THE MALAYAN WOOD-OWL. 165 



Bill and cere dark horn-brown ; mouth flesh-colour ; iris dark brown ; 

 edges of the eyelids pink ; toes brown ; claws dark horn. 



Length 18'5 inches, tail 7*6, wing 14*4, tarsus 2'15, bill from gape 1*5. 

 The female is very little larger. 



The Malayan Wood-Owl is distributed over Pegu and Tenasserim. I 

 found it common near Kyeikpadein and the town of Pegu, and I have 

 seen many specimens that were killed near Rangoon. Capt. Feilden 

 procured some Owls at Thayetmyo which were probably of this species. 

 Mr. Davison procured it only in the extreme south of Tenasserim, but 

 appears to have identified it from its cry in other parts of the Division ; 

 and Capt. Bingham heard its note in the Thoungyeen valley. 



It occurs in Siam and Cochin China, in the Malay peninsula and in 

 Java. Count Salvadori gives it with doubt from Borneo. 



This handsome Owl frequents evergreen forests and groves of trees near 

 pagodas and ruined monasteries. It is strictly nocturnal in its habits, and 

 feeds principally on large insects. During the day it roosts on a high 

 branch well protected by leaves. Its cry consists of three or four hoots. 

 I have never found the eggs, but I have taken the young birds in March 

 and April. The eggs appear to be deposited in a roomy fork of some 

 large tree at no great height from the ground, and are probably only two 

 in number. 



Col. Tickell, in his ' Illustrations of Indian Ornithology/ figures a 

 young Owl which he identifies with S. indranee. He says : " The 

 individual from which the drawing was taken was brought to me a 

 nestling and lived for about three weeks on small fish, when it gradually 

 sickened and died, probably from want of the admixture of insect food. 

 I have never seen any other specimen of this species, and it may be 

 reckoned in Tenasserim a very rare bird. Its plumage approaches nearest 

 to that of S. indranee as described by Jerdon, but it may possibly be an 

 undescribed and distinct species." 



The figure represents a bird with the whole head and lower plumage 

 pure white ; the posterior part of the facial disk pale chestnut bordered 

 by a semicircle of black feathers ; the upper plumage che&tnut, barred with 

 black and whitish. 



As figured it is certainly not the nestling of S. seloputo, with which I 

 am well acquainted, but it is difficult to say of what species it is the young ; 

 and under these circumstances I think it advisable not to admit S. indranee 

 into the Burmese list till there is further evidence of its occurrence in the 

 province. 



