268 ASIONID.E. 



Subfamily PHOTODILIN^E. 



The characters are given under the only genus. 



Genus PHOTODILUS, Geoffr., 1830. 



Size small. Disk very distinct, but ruff not complete above 

 the eyes. Bill weak, compressed. Ear-orifice of moderate size, 

 smaller than the eye ; no operculum. Wings rounded, 4th and 

 5th quills longest ; tail short. Tarsus feathered throughout ; inner 

 toe longer than middle toe ; middle claw pectinate on the inside 

 as in Striae. 



Owing to its well-developed disk and pectinate middle claw, 

 this genus was long placed with Strix. Schlegel first, then Blyth, 

 and subsequently, from an examination of the skeleton, Milne- 

 Edwards, showed that the present form should be assigned to the 

 Asionidce, and this has been confirmed by Beddard's additional 

 observations on the anatomy (Ibis, 1890, p. 293). He, however, 

 shows that Photodilus is, in several respects, intermediate in 

 structure between the Strigidce and the typical Asionidce *. 



There are two species of Photodilus, both found within our 

 area. 



Key to the Species. 



a. Feathers of upper parts chestnut, spotted, but 



not speckled, with black; inner webs of 



primaries chestnut barred with black P. badius, p. 268. 



b. Feathers of upper parts speckled or mottled 



with black ; inner webs of primaries brown . . P. assimilis, p. 269. 



1154. Photodilus badius. The Bay Owl. 



Strix badia, Horsf. Res. Java, pi. 37 (1824). 



Phodilus badius, Is. Geoff. St.-Hil. Ann. Sci. xxi, p. 201 (1830) ; 

 Blyth, Cat. p. 41 ; Horsf. Sf M. Cat. i, p. 80 : Jerdon, B. I. i, 

 p. 119 ; Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 251 ; Hume, Rough Notes, p. 346 ; 

 Jerdon, Ibis, 1871, p. 344 ; Hume, S. F. iii, p. 37 ; Sharpe, Cat. 

 B. M. ii, p. 309 ; Blyth $ Wald. Birds Burm. p. 67 ; Hume, 

 Cat. no. 62 ; Hume fy Inglis, 8. F. ix, p. 245 ; Gates, B. B. ii, 

 p. 166 ; Hume, S. F. xi, p. 18 ; Salvadori, Ann. Mus. Civ. Gen. (2) 

 vii, pp. 376, 437. 



Phodilus nipalensis, Gray, apud Hume, S. F. i, p. 429 ; iii, p. 37 ; 

 nee Gray. 



The Bay Screech-Owl, Jerdon. 



Coloration. Broad frontal tract and the facial disk vinous pink ; 



* Beddard (1. c. p. 294) and Sharpe (P. Z. S, 1879, p. 175) were under the 

 impression that the middle claw in Photodilus was not pectinate. The absence 

 of pectination in the single specimen examined by each was probably due to 

 wear ; the serration or pectination in good specimens, of which there are now 

 between 30 and 40 in the British Museum, is precisely similar to that of Strix. 



