( 55 ) 

 RED BEASTED PAROQUET. 



Has the head purplish grey, a black collar, a red patch on the 

 wings, and throat and breast pale red. In the males, bill red above 

 and black below, the females having an all black one. It seems to 

 prefer open tree jungle and is the commonest parrot round Rangoon. 



Burmese name Kala-ma. 

 No. i ^5. P. fasciatus.) 



The Indian Lorikeet or love birds are small green parrots about 

 five-and-a-halt inches in length, and are found in thick jungle along 

 low-lying hills. 



XXVII 



THE OWLS. 



Owls, with one or two exceptions, cannot be considered common 

 birds, the majority of them b.ung nocturnal, and the only evidence 

 of their presence b^ing their hooting or weird and ghastly cries. 



THE BARN OWL. 



Almost indentical with the European screech-owl, and is fairly 

 common. Being strictly nocturnal, only makes its presence known 

 by its hoarse screeching at night, in which it indulges in chiefly 

 during the breeding season, from November to about March, though 

 its cry may occasionally be heard at other times. It is very partial 

 to houses, nesting under the eaves whenever it gets a chance, 

 though owing to its noisy habits it is generally evicted. It aiso 

 nests in holes of trees, and in the Shan States in swamps and long 

 grass. 



Barn owls make interesting pets and afford much amusement by 

 their quaint ways; and should be especially protected in towns as 

 their chief diet is rats, of which during the breeding season they 

 must consume an enormous number. They require very little de- 

 scription, are of medium size, under parts white, with a few dark 

 spots, a large whitish ruff round the face and eyes, and upper 

 plumage a handsome mottled buff and grey. 



Burmese name Didot and Hnet-so. 

 (No. 1152, Strix javanica.) 



SPOTTED OWLET. 



" Zee-gwets '' are decidedly one of the most familiar and common 

 birds in the dry-zome, eveiy bungalow and compound being blessed 

 with its numerous noisy colony, who begin their squabbling and 

 chattering long before the sun has thought of going clown. They 

 are comical looking little brown birds, mottled with white. I 

 haye not seen or heard them in Rangoon, their place being taken 



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