SYRNIINVE. 123 



central region of Nepal, i. e. the moderately elevated parts of the 

 hills. It extends to the North-western Himalayas. 



The sub-gen. Ciccaba, Kaup, has the ear orifice smaller ; bill 

 more feeble ; wings not so strongly emarginate ; toes longer, less 

 plumed. 



65. Syrnium sinense, Lath. 



Strix, apud Latham — Blyth, Cat. 165 — Horsf., Cat. 100 — 

 Jerdon, Cat. 42 — Gray and Hardw., 111. Ind. Zool. 1. PI. 21 — ■ 

 S. orientalis, Shaw. 



The Mottled Wood Owl. 



Descr. — General plumage above, rich tawny yellow, the feathers 

 of the head and nape spotted with black and white, each plume 

 having a blackish tip, and crossed by an interrupted white band ; 

 feathers of the back, scapulars, wing coverts, and upper tail 

 coverts, beautifully mottled and speckled with dusky and white ; 

 quills tawny at their base, dusky at the tip, with pale mottled 

 bands externally ; inner webs tawny with brown bands ; tail much 

 the same, the mottled bars on both webs of the centre tail feathers, 

 on the outer web and tip only of the others ; disk mottled white, 

 brown, and fulvous ; the ruff dark brown ; beneath, the chin 

 whitish, the rest of the body beautifully banded white and brown, 

 each feather being white, with numerous narrow bars of brown ; 

 tarsal feathers the same ; the toes clad nearly to the end. Some 

 specimens are much tinted with fulvous beneath. 



Bill, black ; eyelids, orange ; irides, dark brown ; claws, dusky ; 

 soles of the feet, yellowish. Length, 18 to 19 inches ; wing, 14;^ 

 to 15 ; tail, 8; tarsus 2^ ; mid-toe 2^. The wings reach just 

 to the end of the tail. 



This very beautifully plumaged Owl is found throughout the 

 greater part of India, but has not yet been found in Ceylon or 

 Burmah ; nor are we aware of its extending to China, as its name 

 implies. It is only found in well- wooded districts at no great 

 elevation. I have found it most numerous in the Carnatic, and 

 in parts of Mysore, frequenting groves of trees and avenues, rare 



