NINOX. 



309 



partly on birds, small mammals, and, according to Stoliczka, lizards 

 and frogs. Its call, first ascertained by Hutton, consists of four 

 clear whistled notes, tvJioo-whoo whoo-ivhoo, easily imitated. Like 

 other species of Glaucidium, this Owl is somewhat diurnal in its 

 habits. It lays four round white eggs, generally about May or 

 June, in holes in trees. 



Genus NINOX, Hodgson, 1837. 



Of all the genera of Owls this is, perhaps, the most Hawk-like 

 in general appearance, owing to the ruff and facial disk being quite 

 obsolete. The wings are longer and more pointed than in Athene 

 or Glaucidium, the 3rd or 4th quill is longest and the 1st about 

 as long as the 7th. The tail is slightly lengthened, and rounded 

 at the end. The cere is swollen, with the nostril close to the 

 anterior margin. Tarsus feathered, upper surface of toes thinly 

 furnished with bristles. 



This genus is found throughout the Oriental region, the greater 

 part of the Australian region, New Zealand, and Madagascar. 

 Most of the species, including the two found within Indian limits, 

 are almost uniform chocolate-brown above. 



Kei/ to the Species. _ 



a. Lower parts partly white, partly brown or 



rufous; quills ban-ed N. scutulata^ p. 309. 



h. Lower parts almost entirely brown ; quills not 



barred N. ohscura, p. 311. 



1187. Ninox scutulata. The Brown Hawk-Owl. 



Strix scutulata, Raffl. Tr. Linn. Soc. xiii, p. 280 (1822). 



Strix hirsuta, Tetnm. PL Col. p. 289 (1824). 



Strix lugubris, Tickell, J. A. S. B. ii, p. 572 (183.3). 



Ninox nipalensis, Hoclc/s. Madr. Jour. L. S. v, p. 23, pi. 14 (1837) ; 



Godw.-Aust. J. A.S. B. xlv, pt. 2, p. 68. 

 Ninox scutulata, Blyth, Cat. p. 38 ; Jerdon, B. I. i, p. 147 ; Hume, 



Rough Notes, p. 420; Jerdon, Ibis, 1871, p. 350; A. Anderson, 



P. Z. S. 1875, p. 27 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. ii, p. 156 ; Blyth 8f 



Wald. Birds Barm. p. 67 ; Hume, S. F. iv, pp. 286, 373 ; Arm- 



stromj, ibid. p. 303 ; Tweeddale, Ibis, 1877, p. 287 ; Hume, Cat. 



no. 81 bis ; Lef/ge, Birds Cei/l. p. 145 ; Davison, S. F. x, p. 345 ; 



Oates, B. B. ii, p. 159 ; id. in Humes N. ^ E. 2nd ed. iii, p. Ill ; 



Gurney, Ibis, 1884, p. 169 ; Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. (2) 



iv, p. 572 ; v, p. 558. 

 Athene scutulata, Horsf. ^ M. Cat. i, p. 68 ; Layard, A. M. N. H. 



{2) xii, p. 106. 

 Ninox hirsuta, Holdsio. P. Z. S. 1872, p. 418 ; Htime, S. F. ii, p. 151 ; 



Ball, ibid. p. 383 ; Hme ^ Oates, S. F. iii, p. 40 ; Fairbank, 8. F. 



iv, p. 2.54. 

 Ninox lugubris, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. ii, p. 154 ; Anderson, Yunnan 



Exped., Aves, p. 577 ; Davidson Sf Wend. S. F. vii, p. 76 ; Ball, 



ibid. p. 201 ; Cripps, ibid. pp. 253, 256 ; Hume, Cat. no. 81 ; Vidal, 



S. F. ix, p. 42 ; Butler, ibid. p. 377 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 17 ; Barnes, 



Birds Bom. p. 77. 



