ereater coverts ; breast white and spotted ; underparts of the body 
plumage are rufescent. The interesting member of this species I 
have, just, introduced you to, a fairly permanent resident on the 
olive tree. By way of a change, no doubt, he shifts his quarters 
now and then, to one or other of the cryptomerias near at hand, or 
shady trees in the locality. 
(80) GuauctpiumM Broprat, Collared Pigmy Owlet, though occa- 
sionally seen now and then in Darjeeling, prefers a lower elevation, 
about 5000 to 6000 ft. where this species is found more plentiful. 
This owlet is about half the size of cuculoides and lacks the conspicuous 
barred markings. In length it is 62 inches; bill greenish yellow ; 
irides yellow; wings short ; tarsus, toes and claws strong; tail 
longish. This bird is the smallest of the family and differs a good 
deal from <Athene. It has a darkish, uniform fulvous collar, some- 
what showing on the upper part of the disk ; back, wings and _ tail 
tawny with streaks and spots ; plumage of the lower parts is brown 
with white and brownish yellow bars; white on the breast and 
under tail coverts. This pretty owlet is very similar to the last 
figured species in habits. It has however a prominent distinction, 
in the peculiar and easy mode of securing its meal, when it gets 
peckish. It noiselessly slips in amongst a batch of small birds 
joyously frolicking among the branches, slowly adjusts its wings, 
shuffles its feathers, then looking down on them with hungry, malig- 
nant eyes, gives vent to a hoot, to-too, to-toot. This” brings all the 
small birds round it loudly protesting their indignation; but it 
keeps on adjusting its position, first facing one directing, then turns 
slowly round, and faces the other, calling out impatiently oof, fo- 
foo, to-toot! as much as to say “look sharp, I am hungry, I'll stand 
no nonsense ; no trifling with me!” Even its mandibles repeat the 
warning hoot, to-too, to-toof quite audibly. As the din and noise 
of the little birds increase, at last as if it can stand it no longer, it 
shoots off the branch with a well aimed plunge, right in amongst 
them and secures the fatest it has marked out, for its meal. On the 
occasion I watched this little tragedy, I bowled Brodiwi over with 
shot from a small collector’s gun I had, it now adorns my little museum 
with the small Willow Warbler it had just started on still held by 
its claws. Some of the Lepcha shikaries imitate this peculiar 
call for snaring birds for the cage, chiefly Siskins and Bullfinches. 
With the Collared Pigmy Owlet we shall close with /tuptores Birds 
of Prey and commence the next, the most interesting of Natural 
Orders among birds. 
