310 



Ninox burmanica, Hume, S. F. iv, p. 285 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, 

 p. 40 ; Hume, Cat. no. 81 ter ; Bingham, S. F. ix, p. 148; Hume, 

 ibid. p. 245 ; Cripps, S. F. xi, p. 24. 



Ninox innominata, Hume, S. F. iv, p. 286 ; v, p. 16. 



Ninox affinis, Tytler, Beavan, Ibis, 1867, p. 316; Hume, Rough 

 Notes, p. 421 ; Walden, Ibis, 1874, p. 129, pi. v ; Sharpe, Cat. 

 B. M. ii, p.. 155 ; Hume, S. F. ii, p. 152; iv, p. 286; vii, p. 364; 

 id. Cat. no. 81 quat. ; Gurney, Ibis, 1884, p. 170. 

 Ninox hirsuta (Temm.), Ball, S. F. i, p. 54. 



Choghad besra, H. ; Kal pechak or pdncha, Beng. ; Moh chirai, Assa- 

 mese ; Tang-kyi-per-chi-ok, Lepcha ; Paini (/ante vestam, Tel. 



Fig. 78. Head of N. scutulata, |. 



Coloration. Lores and feathers on anterior portion of forehead 

 white with black ends ; upper parts with the sides of the head 

 and neck chocolate-brown, varying in depth of tint, the head and 

 neck very often greyer brown; some large concealed white patches 

 or bars on the outer scapulars ; quills brown, with pale bands 

 that disappear near the ends of the primaries, but become white 

 bars on the inner webs of the secondaries and on both webs of the 

 tertiaries; the tail alternately barred with blackish and pale 

 greyish brown and tipped whitish or white, the alternating bars 

 subequal in breadth, and those of each colour about 5 (from 4 to 6) 

 in number ; ground-colour of lower parts white ; the chin, throat, 

 and upper breast with broad brown median stripes, which pass 

 into large heart-shaped spots on the abdomen and flanks, and these 

 sometimes assume the form of bars on the thigh-coverts ; lower 

 tail-coverts chiefly or wholly white ; axillaries barred white and 

 brown or buff and brown, or sometimes orange-buff throughout. 



Bill bluish black ; cere dull green ; irides bright yellow ; feet 

 dull yellow ; claws horny brown. 



Length about 12-5 ; tail 5*25 ; wing 8 ; tarsus 1 ; bill from 

 gape -9. 



There is much variation in size, Northern specimens as usual 

 being larger than Southern. In Himalayan and Burmese birds 

 the wings measure 8 to 8*75, in Ceylonese and Malaccan 7'5 to 8, 

 in the little Andaman variety only 6'6 to 7*6. 



As Hume has shown (S. F. iv, p. 285 ; ix, p. 42, &c.), N. lugu- 

 bris cannot be distinguished from N. scutulata. The former is 



