334 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 
often grayer on the head and neck ; some concealed white 
patches on the outer scapulars ; edge of wing white ; wing 
quills brown, crossed by narrow bars, which at the ends of the 
primaries are only slightly paler than the ground colour, but 
become white on the inner webs of the secondaries and across 
the tertiaries. Tail feathers equally barred with black and 
smoky-brown, and tipped with whitish. Chin and upper throat 
dirty-white with black shaft-stripes ; fore-neck, breast, and 
flanks rich chocolate-brown with paler lateral margins ; lower 
down these lateral margins increase and become white, while 
the brown centres of the feathers dwindle into heart-shaped 
spots on the abdomen, and into bars on the thighs; lower 
tail coverts almost entirely white. 
Bill bluish-black ; cere dull-greenish; iris, golden-yellow ; 
feet dusky-vyellow. 
Length about 11°5; wing 7°65; tail 4°5; tarsus 1 ; bill 
from gape °85. 
Distribution.—Fairly widely distributed throughout the 
low-country, and in the hills up to about 4,000 feet. It 
oceurs in she well-wooded parts of the Indian, Empire, and 
ranges throughout the Oriental region. 
Habits, &c.—Found mainly in thick jungle, preferably on 
the borders of tanks or on river banks. The cry, much more 
musical than that of other owls, is a clear low ‘“ coo-ook,”’ 
which may be heard, especially on moonlight nights, soon after 
sunset and again towards midnight. It also continues to call 
in the morning till some time after sunrise. This species feeds 
almest entirely on insects. It breeds from about Christmas 
to April, laying two or three almost spherical white eggs in 
holes of trees. A Ceylon egg measured 1°45 by 1°27. 
Ordaer ACCIPITRES. 
Birds ef Prey. 
The diurnal Birds of Prey found in the Indian region fall 
into a very natura! group, with the Osprey forming a probable 
connecting link between the rest of the order and the Owls. 
By some authors, indeed, the Osprey is placed in an 
