ASIO. 115 



<&c. The eggs are four in number, white, oval and smooth, 17 by 1-29. The 

 young are hatched by the end of April. 



111. AsiO accipitrinUS, Pall. Reis. Russ. Reichs. i. p. 455 ; Sharpe, 

 Cat. Stn'ges, p. 225. Strix brachyotus, Forst. Phil. Trans. Ixii. p. 384 ; Gm. 

 S. N. i. p. 289. Otus brachyotus, Steph. Gen. Zool. xiii. pi, 2, p. 57; Jerd. 

 B.Ind. i. p. 127, No. 68; Gurney, Ibis^ 1868, p. 150; Hume, Rough Notes, 

 ii. p. 364; Murray, ZooL, fyc., Sind, p. u8. Asio brachyotus, Me Gill. 

 Br. B. iii. p. 461. Asio accipitrinus, Newt. Ed. Yarr. Brit. B. Shelley, B. 

 Egypt. THE SHORT.EARED OWL. 



PLATE 1 



Adult. Head, neck and back dark brown, the feathers broadly margined 

 with ochraceous buff; the scapulars much paler on their outer margins, 

 and with brown irregular markings, which form ovate spots of whitish 

 buff. Secondaries brown, mottled with ochraceous buff and tipped and mar- 

 gined on the inner web with whitish buff ; primary coverts dark brown with a 

 iew ochraceous spots. Quills ochraceous buff, tipped whitish and with dark 

 brown bands, which are distinct on both webs. Upper-tail coverts ochraceous, 

 faintly edged with a darker shade ; under-tail coverts pale fulvous, with a 

 mesial dark streak on some of the feathers ; tarsal plumes unspotted ochra- 

 ceous. Ear-tufts 0-5 inch long; chin whitish, in some specimens buffy. Ruff 

 whitish, or whitish buff, and speckled with spots of brown ; plumes above the 

 -eye whitish buff, with mesial dark brown streaks ; facial aspect dull white, the 

 lores brownish ; feathers round the eye black ; ear coverts ochraceous, with 

 narrow black shaft-lines. Breast and entire under parts ochraceous buff 

 streaked with dark brown mesially, these streaks narrowing into linear shaft 

 lines on the lower breast and abdomen. Under-wing coverts buffy white, with 

 a few dark streaks. Tail dark brown, whitish at tip, and with 6 bars of ochra- 

 ceous buff mottled with brown. Cere and bill brownish black. 



Length. 1410 15 inches; wing 13; tail 5 to 6 ; tarsus 175. Female, 

 length 15'5 inches; wing 12*5; tail 67; tarsus 1*85. 



Hab. Throughout Europe, and nearly all India ; it occurs in Beloochistan, 

 Persia, Egypt, East Turkistan, Gilgit (Cashmere) and Nepaul; also in the 

 Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, Oudh, Bengal, Central and Southern India, Kutch, 

 Ouzerat, Rajputana, the Concan and Deccan. In Sind it is a winter visitant, 

 and is not uncommon, especially in the Northern and Central parts, keeping to 

 low jungle and long grass. 



This is another species of whose breeding in India nothing is known. In 

 England it is known to lay its eggs on the ground in long grass. Eggs 3 4 

 in number, smooth and white, 1*67 + f* 2 9 inches. Breeds in April and 

 May. In India it is found in long grass. It is a migrant coming in about 

 the beginning of winter. 

 16 



