies of S. lempiji. Unless the grey and 

 rufous phases of all Owls are to be regarded as distinct species, a 

 proceeding which in this case would result in intermediate forms 

 being more common than typical specimens, aS'. haJckamcena v. griseus 

 and S. malabaricus must be regarded as varieties. The same 

 remark applies to S. lempiji, which agrees in all respects with 

 /S'. malaharicus. Blyth, it is true, at one time (Ibis, 1866, p. 256) 

 thought that there were two forms {S. lettia and S. griseus), one 

 with dark and the other {^. lempiji = malabaricus) with yellow 

 irides, but Hume in his ' Eough Notes ' showed that the coloration 

 was variable. 



The smaller size of the Southern forms is according to the 

 usual rule, and cannot be regarded as a specific distinction. The 

 only remaining difference is that the feathering in S. lettia is said 

 to extend farther down the toes. Occasionally in Himalayan and 

 North Indian examples the feathers do certainly run a little way 

 down the middle and outer toes (such specimens may possibly be 

 hybrids with the closely allied 8. semitorques, inhabiting the same 

 tracts), but the occurrence is exceptional, and in general the 

 difference is the very trifling one shown in Sharpe's figures (Cat. 

 B. M. p. 96) ; while an examination of the large series in the 

 British Museum has convinced me that even this difference is not 

 constant, and that in very many cases Himalayan, Burmese, 

 Malaccan, and S. Indian birds are precisely similar as regards the 

 feathering at the base of the toes. 



Habits, ^'c. This is the commonest species of Scop)S in India ; 



