322 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA, 
Sub-family Photodiline. 
Genus Photodilus. 
Bay Owls. 
This sub-family is Jimited to a single genus of two species, 
one of which is peculiar to Ceylon. Both are of medium 
dimensions, being slightly under a foot in length. As in the 
genus Strex, the inner margin of the middle claw is furnished 
with a slightly serrated file-like process or comb. The wings, 
however, are much shorter and rounded. The tarsus is 
feathered throughout, the inner toe is longer than the middle. 
The facial disk is very distinct, but the ruff is not quite 
complete above the eyes. The Ceylon species can be told apart 
from all our other Owls by the pinkish tinge of the face and 
lower parts. 
PHOTODILUS ASSIMILIS (Blanford, Vol. III., p. 269). 
PHODILUS ASSIMILIS (Legge, p. 161). 
The Ceylon Bay Owl. 
(See Fig. I.) 
Description.—Forehead and facial disk vinous-pink ; 
feathers round the eye chocolate ; ruff white tipped with 
chestnut and black ; feathers of the crown and nape dark 
chestnut, flecked in the centre with black and paler chestnut, 
a few feathers sometimes whitish ; remainder of upper parts 
a mixture of chestnut and rich tawny-buff, marked with 
smallish triangular spots of black, which on the scapulars and 
wing coverts are flecked with white ; wing quills chestnut on 
the outer, dark grayish-brown on the inner webs, both webs being 
barred with biack ; on the long winglet feathers, on the outer 
web of the first primary, and on the ends of the outer webs of 
the next two or three primaries the spaces between the black 
bars are white ; tail rufous chestnut with narrow black bars. 
Throat and chest buff, shading into pale vinous-pink on the 
remainder of the under parts ; most of the feathers with two 
dark brown spots on the centre ; the thigh plumes sometimes 
silky-white ; wing lining buff with a patch of deep chocolate 
brown at the base of the primaries. 
