412 
oceur, itis very locally distributed, affecting forests and jungles, 
intermingled with rocky ridges or broken ground, and almost 
if not quite unknown in the level open portions of the Punjaub, 
Rajpootana, the North-West and Central Provinces. Through- 
out the sub-himalayan country and the lower ranges of the 
hills themselves, as far west as Mandi; (rarely if ever ascending 
above 3000 feet in height) in the Rajmahal hills, the Siwalikhs 
and the more considerable ridges of the Aravallis, where these 
are not bare, the Jungle Owlet, is more or less common, accor- 
ding to the supply of insects, which in a wild state, to judge 
from those that I have examined, form its chief food. 
No. 77 nis. Athene Castaneonotus.* Buytu. 
Tue Cryton OwLer, 
This species, first discriminated by Mr. Blyth, is admitted 
by Professor Schlegel to be distinct from A. Cuastanoptera 
Horsfield, (No. 77 tris.). Mr. Layard gives the following 
account, of its “‘manners and customs.” (Ann. and Mag. of 
N. H., 1858, XIL., pp. 105, 106.) “Its hoot is not unlike the 
ery of the cuckoo, though, more shrill and abrupt; indeed when 
I first heard it one morning, I thought it was the note of our 
annual visitor, the Huropean Cuckoo. It hoots as late as 9 or 
10 o’clock in the morning, in shady situations ; is silent during 
the heat and glare of the day, but begins again at 4 or 5 Pp. M. 
It is most on the alert during moonlight nights, feeding on 
Coleoptera and geckoids, securing the latter while creeping up 
the bark of trees, seizing them in its claws, * * * it sees very 
clearly by day, being even then most difficult to approach.” 
I have had no opportunities myself of observing this species, 
which seems to be confined to Ceylon, although Mr. Blyth 
suggests, that this may be the species which Dr. Helfer noticed 
under the name of Custanoptera as occurring in Tenasserim. 
* The following is Mr. Blyth’s original description. “ Entire mantle and 
wings deep chestnut rufous, more or less obscurely barred with subdued 
dusky. Primaries, light dusky, faintly barred with rufous on the inner 
webs, and with a series of spots of bright rufous on the outer webs. Tail 
dusky, with eight or nine, narrow, white, or whitish bars, the last of these 
terminal ; head and neck closely barred with bright rufescent on a dusky 
ground, contrasting strongly with the rufous of the back ; breast nearly similar 
but the colors deeper. Abdomen, white, with longitudinal dusky streaks ; 
vent and lower tail coverts, pure white ; bill, pale yellow; irides, ved brown ? 
Wing, about 5.” 
