414 CORACIIFORMES 



R Uakistoni of Japan, and B. dorriesi of East Siberia ; B. milesi is 

 found at Muscat, B. abyssinicus in Somali-Land, B. bengalensis 

 which eats reptiles and crabs in India, B. nipalensis and B. coro- 

 mandus which occasionally lays eggs spotted with lilac and brown 

 in the same country and Burma, B. orientalis in Malacca and the 

 Great Sunda Islands, B. pliilippensis in the Philippines. B. lacteus 

 covers all the Ethiopian Eegion, except the west, where B. slielleyi, 

 B. lettii, B. leucostictus and B. poensis occur, the last being also met 

 with in Fernando Po. B. ascalaphus inhabits North Africa and 

 Palestine, B. cinerascens North-East and B. maculosus South Africa, 

 B. capensis extending from the South to the East. All North 

 America is occupied by B. virginianus, barred instead of streaked 

 below ; the species or sub-species B. nigrescens and B. magellanicus 

 coming respectively from Ecuador and the districts from Peru 

 and Brazil to the extreme south. Some forms have more white 

 in the plumage than the British Eagle-Owl, or bare toes. All 

 seem destructive to game and often to poultry. B. ignavus and 

 R virginianus have been kept in confinement in England, and 

 the former has propagated freely. 



Scotopelia peli, of West Africa and the Zambesi Region, has 

 rufous upper parts with black bars, and fawn-coloured lower 

 surface with the bars less regular ; it feeds on reptiles and fish 

 as well as small animals. This fine large bird has two congeners, 

 S. ussheri of Fantee and S. bouvieri of the Gaboon. Ketupa 

 ceylonensis, a still bigger species, ranging from India and Ceylon 

 to Hong-Kong, is huffish-brown above, with the middle of the 

 feathers blackish, and fulvous below with dark streaks and closely 

 set brown bands, the throat being white. K. flavipes, of the Hima- 

 layas and China, and the smaller K. javanensis of the Malay 

 Peninsula, Siam, and the Great Sunda Islands, have no bands 

 below ; but all have fine head-tufts and naked legs. They frequent 

 coasts or wooded streams, where they can easily procure their 

 main diet of fish, crabs, and insects ; they remain under cover in 

 the day, and the last-named at least utters a soft, low whistle. 

 The two roundish eggs, which have the surface pitted like those 

 of the Eagle-Owl, are often laid on ledges or in recesses of rocks, 

 in hollow trees, or at the junction of the larger branches, but 

 more commonly a deserted nest is relined for the purpose. 



Of fossil forms referred to the Family, Necrobyas harpax and 

 N. rossignoli are described from the Eocene of France, together 



