304 



Coloration. Facial disk mostly white, except the black tips to the 

 loral bristles and the ear-coverts, which are pale brown, streaked 

 longitudinally darker ; supercilia pure white ; upper parts, wings, 

 and tail dark rufous brown spotted with white, the spots small 

 and elongate on the crown, round and large elsewhere, an im- 

 perfect concealed white collar on the hind-neck; wings and tail 

 with broad white bands generally interrupted, sometimes for a 

 considerable distance, at the shafts ; lower parts white, a pale 

 brown band with darker spots across the throat, and light brown 

 longitudinal streaks on the breast and upper abdomen. 



Bill greenish yellow ; cere pale greenish white ; iris pure sulphur- 

 yellow; feet greenish, claws bluish horny black (Stolictka). Feet 

 feathered above to ends of toes. 



Length 9 ; tail 3*5 ; wing 6-25 ; tarsus 1*1 ; bill from gape "85. 



Distribution. This form is not more than a local race of A. glaux, 

 which again is merely the Eastern desert form of the South 

 European A. noctua. One or the other of these is found through- 

 out the warmer temperate portions of the Pataarctic region ; the 

 race A. bactriana, distinguished solely by its well-plumed toes, 

 occurring in China, Mongolia, Yarkand, and Afghanistan. It is 

 common at Kandahar and has been obtained at Quetta, also in 

 some of the valleys near Peshawar. Two specimens in the British 

 Museum are labelled Tibet. 



Habits, Sfc. Very similar to those of A. brama, but the present 

 form is generally found on rocks, not on trees, and is especially 

 partial to deserted houses and ruins, particularly to the buildings 

 of sun-dried bricks so common throughout Central Asia. 



Genus GLAUCIDIUM, Boie, 1826. 



This genus differs chiefly from Athene in having a more rounded 

 wing, and the first quill much shorter, it being the shortest of all 

 the primaries ; the 4th is generally longest, but is occasionally ex- 

 ceeded by the 5th or the 3rd. All the Indian species, too, are well 

 distinguished by having the upper surface barred instead of spotted. 

 The cere is swollen and the nostrils tubular, the tarsus feathered 

 and the toes provided above with bristles. 



This genus is widely distributed in the tropical and temperate 

 regions of the Old World and in Southern and Central America, 

 but not in Australia. 



Key to the Species. 



a. No collar : wing exceeding 4-5. 



a'. Abdomen longitudinally striated. 



a". Back and wings not chestnut G. cuculoides, p. 305. 



b". Back and wings chestnut G. castanonotum, p. 307, 



b'. Abdomen transversely barred G. radiatum, p. 306. 



b. A distinct "buff collar : wing under 4 G. brodiei, p. 307. 



