60 STRIGINJ:. 



faintly tinged grey ; posterior portion of lores, a narrow super- 

 cilium, a small patch of coverts just at the origin of the primaries, 

 nearly hidden by the winglet, (which is grey and not black, as 

 Dr. Jerdon gives it), and the whole of the lesser-coverts, and the 

 median, secondary, and tertiary coverts black ; the wing patch 

 more or less glossy, with the browner bases of the feathers 

 showing through, and usually with more or less of a greyish bloom 

 most conspicuous over the forearm ; the rest of the upper 

 plumage grey, (of very different shades in different individuals, but 

 always darkest on the primaries, scapulars and interscapulary region) 

 which varies from a full slate-grey to a pale almost pearl -grey. 



The Black-winged Kite is more or less common throughout the 

 whole district ; it is a permanent resident, but I have been 

 unable to ascertain anything in regard to its breeding, and the 

 published accounts are at present misleading. 



FAMILY, Strigidse. 



Head large, densely feathered; eyes surrounded with a radiating 

 circle of feathers, forming the facial disc, which is bounded in some 

 by a ruff of close set feathers ; eyes large, directed forwards ; bill 

 short, usually covered by recumbent setae ; ears large ; feet usually 

 feathered to the toes ; outer-toe reversible, generally shorter than 

 the inner one. 



SUB-FAMILY, Striginae. 



Head very large, disc complete, occupying the whole face ; ear- 

 conch very large ; ears operculated ; wings long ; tail short ; tarsus 

 long, more or less plumed ; toes reticulated, with one or two scutse 

 at the root of the claws. 



GENUS, Strix, Linnceus. 



Bill rather long, straightish at base, curved at the tip, somewhat 

 shallow and feeble, with large nasal fossae, and long lunated 

 nostrils ; operculum somewhat tetragonal ; wings reaching beyond 

 the tail, which is short, and nearly even, or slightly rounded ; 

 second quill longest, first nearly equal to it, third only a little 

 shorter ; tarsi long and slender, rather scantily feathered ; toes 

 moderate, scutellate above, slender ; nails sub-equal, large, well 

 curved, middle one pectinated ; outer-toe shorter than the inner, 

 united to the middle one by a membrane, and reversible. 



Strix javanica, Gm. 



60. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 117; Butler, Guzerat; 

 Stray Feathers, Vol III, p. 449 ; Deccan, Stray Feathers, Vol. 

 IX, p. 375 ; Murray's Vertebrate Zoology of Sind, p. 101 ; 

 Strix indica, Blyth ; Hume's Scrap Book, p. 342. 



THE INDIAN SCREECH OWL. 



Length, 13 to 15 ; expanse, 37 to 43 ; wing, 11 to 12 ; tail, 575 

 to 6'2 ; tarsus, 2'5 to 2'8 ; bill from gape, T5 to 175. 



