113 



ground, found three hard-set eggs of this'small Owlet. Shot the 

 bird as it tiew out. 



" 20th March. Observed one of these Owlets fly out of a hole 

 in a largo tree some 20 feet up. Sent up a Cooroobor to inspect, 

 who reported only one egg, which I left. 



" Returned agaiu on the 22nd, the bird was at home, but had 

 laid no more eggs, so I took the one, which proved to be very 

 hard-set." 



The eggs are pure white, smooth and satiny to the touch, but 

 with scarcely any gloss. They are very broad ovals as a rule, 

 though some slightly more elongated varieties are met with, and 

 they vary from 1*2 to 1*31 in length and from 1/0 to I'll in \udth. 



Glaucidium malabaricum (Blyth). The Malabar Owlet, 



Athene malabarica, Blyth, Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 144. 

 Glaucidium malabaricum (#/.), Hume, Cat. no. 78. 



All I know of the nidification of the Malabar Owlet is contained 

 in the following note by Mr. Gr. Tidal. 



He writes from the South Konkan : " Rather common through- 

 out the district in well-wooded parts. Calls loudly by day as well 

 as night. I have seen one, in the full blaze of the sun, make a 

 sudden clash out of a tree at a Pliylloscopus I had shot, and which 

 was fluttering slowly to the ground. 



" My shikaree brought me two fresh eggs with the parent birds 

 on the 14th April. 



" Dr. Armstrong also got a nest in March with three eggs, 

 scarcely distinguishable, as far as I could judge, from those of 

 Carine brama, in size, shape, tone, or texture/' 



Glancidium cuculoides (Vigors). The Barred Owlet. 



Athene cuculoides ( Vig.}, Jerd. B. Ind. i, p. 145 ; Hume, Rouyh 

 Draft N. $ E. no. 79. 



The Barred Owlet lays from March to May ; its eggs, four in 

 number, are always deposited in some hollow or hole in a tree, 

 without any nest or at most a mere apology for one in the shape 

 of a few dead leaves or a little touchwood. 



Captain Hutton says : " I have found the nest of this species 

 *in the neighbourhood of Mussoorie, at elevations of between 5000 

 and 6000 feet. The eggs, three (or four) in number, round and 

 pure white, are deposited in holes in trees, without nest." 



Major Cock, writing from Dhurumsala, says : " I found their 

 nests on three occasions, always in hollow trees. On two occasions 

 there were four eggs in each nest, and the other time four young 

 ones. Xests in hollow hill-oaks some 20 to 30 feet from the ground. 

 There was no lining to the nest, just a few dead leaves that might 

 have been in the hollow accidentally. Eggs on each occasion varied 



TOL. in. 8 



