BUBONIN^. 133 



moaning hoot. I had a specimen alive at Tellicherry, but it was 

 unfortunately killed by a toddy cat {Paradoxurus). 



Hodgson asserts that the Nepal Owl preys on pheasants, hares, 

 jats, snakes, and sometimes on the fawns of the Ratwa and 

 Ghoral, and tha^ it is subdiurnal in the depths of the forests. If 

 so, it is an exception to the general rule of Owls with dark 

 irides being strictly nocturnal. 



Gen. Ketupa, Lesson. 



Syn. Cultrunguis, Hodgson. 



Char. — Bill large, strong, deep, moderately long, straight at 

 base, gradually curving beyond the cere, moderately compressed 

 and hooked; nares elliptic, partially exposed; large ear- tufts ; disk 

 indistinct; ears moderate; wings rather short, reaching not quite 

 to end of tail ; 4th quill longest; tail moderate; tarsus rather long, 

 or moderate, stout, naked, reticulate ; toes naked, finely reticulate, 

 with three or four scales at the base of the nails, moderately lono-, 

 nervous, compressed; the hind toe rather large; soles of the feet 

 aculeate; talons subequal, compressed, cultrated below, (except 

 the middle one) sharp; inner claw the largest. 



This genus is peculiar to India and Malayana. They are birds of 

 large size with large horns, yellow irides, and inhabit woods and 

 groves, issuing from the forests at dusk to feed on fish, crabs, and 

 aquatic animals chiefly. 



72. Ketupa Ceylonensis, Gmel. 



Strix, apud Gmelin — Blyth, Cat. 150 — Horsf., Cat. 92. — 

 Strix Leschenaultii, Temminck, PI. Col. 20 — Ket. Leschenaultii, 

 SYKES,Cat.2l. — Cultrunguis apudJERDON, Cat. 45 — S.Hardwickii, 

 Gray and Hardw., 111. Ind Zool, 2 pi. 31. — S. dumeticola, 

 TiCKELL — Cultrunguis nigripes, Hodgson, J. A. S., V. 364 — 

 Amrai ka ghur/hu, sometimes Ulu, H. — Uiurn, Beng. 



The Brown Fish Owl. 



Descr. — Plumage above, vinaceous-rusty, the feathers of the 

 head and neck, with the ear-tufts, streaked longitudinally with 

 dark brown; the back and wing coverts mottled brown and 

 fulvous, each feather being pale brown with a dark brown stripe, 



