402 MR. A. D. BARTLETT ON THE BIRTH OF A SEAL. [Juiie 11, 



77. Athene radiata, Tickell. The Jungle Owlet. 



This species is as common as the preceding in the Maunbhoom 

 district, where it breeds {cf. V. Z. S. 1864, p. 375), but is found 

 further from the abodes of man. It is the bird whose peculiar call 

 may be heard at all hours of the night, and often in the day. This 

 call, when once heard, is not easily forgotten. It is heard on all 

 sides, morning and evening. It may be syllabized thus, Kroo-kroo- 

 kroo-krookook krookuk, krookuk krookuk. It is very loud at first, 

 each succeeding note being in a lower key than the one before ; hence 

 the native name " Kroopecha." It lays two or three white eggs in 

 the hollow of a tree, Hke the preceding, but sUghtly larger and 

 more rounded. 



79. Athene ctjculoides, Vigors. The Large-barred Owlet. 

 The " Himalayan Owlet" would perhaps be a better name for this 



species, of which I was lucky enough to procure one specimen at 

 Simla in June 1866. Irides bright yellow, bill greenish horny, legs 

 dirty yellow, claws horny; tarsus \\, wing 5Jin. ; bill at front, in- 

 clucling cere, ^ ; cere large and swollen, of a dirty green colour. 

 Also procured by me at Darjeeliug in 1862. 



80. Glaucidium brodi^i. The Collard Pigmy Owlet. 



Found at Simla, as I have seen a specimen in Col. Tytler's Collec- 

 lion, which was shot by him there. 



81. NiNOX scuTELLATUs, Raffl. The Brown Ilawk-Owl. 



I have seen this species repeatedly in the Maunbhoom district, 

 but never could secure a specimen. Found one at Pathurkutta, in 

 February 1865, in dense tree-jungle, being persecuted by Carrion- 

 Crows {Corvvs cubninatus), but could not get a shot at it. Found 

 the nest of, probably, the same bird on the 6th March, 1865, near the 

 same place, in the fork of a moderate-sized tree, but without eggs. 

 I feel confident that I have frequently observed this species of Owl 

 when beating in the Sal forest of the terai near Julpigoorie, in 1859, 

 for large game. 



5. Notes upon the birth of a Ringed Seal in the Society's 

 Gardens. By A. D. Bartlett, Superintendent of the 

 Society's Gardens. 



On the 23rd of last month the Society obtained from a dealer in 

 Liverpool four fine adult Seals (Phoca foetida), said to have been 

 taken in Heligoland. I noticed that one of them was of large size, 

 and suspected that it was a female in young. I therefore had her 

 placed by herself in an enclosure with a small shallow pond of 

 water. Here she soon became perfectly tame, and fed freely from 

 the hand of the keeper. We continued to notice the increase of 

 bulk, and the movements of the young one were quite apparent. 



