d-44. 
“JT cannot find any difference between the examples of this 
species from Australia, and those from Java (?), and I feel quite 
sure that S. Delicatuda and S. Javanica belong to one and the 
same species” (Trans. Zool. Soc. IV. p. 247.) Mr. Cassin, in 
his ‘Catalogue of Strigide, keeps S. Delicatula apart from 
S. Javanica (Proce. Acad. Nat. Se. Phil. 1849) ; but then all his 
specimens were Indian, and of course S. Indica: yet he cites 
the beautiful and correct figure of S. Javanica, published by 
Messrs. Gray and Mitchell, as representing his supposed S. 
Javanica. Finally, Mr. Gould, in his Handbook to the birds of 
Australia, retains S. Delicatula, but refers to S. Javanica “ of 
India” (i. e. S. Indica) and not to the true S. Javanica of the 
Malayan sub-region. Numerous specimens of S. Dedicatula in 
the British Museum, seem to make a very close approach to 8S, 
Indica and not to S. Javanica, which latter is a small Scelostrix* 
(as distinguished from Strix) with white bill and claws, like the 
Indian Neophron. S. A ffinis, nobis (Ibis 1862, p. 388,) from South 
Africa, proves to the S. Poensis, Fraser. Mr. Wallace has a fine 
true Striz from Macassar,t which is still more robust than S. 
Indica, and closely approximates S. Personata of Australia 
(Gould’s B. Austr. i. p. 29).” 
I have a few remarks to make on this interesting note. In 
the first place, although the amount of spotting on the lower 
surface of our Indian bird, varies much, yet out of the fifty odd 
specimens that I have seen, I have never seen one with the 
perfectly spotless, almost indescribably pure white, which so 
often characterizes the whole under surface of the adult Euro- 
pean bird. In Indica there are always I believe, some few spots 
and some faint trace of fulvous tinging. 
Fortunately, all 3 species, Delicatula, Indica and Flammea are 
well represented in my museum, and the much greater robust- 
ness of the tarsi, toes and claws of Indica, as compared with both 
the others, is very conspicuous. 
S. Javanica, vera, I have never seen, but S. Indica. (Javanica, 
apud Jerdon, &c.) is unmistakeably distinct from S. Dedicatula, 
Gould. It differs not only in the much stouter tarsi, toes and 
claws, but also, in its slightly larger size, longer wings and 
* The species of Scelostrix are distinguished by their long and slender 
tarsi, which are not feathered on the lower half. They are ground-birds, 
which conceal themselves in long grass during the day, and attect the open 
country away from human habitations—habits considerably diverse from 
those of the birds which constitute the genus Strix as here limited. 
+ The Owl here referred to is apparently— 
S. Rosenbergi, Schlegel. N. T. D. iii p. 181, from Celebes, Macassar and 
Menado. A. H. 
