BUBONINE. 67 
the central feathers, generally five, broad, transverse, umber- 
brown bands, darker in some, lighter in others, and the pale inter- 
spaceson the central tail-feathers are much freckled, and in 
some cases entirely suffused with the same color ; this freckling, 
occurs, though in a less degree, on the succeeding feathers, the 
interspaces growing clearer and brighter as they recede from 
the centre; the primaries are similar to the tail-feathers, the 
tips infuscated or freckled like the central ones, and the 
interspaces clearer and brighter towards the bases. 
The lower parts are greyish-white, with a faint yellow tinge 
everywhere, expect on the middle of the throat, each feather 
with a narrow dark shaft stripe, and with- numerous very fine 
wavy and freckled transverse greyish-brown bars, or vermicil- 
lations ; the extent and depth of color of these delicate markings 
vary much in different specimens, in some almost entirely 
obscuring the ground color on the breast and abdomen. 
Tibial and tarsal plumes yellowish or pale fulvous-white, 
in some specimens with faint longitudinal, dark-brown streaks 
and in others with narrow, clouded, imperfect, transverse bars 
of the same color. 
The Dusky-horned Owl is abundant in Central India, and 
in parts of Rajpootana ; it is not uncommon in Sind, but occurs 
more rarely in Guzerat, and has not yet been recorded from 
the Deccan or South Mahratta country. 
It greatly affects the clumps of trees and mango topes that occur 
so abundantly in the vicinity of villages and along the banks 
ofrivers and canals. It breeds during the months of December 
and January, and occasionally later. The nest composed of sticks 
is often of enormous size, owing to its being used for’ several 
successive seasons ; it is generally placed in a fork of a large 
tree, but occasionally on a horizontal branch, or in the depres- 
sion at the junction of three or four large branches. The eggs, 
generally two in number, are coarse in texture, creamy-white 
in color, and average about 2°33 inches in length by about 19 
in breadth. 
A fresh and an incubated egg will often be found in the same 
nest, so that they must begin to sit as soon as the first egg is laid. 
I think this habit is somewhat general amongst the Owls, as I 
have noticed the same fact with Bubo bengalensis and Carine 
brama. 
Genus, Ketupa, Lesson. 
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 ; disc indis- 
tinct ; 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 long, 
