BUBO. 285 



as the dark. Some Asiatic birds are very pale, especially beneath, 

 others as rich an orange-buff as European skins ; the difference 

 depends probably on the bleaching action of the sun in dry open 

 tracts. Both races have been brought from the Himalayas. 



Bill dark slate-colour ; irides golden orange ; claws dusky at base, 

 black at tips (Scully). The toes are completely covered and con- 

 cealed above by feathers, which overhang the base of the claws. 



Length of female about 26 ; tail 10 ; wing 19 ; tarsus 3 ; bill 

 from gape 1*9. Males run a little smaller. 



Distribution. Throughout the Palsearctic region. This noble 

 Owl has occasionally been killed in Tibet and the higher Hima- 

 layas as far east as the Ganges (Bhagirati). Both Biddulph and 

 Scully obtained it in Gilgit, and St. John at Quetta and Candahar. 



Habits, fyc. The Great Eagle-Owl is bold and powerful, living 

 on game birds, hares, rabbits, and even fawns of deer, and 

 especially, it is said, on crows. The call is a loud, deep, dissyllabic 

 hoot. The eggs have not been taken in India ; in Europe they 

 are generally two or three in number, white, and rounded oval as 

 usual, and are laid about March on a ledge of rock or in a hollow 

 tree. 



1168. Bubo bengalensis. The Rock Horned Owl. 



Otus bengalensis, Frarikl P. Z. S. 1831, p. 115. 



Bubo cavearius, Hodgs. As. Res. xix, p. 169 (1836). 



Urrua cavearia, Hodgs. J. A. S. B. vi, p. 372. 



Urrua bengalensis, Jerdon, Madr. Jour. L. S. x, p. 87 ; Jerdon, B. I. 



i, p. 128 ; Butler, S. F. iii, p. 450. 

 Bubo bengalensis, Blyth, Cat. p. 35 ; Horsf. fy M. Cat. i, p. 73 ; 



Stoliczka, J. A. S. B. xli, pt. 2, p. 231 ; Hume, S. F. i. p. 163 ; 



Sharpe, Cat. B. M. ii, p. 25 ; Davidson $ Wend. S. F. vii, p. 76 ; 



Ball, ibid. p. 200 ; Butler, ibid. p. 180 ; ix, p. 376 ; Hume, Cat. no. 69 ; 



Vidal, S. F. ix, p. 35 ; Reid, S. F. x, p. 14 ; Damson, ibid. p. 343 ; 



Oates, B. B. ii, p. 150 ; id. in Hume's N. $ E. 2nd ed. iii, p. 99; 



Barnes, Birds Bom. p. 65 ; id. Journ. Bom. N. H. Soc. iii, p. 221. 

 Ascalaphia bengalensis, Blyth, Ibis, 1866, p. 253; Hume, Rough 



Notes, p. 366 ; id. N. $ E. p. 62 ; A. Anderson, P. Z. S. 1872, 



p. 81 ; Hayes Lloyd, Ibis, 1873, p. 405 ; Batt, S. F. ii, p. 381 : 



Blyth, Birds Burm. p. 65. 



GMghu, H. ; Ghubdd, Mahr. ; Yerra gudla guba, Tel. ; Eotang, Tarn. 



Coloration. Lores whitish with black shafts ; cheeks and ear- 

 coverts tawny with black streaks, and bordered behind by a black 

 rim to the facial disk ; aigrettes black, with buff margins towards 

 the base ; forehead buff, passing into the crown and nape, which 

 are blackish brown, the feathers with buff spots on the edges ; 

 hind-neck and sides of neck nearly pure buff, with broad black 

 shaft-stripes; rest of upper parts blackish brown, spotted and 

 mottled with buff and white ; the buff spots on the outer scapulars 

 are very large, and the rump and upper tail-coverts are chiefly 

 buff ; primaries rich orange-buff, barred and tipped with brown ; 

 secondaries brown, with mottled buff bars, becoming entirely buff 

 on the inner web and towards the base ; tail barred buff and brown, 



