OWLS AND DIURNAL BIRDS OF PREY. 325 
coverts, rump, and upper tail coverts paler, and with narrow 
whitish bars; wing quills deep brown with paler brown 
crossbars ; tail feathers brown with narrow white tips and 
crossbars. Under parts and legs whitish or yellowish, closely 
barred with dark brown. 
In young birds the feathers have broad whitish edges, the 
whole of the upper plumage is barred, but the under parts are 
white, and only gradually assume the barring of the adult 
phase. 
Bill bluish near the cere, whitish-horny near the tip ; cere 
dusky-bluish - iris deep brown ; claws bluish. 
Length about 18; wing 12:25; tail 7; tarsus 2:15; bill 
trom gape 1°5. Males slightly smaller than females. 
Distribution —May be met with in forest over the whole of 
Ceylon from sea level to Nuwara Eliya. In India the species 
is rarely found on the plains, but occurs in the Himalayas and 
on the hills of the Malabar Coast. It has been recorded from 
a few other localities in India proper, Burma, and Formosa. 
The Himalayan form is probably a good sub-species, much 
larger than our Ceylon bird. 
Habits, &c.—A fairly common species, found mainly in 
heavy jungle. At times it may be seen during the day being 
mobbed by drongos and other small birds. It feeds on small 
birds, lizards, and, at any rate in captivity, on small fish. The 
note is of four syllables *‘ oot-oot-tu-whoo,” but the first two 
syllables can only be heard when close at hand. As noted in 
my remarks on the order, this is the species commonly 
credited with the cries of the Devil Bird. The breeding 
season is during the early part of the year ; two eggs are laid 
in a hole in a large tree, but in India stick nests have been 
found, placed on a rocky shelf, or in the fork of a tree. The 
eggs are of the usual owl type. North Indian eggs measure 
about 2°25 by 1°81. 
Sub-family Bubonine. 
Fish Owls, Eagle Owls, and Owlets. 
This sub-family comprises a much larger variety of forms 
than the other two, and includes seven Ceylon species: our 
two largest Owls and five owlets. 
3 6(21)20 
