78 Mr. R. B. Sharpc on the 



black, with a few more or less distinct rufous bars towards 

 the ends ; crown of head like the back, but rather more 

 strongly mottled with black bars; forehead tawny rufous, 

 tlie frontal plumes tipped with black ; base of bill beset with 

 long plumes, barred Avith rufous and black ; above the eye 

 a dusky blackish spot ; sides of face, ear-coverts, and cheeks 

 rufous, barred with black spots, the auricular plumes pro- 

 duced into hair-like tufts ; under surface of body rufous, like 

 the upper surface, with large black spots on the recurved 

 plumes of the upper throat ; the black vermiculations much 

 more scanty than on the upper parts, with a few broad inter- 

 spaces of tawny buff on some of the feathers, giving an ap- 

 pearance of light spots here and there ; abdomen whitish ; 

 sides of body and flanks like the breast, but with scarcely 

 any trace of black vermiculations; thighs tawny rufous, 

 whitish behind ; under tail-coverts white, with a slight rufous 

 tinge ; under wing-coverts tawny, with paler buff edges ; the 

 edge of the wing mottled with blackish ; outer coverts uni- 

 form blackish ; quills below blackish, barred with tawny on 

 the outer web and with pale tawny buff along the inner webs. 

 Total length 7*8 inches, wing 5-3, tail 2*75, tarsus 1-05. 



One male bird is almost of the same tawny rufous as the 

 female described, but is a trifle darker. It difters in no im- 

 portant particulars beyond such as is usual in Scops Owls, 

 viz. rather more or less strongly indicated black spots and 

 vermiculations. The second male is very much darker and 

 browner, and has a good many clear indications of tawny- 

 bufl" spots on the hind neck. In both males a tawny eye- 

 brow is well marked. In the darker male the black markings 

 on the throat are strongly developed, and behind the ear- 

 coverts there are some whitish bars, giving a slight appearance 

 of a ruff. The wings measure 5'2-5'3 inches, which is about 

 the same as in the female, but the size of the male bird is 

 decidedly smaller. 



This little Owl, by reason of its yellow bill, comes nearest 

 to the section of the genus Scops which embraces S. balli 

 and S. rufescens, but on comparison it shows but little simi- 

 litude to either of those species. The tarsus is bare for half 



