STKIGIN.E. 119 



Tickell, too, mentions its being found throughout Bengal and the 

 Upper Provinces. 



Our species does, indeed, live almost exclusively in long grass 

 not frequenting jungles, nor coming near the haunts of man, like the 

 last. It is probably not rare in some localities, for on the occasion 

 of the long grass and reeds in the dry bed of a large tank 

 near Nellore being fired to drive out some wild pigs, I saw at least 

 twenty of these Owls. It in general rises heavily, and Hies only a 

 short distance, when it drops down suddenly into the grass. Mr. 

 Phillips mentions that it may be sometimes put up and chased by 

 hawks. I presume he means by trained falcons, for I have heard 

 that a favorite quarry for hawking in the Punjab is a grass owl 

 which gives an excellent and long chase. It must be remembered, 

 however, that Otus brachyotus frequents similar localities, and may 

 be the one alluded to rather than this one. 



Kaup gives ;S^n^ capensis, Smith, S. A. Z. PI. 45 from S. Africa, 

 as synonymous with our Indian bird, but on comparing Smith's 

 plate, there appear some differences in color, and the wings and leo-s 

 appear to be shorter than in the Indian bird. It is probably also 

 Horsfield's S. capensis, from a drawing of Buchanan Hamilton's. 



Gen. Phodilus, Is. GeofFroy. 

 Char. — Wing rather short, much rounded, reaching to the end of 

 tail ; 1st quill only equal to the lOth ; tarsus well feathered ; inner 

 toe longer than the centre one ; outer toe reversible ; disk not 

 quite so marked above as in Strix, but otherwise similar. 



62. Phodilus badius, Horsf. 



Strix, apud HoRSF., L. T. XIIL— Horsf., Zool. Res. Java., PI. 

 36— Blyth, Cat. 169— Horsf., Cat. 96. 



The Bay Screech-Owl. 



Bescr.—Ahove, bright chestnut, unspotted on the head ; feathers 

 of the back and wings with a small black spot, to which is added 

 a white shaft; white spots on the scapulars, and greater wing coverts, 

 and some of the tertiaries ; sides of the neck and scapulars exter- 

 nally bright buff, with black spots ; disk fulvous white, with a dark 



