196 A BIRD CALENDAR 



the same size as the fish-owl, and, like the 

 latter, has aigrettes and orange-yellow orbs, 

 but its legs are feathered to the toes. This 

 owl feeds on snakes, rats, mice, birds, lizards, 

 crabs, and even large insects. " A loud 

 dissyllabic hoot " is perhaps as good a de- 

 scription of its call as can be given in words. 

 This species breeds from December to April. 

 March is the month in which the eggs are 

 most likely to be found. The nesting site is 

 usually a ledge on some cliff overhanging 

 water. A "hollow is scooped out in the ledge, 

 and, on the bare earth, four white eggs are 

 laid. 



The dusky horned-owl (Bubo coromandus) 

 may be distinguished from the rock-horned 

 species by the paler, greyer plumage, and by 

 the fact that its eyes are deep yellow, rather 

 than orange. Its cry has been described as 

 wo, wo, wo, wo-o-o. The writer would rather 

 represent it as ur-r-r, ur-r-r, ur-r-r-r-r a low 

 grunting sound not unlike the call of the red 

 turtle-dove. This owl is very partial to crows. 

 Mr. Cripps once found fifteen heads of young 

 crows in a nest belonging to one of these birds. 

 December and January are the months in 

 which to look for the nest, which is a platform 



