290 ASIONIDJE. 



detected. The feathers of the facial disk and those of the legs are 

 peculiarly dense and hairy, and so long that the bill and claws are 

 almost concealed. Wings and tail as in Bubo-, the under tail- 

 coverts extend nearly to the end of the tail. There is a single 

 species, which has once been obtained within Indian limits. 



1172. Nyctea scandiaca. The Snoivy Owl. 

 Strix scandiaca and S. nyctea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i, p. 132 (1766). 

 Strix nivea, Thunb. Kon. Svensk. Vet.-Ak. Handl. xix, p. 184 (1798). 

 Nyctea nivea, Hume, Ibis, 1871, p. 410. 

 Nyctea scandiaca, Sharpe, Cat. B. M. ii, p. 125 ; Hume, S. F. vn, 



p. 345 ; id. Cat. no. 68 bis. 



Coloration. Pure white, a few brown bars remaining here 

 and there, even in old males, more in old females. In young 

 birds the facial disk, a narrow collar on the back of the neck, 

 the chin and throat, wing-lining and axillaries, feathers on 

 the legs and feet, vent and under tail-coverts are pure white ; the 

 rest of the plumage, including the quills and tail, barred with 

 brown, the bars being broad, rather distinct from each other, 

 crescentic or subcrescentic in shape, and not continuous from 

 feather to feather either above or below. 

 Bill black ; irides golden yellow. 



Length about 23; tail 9-25; wing 17; tarsus 2-3; bill from 

 gape 1-7. 



Distribution. The northern portion of both hemispheres, some 

 birds migrating into the temperate zone in winter. A single 

 specimen was once received by Mr. Hume from Mardan in the 

 North-west Punjab, not far from Peshawur. The bird was obtained 

 by Dr. Johnson on March 3rd, and other specimens were said to 

 have been seen by the shikari. So far as is known this Owl has 

 not since been observed within Indian limits. 



Genus SCOPS, Savigny, 1810. 



The Scops Owls are of small size and furnished with aigrettes 

 usually of considerable length. The head is rather large, the 

 nostrils round and pierced in the anterior margin of the cere, which 

 is slightly prominent. The wings are long, but vary much in 

 shape, being far more rounded in some species than in others ; the 

 tail is moderate in length and rounded at the ends. The tarsus is 

 feathered more or less completely. The plumage of the young 

 differs from that of adults. 



The members of this genus generally have the plumage minutely 

 vermiculated or stippled with delicate markings, and the distinction 

 of the species is rather difficult, several of the forms showing con- 

 siderable variation. The number of species has, however, certainly 

 been overrated; only two were admitted by Jerdon, whilst in 

 Hume's Catalogue no less than 18 names are enumerated, but of 

 these three are regarded as not worthy of distinction, and one as 

 of doubtful validity. Anyone, however, who reads Hume's notes 



