198 Lieut. R. E. Vaugliau and Staff-Surg. K. H. Jones 



When the nets slowly emerge, to the creaking of the 

 bamboo winch and the cry of the workers, the Osprey is not 

 at all averse to stealing a meal from their contents. It 

 may be seen sitting for hours on stakes in tidal waters 

 without attempting to swoop at any fish. 



Ketupa ceylonensis. 



Although this Owl was not met wnth by the writers^ it was 

 observed by Swinhoe and Kershaw. 



Bubo ignavus. 



The Great Eagle Owl was found to be widely distributed 

 both on the coast and up the river, but individuals are not 

 plentiful, nor are they very readily seen. The large amount 

 of game required by this Owl probably prevents it be- 

 coming very numerous. Early in Ma}^ an immature bird of 

 this species, in the forest at Howlik, permitted itself to be 

 scrutinized for twenty-five minutes at a range of about ten 

 feet, whilst a gun was brought to shoot it with. An adult 

 at Hong Kong allowed almost as long an inspection, but at 

 considerably greater distance. 



These instances of apparent stupidity may be due to the 

 well-known fearlessness of this Owl. It appeared to breed 

 sparingly in the forest of Howlik, but the nest was not 

 discovered — only the fully-fledged young bird mentioned 

 above. Kershaw thought it bred on the boulder-strewn hills 

 near Macao, but he has taken no eggs. 



Scops stictonotus. 



This Scops Owl occurs on the coast especially during the 

 autumn migration, but it is not common. 



Scops glabripes. 



Scops elegans Cass. ; Sharpe, Cat. B. M. ii. p. 87. 



This fine Scops is undoubtedly the most common Owl 

 found at Hong Kong and in the adjacent mainland ; it was 

 not met with elsewhere. 



The call is a gentle " Hool " repeated at intervals. The 

 food, from the contents of the stomach and from the pellets 

 found under trees in which it had nested, appears to consist 

 of Coleoptera and of small mammals such as mice and shrews. 



