543 
to be more oval and less round than those of the European Strix 
Flammea to which they closely approximate. Of all our Indian 
Owls too, so far as my experience goes, this species lays the least 
spherical egg. ‘The texture is compact and fine, but there is 
less gloss than in most species of this family. 
The eggs vary from 1°68 to 1°79 in length, and from 1:2 to 
1:35 in breadth, but the average of nine eggs measured was 
1:74 by 1:27. 
In regard to this and nearly allied species, I reproduce the 
following remarks by Mr. Blyth, which appeared in the Ibis 
for 1866. 
“Strix Indica, nobis, n. sp. 
Syn. S. Javanica, Jerdon, B. Ind. 1. p. 117; 8. Flammea, 
Gould, P. Z. 8. 1859, p. 151 (ex. Siam) ?. Prof. Schlegel 
(Mus. P. B. Striges, p. 4) unites S. Javanica with S. Flammea, 
and remarks of “ individus des Indes orientales” that “ I] parait 
que leur taille est tant soit peu moins forte que dans ceux de 
I‘Kurope, et que le bas de leur tarses est un peu moins emplumé.”’ 
The late Hugh Strickland identified Horsfield’s type Javan 
specimen with S. Candida ; and the species which is figured by 
Gray and Mitchell (Gen. Birds, pl. 15) is considerably more 
akin to S. Candida than it is to S. Hammea, and again still less 
so to S. Indica (which I now distinguish) of the Indian and 
Indo-Chinese subregions. The latter, as Dr. Jerdon remarks, 
as compared with S. Flammea, “ differs by being larger, with 
more robust feet and toes, and in being more spotted beneath.” 
The last character, however, is by no means of constant occur- 
rence. At a time when I erroneously supposed the Indian 
Sereech Owl to be identical with the Huropean, I at once discri- 
minated a specimen of the latter, (from an unknown locality, 
Hgypt, as 1 afterwards learned), and placed it as a separate 
species, (No. 172, of my Catalogue of the Birds in the Asiatic 
Society’s Museum, Calcutta, 1849). Subsequently, I named it 
S. Pusilla, (J. A. 8S. B. XVIIL p. 801) and was not a little 
surprised, when it proved to be the real S. Hamnmea. The dis- 
tinction I have ever since found to be constant ; and the differ- 
ence of the two races is so very conspicuously apparent, upon 
comparison of specimens, that [ cannot understand Prof, Schle- 
gel identifying a Nepalese example, (presented by Mr. Hodgson) 
with his Javanrace They belong even to different sections of 
Strigine, with much difference of habit. S. Indica ranking 
with S. Flammea in Strix proper, and S. Javanica in Scelostrix 
of Kaup, together with S. Candida, and S. Capensis. Prof. 
Kaup considers the Australian S. De/icatula, Gould (B. Austr. 
i. pl. 31,) to be identical with S. Javanica (vera) ; remarking. 
