SYRNIUM. 



General colour above rufous-orange, the feathers of the crown and hind- 

 neck mottled with black and white, each feather having a double white 

 spot at the tip, preceded by a distinct black bar ; back greyer, each feather 

 being orange at the base, but for the terminal half crossed with distinct 

 zigzag bars of dark brown, the interspaces being white, thickly mottled 

 with brown vermiculations ; the scapulars externally white, crossed with narrow 

 brown bars, forming a conspicuous shoulder patch ; wing coverts coloured 

 like the back and mottled with grey in the same manner, the greater 

 series rather whiter than the rest ; primary coverts dark brown with a few 

 zigzag markings of ashy grey on the outer web. Primaries dark brown, 

 barred across with lighter brown, these bars nearly obsolete on the inner web 

 and represented by an ashy spot on the outer one, the spots clouded and 

 obscured by brown vermiculations, the inner webs orange for the basal half 

 with brown cross bars ; secondaries for the most part ashy white like the back, 

 vermiculated with brown ; the tips of the feathers brown, crossed in the same 

 way with ashy whitish bars, there being altogether 8 9 in number on the tail ; 

 sides of the face greyish-white, mottled all over with minute black bars, the 

 ear coverts orange in the centre ; facial ruff dark chocolate brown, many of the 

 feathers spotted with white, those on the lower parts inclining to orange and the 

 plumes under the chin being white with narrow black bars, in both instances 

 assimilating to the adjacent parts of the body; chin and the patch on the fore- 

 neck white, the plumes on the latter with a few narrow terminal bars of dark 

 brown ; rest of under surface white, narrowly barred with dark brown, the 

 whole of the feathers orange at base, this colour showing conspicuously on the 

 chest ; leg feathers as well as under-wing and tail coverts white, barred with 

 dark brown ; the greater series of under-wing coverts blackish with light, 

 orange-buff bases, thus resembling the inner lining of the wing which is orange- 

 buff for the greater part of the inner webs of the feathers, the ends being brown 

 barred across with lighter brown ; bill horny black, pale and greyish on 

 lower mandible ; cere dingy, a dirty pinkish, brownish or yellowish horny. 

 Varies a good deal. Bare part of toes pale greenish brown ; soles yellowish 

 white ; iris brown, light in some species, and deep or dark in others. 

 (Hume.) 



Length. 17-9 to 21 inches;' wing 13*0 to 13*9; tail 7-4 to 8-5 ; tarsus 2*05 

 to 2-4. 



Hab. Throughout the greater part of India, east of the Sutlej, and of the 

 Indus below its junction with the former, and west of the Ganges. It is 

 recorded from the Punjab, N.-W. Provinces, Central and Southern India, the 

 sub- Himalayan Valleys, the Central Provinces, Kutch, Kattiawar, Guzerat, 

 Mount Aboo, the Concans and Deccan. According to Jerdon in the 

 Carnatic, in parts of Mysore and the forests of Malabar, but not in Ceylon 

 nor in Lower Bengal. 



