SYRNIINyE. 61 



Above, pale yellow-buff, beautifully mottled with light grey, 

 each feather tipped with a white spot, edged darker ; quills and 

 tail darker and somewhat fulvous, with distinct mottled bands 

 and specks between them ; disc white, with a patch of rufous at 

 the inner corner of the eye ; ruff yellow and brown ; all beneath, 

 including the under wing-coverts, white in some, pale yellowish- 

 buff in others ; the feathers of the breast and abdomen with small 

 black specks and spots. 



The tarsus is feathered to the feet, but the feathers become very 

 sparse and bristly towards the latter, and are little more than 

 bristles at the foot ; the toes are fleshy or dirty white, or light- 

 brown with a pinkish tinge, thinly covered on the whole upper 

 surface with whitish bristles ; the claws horny -brown, tinged only 

 with brown on the ridges ; bill slightly yellowish-white, faintly 

 tinged with pinkish towards the cere, which is fleshy ; irides brown, 

 sometimes almost black. 



The Indian Screech Owl occurs throughout the region, but is 

 nowhere common, except perhaps in the Deccan. 



It is a permanent resident, and breeds from February to June, in 

 holes of trees, rocks, and similar situations ; the eggs, three or four 

 in number are less spherical than those of Owls usually are, 

 measuring 175 inches in length by 1'3 in breadth ; they are white 

 with a creamy tinge. 



SUB -FAMILY, Syrniinae. 



Head not so large as in the last family and the disc incomplete 

 above ; no ear-tufts ; wings moderate, somewhat rounded ; the 

 first four or five quills emarginate ; tarsus short, stout, well 

 feathered ; mid- toe longer than the inner one ; claw dilated 

 internally, as are the toes also partially ; tail slightly lengthened, 

 and rounded or graduated. 



Strix Candida, Tick. 



61. Jerdon's Birds of India, Vol. I, p. 118; Hume's Scrap 

 Book, p. 345. 



THE GRASS OWL. 



Length, 14 ; wing, 14 ; tail, 4'5 ; tarsus, 3'5. 



Bill horny ; irides very dark brown ; legs livid, above tawny yellow ; 

 the feathers brown, yellowish at base and with a terminal white 

 spot ; the quills fulvous-yellow, with distinct brown bars ; tail 

 pale yellow, with four dark brown bars, the terminal one mottled 

 at the ending ; disc fulvous-white, with a dark brown spot at the 

 inner angle of the eye ; ruff dark fulvous ; beneath yellowish- 

 white, with small brown specks ; tarsus and toes with a few 

 scattered bristles, scarcely plumed at the knee ; the wings reach 

 three inches beyond the tail ; the claws are blunter and less 

 curved than in the last. 



Dr. Jerdon procured the Grass Owl in Central India, as did 



