294 



smallest. It is from Ceylon, and resembles S. malayanus in its 

 dark brownish colour. Wing about 4-8. 



As in so many other cases, specimens from the South are smaller 

 and darker, the smallest and darkest of all being the Ceylonese 



L/ 



Distribution. Central and Southern Europe and Asia, and the 

 greater part of Africa. One form or another of this bird is found 

 in all parts of India, Ceylon, and Burma, except perhaps the 

 higher Himalayas. 



Habits, <$>c. This is a migratory species in Europe and probably 

 to some extent in India. No nests appear to have been taken m 

 the plains, but the small dark Southern forms certainly breed in 

 the hills of Southern India and Ceylon, for there are nestlings 

 from both localities in the British Museum, and Mr. Daly tells me 

 he has taken the eggs on the Shevroys. There can be but little 

 doubt that S. giu breeds in the Himalayas also, but it is doubtful 

 whether the few supposed instances on record do not apply to 

 another species. The habits are those of the genus; the call is a 

 peculiar monotonous monosyllabic hoot, repeated at regular 

 intervals, generally from a dense-foliaged tree. 



1174. Scops brucii. The Striated Scops Owl. 

 Ephialtes brucei, Hume, S. F. i, p. 8 (1873) ; Fairbank, S. F. iv f 



Scops brucei, Sharpe, Cat. S. M. ii, p. 62 ; Blanford, S. F. v. p. 245 ; 

 Doig, S. F. vii, p. 505 ; Hume, Cat. no. 74 sept. ; Vidal, S. F. ix, 

 p. 36; Butler, ibid. p. 376; Barnes, ibid. p. 452 ; Biddulph, Ibis, 

 1881, p. 47 ; Scully, ibid. p. 426 ; Davidson, S. F. x, p. 291 ; Barnes, 

 Birds Bom. p. 71 ; Sharpe, Yark. Miss., Aves, p. 12, pi. ii ; Blanf* 

 Ibis, 1894, p. 528. 



Subnet, Mahr. 



Coloration. Lores sullied white, with black tips, rest of the face 

 grey, ruff tipped dark brown and without any ferruginous tint ; 

 upper plumage sandy grey (dark isabelline), with narrow blackish 

 shaft-stripes, the surface generally very finely and uniformly 

 speckled with dark brown on buff ; spots on outer scapulars pale 

 dull buff, not white ; wing and tail-feathers marked as in S. giu, 

 but with dull dark brown and buff; lower plumage marked with 

 dark shaft-stripes like the upper, and similarly coloured, but paler 

 and less uniform, with some white on the abdomen. 



Bill horny ; irides brilliant yellow ; toes olivaceous grey {Doig}. 



Length about 8-5 ; tail 3'2 ; wing 6-3 ; tarsus 1'2 ; bill from. 

 gape '7. Third quill longest ; feathering of tarsus extends on to 

 the base of the toes. 



Distribution. Specimens have been obtained hi the Bombay 

 Presidency at Ahmednagar and at Khed in Eatnagiri, and the 

 bird has probably occurred in Western Khandesh ; it has alsa 

 been met with several times in Sind, and Mr. Barnes found it 

 breeding at Chaman in South Afghanistan. It has been recorded 



