478 STRIX 



Hal. Northern and N. Central Europe from Styria to Lap- 

 land, where it is only a rare straggler ; Siberia, east to Man- 

 churia, Corea, and Japan ; not found in Great Britain. 



In general habits it resembles S. stridula, and like that bird 

 frequents woods and groves, and feeds on small mammals, birds, 

 and occasionally on large insects. Like S. stridula it breeds in 

 hollow trees, or takes possession of a deserted nest, and in 

 March or April deposits 2 to 4 roundish pure white eggs which 

 measure about T91 by T65. 



681. HIMALAYAN WOOD-OWL. 



STRIX NIVICOLA. 



Sti-ix nhicola (Hodgs.), in Gray's Zool. Misc. p. 82, (1831-44,) Blyth, 

 J.A.S.B. xiv. pp. 185, 550 (1845) ; '(Sharpe), Cat. B. Br. Mus. ii. 

 p. 250 ; (Blanford), F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iii. p. 273 ; (Berezovski and 

 Bianchi), Plitz. Gan-su, p. 43. 



Kashi-op-tak-hum, Lepch. ; Uko, Bhot. 



( ad. (Nepal). Upper parts dark brown vermiculated and spotted 

 with fulvous, with large white markings on the hind-neck, [the scapulars 

 and larger middle wing-coverts ; quills brown barred and mottled with dull 

 white ; tail brown, with pale cross-bars ; under parts dull yellowish white 

 barred and striped except on the middle of the throat with dark brown ; 

 legs and toes irregularly barred ; facial disk greyish with white shafts ; 

 ruff brown marked with white or fulvous ; middle of the crown uniform 

 dark brown ; bill pale fleshy yellow ; claws and iris dark brown. Gape 

 1-35, wing 12, tail 7'0, tarsus 2'0 inch. Sexes alike. In this owl as in 

 Strix stridula there is a grey and a rufous form. 



Hob. The Himalayas from Murree to Sikhim, east to 

 Moupin in China, north to south-west Kan-su. 



Very little is known of the habits of this owl, and nothing 

 respecting its nidification. Its cry is said to be a double hoot. 



682. BIDDULPH'S WOOD-OWL. 

 STRIX BIDDULPHI 



Strix biddulphi (Scully), Ibis, 1881, p. 423, pi. xiv. ; (Blanf.) F. Brit. 

 Ind. Birds, iii. p. 274. 



g ad. Differs from S. nivicola in being larger and greyer, in having 

 the middle tail-feathers and the outer webs of the next pair mottled 

 throughout without cross-bars, the vermiculation of the upper parts finer, 

 and the markings of the plumage are intermediate between those of S.. 



