SCOPS. 89 



Adult. Above ashy grey, more or less tinged with rufous or rufous-grey, the 

 feathers dark-shafted, finely mottled with brown and with a white subterminal 

 spot ; wings more rufescent and without the white spots, except on the 

 outer scapulars as usual, and some of the greater coverts ; quills rufescent, 

 with darkish double bars, the interval between the bars dusky or mottled, and 

 the light spaces or ground colour, on some of the outer primaries, rusty 

 white in some specimens, or it may be said that the quills are dusky rufescent v 

 mottled with pale bands ; the tail rufescent w r ith double bars, in some mottled 

 almost throughout ; beneath, the feathers are streaked dark brown, banded 

 with white, and mottled rufous-grey and brown, mostly grey on the upper part 

 and white on the lower part of the abdomen ; tarsal feathers barred and 

 mottled ; disk ashy white, with a few darker specks, and the shafts of the 

 frontal bristles white ; ruff marked with dark brown and rufous. 



In the rufous phase, the upper parts are uniform bright golden chestnut red, 

 with black shafts, inconspicuous on the back, more distinct on the forehead, 

 ear plumes and shoulders of the wings ; outer edge of scapulars whitish ; 

 disk rufous with some of the feathers white-shafted ; ruff deep brown with the 

 outer feathers black tipped or black ; beneath deeply tinged with the hue of 

 the back, but with more or less white on the belly and under tail coverts ; the 

 breast and sides of the belly with brownish central black streaks, the latter 

 with transverse pencillings ; four faint bars on the inner webs of the tail 

 feathers, and the primaries also distinctly barred with dusky or mottled. The 

 young bird has all the feathers duller red, more black-shafted, and there is 

 much white on the lower surface; the disk too has a good deal of white, 

 scapulars white externally, with black tips, and the bars on the quills and tail 

 feathers are more distinct, brown and mottled. Bill dusky greenish ; iris pale 

 golden yellow ; feet fleshy grey. 



Length. 7^- to 8 inches ; wing 5 to 6 ; tail 2 \ to 3. 



Hal. Sind, Kutch, Rajputana, Concan, Deccan, South and Central India, 

 Bengal, Punjab, N.-W Provinces and Oudh ; Central Provinces, Guzerat, 

 Nepaul, Beloochistan and Afghanistan. Recorded also from Upper Pegu, 

 Malacca and Tennaserim. 



In Sind it appears to be a winter visitant. 



Except Mr. Thompson's note that this species breeds from March till 

 August in holes of trees, at no height from the ground, nothing is known of 

 its nidification or eggs. It is a common bird in the Gurhwal forests. Mr. 

 Hume says, in Lower Bengal he has occasionally obtained specimens by cap* 

 turing them in the " Jalmil" or Jalousie of his house where they resort to by 

 day. 



88. Scops rufipennis, Sharpe, Sub. Sp. f. of the giu group, Cat, 

 Striges, B. M. p. 60. Scops pennatus, Jtrd. Madr. Jount.> xiii. pi. 2, 

 p. 119. The RUFOUS-WINGED SCOPS OWL. 

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