18/2.] MR. E. W. H. HOLDSWORTH ON CEYLONESE BIRDS. 417 



what was supposed to be that species ; but he says in his description, 

 the brown bars of the under parts " in some tending to coalesce and 

 form a pectoral band." In his figure of H. pectoralis in the ' Ma- 

 dras Journal ' great prominence is given to this band ; but in the 

 Ceylon bird it is not very distinct ; and, as Mr. Gurney has pointed 

 out to me, this difference appears to be owing to the light intervals 

 between the dark transverse bars on the pectoral feathers being not 

 so light in the plate as in the Ceylon bird*. The following are the 

 comparative measurements of the three species : — 



H. nipalensis, from Nepal (B.M.) 



H. pectoralis, from Ceylon 22 



H. orientalis, from Java (B.M.) 



H. pectoralis is not uncommon on the lower Ceylon hills, and 

 has probably been mistaken, without much critical examination, for 

 the common Ketupa ceylonensis. 



Bill yellow ; hides brown ; feet dull yellow. 



Ceylon, S. India. 



29. Ketupa ceylonensis, Gmel. 



Generally distributed over Ceylon, but perhaps more common in 

 the low country than on the hills. I have frequently met with them 

 near Aripo. Large trees overhanging a tank are a favourite resort 

 of these birds, and I have often found them in the early morning 

 perched day after day on the same branch. They are frequently 

 captured and kept alive by the natives. 



Bill dusky yellow; hides yellow; feet dirty yellow. 



Ceylon, India, Burmah, China; Palestine (Tristram'). 



30. Ephialtes bakkamuna, Forster. 



Some difficulty exists in determining how many species of small 

 Tufted Owl are found in Ceylon, partly on account of the con- 

 fusion there has been among the species or races found in India, 

 and variously named by different naturalists, and partly because 

 there is some doubt about the correctness of Dr. Kelaart's identifi- 

 cation of the species he records. There is, I think, no question, 

 however, that the very common and widely distributed species is 

 that given by Jerdon as Ephialtes lempigi, Horsf., but described 

 from Ceylon in 1781 by Forster as Strix bakkamuna, an unfortu- 

 nate name, as it is evidently meant for " bakha muna" — lit. "Fish- 

 Owl," and the Singhalese name for Ketupa ceylonensis. Forster's 

 plate, however, shows that his bird was the common Ephialtes. 



E. bakkamuna is very common in most parts of the low country, 

 and is also found about Kandy and on the lower hills. It was a 



* Since the above was written Mr. Bligh has sent home a specimen of this 

 Owl for the Norwich Museum. It is generally rather darker, and probablv 

 more mature than the one in my possession ; and the pectoral band is very di- 

 stinct, leaving no doubt of the validity of Jerdon's species. 



Proc. Zool. Soc— 1872, No. XXVII. 



