OF THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS. 491 



39 quat.— Spilornis Davisoni, Hume. 



Other specimens received during the summer from Captain 

 Wimberley, together with numerous specimens of Rutherfordi 

 obtained by Davison in Tenasserim, leave no possible doubts 

 as to the distinctness of the present species. 



Rutherfordi may also occur at the Andamans, but Davisoni 

 is a perfectly distinct bird, which the tarsi and feet alone suffice 

 (vide ante, p. 148) to separate. 



74 quat.— Ephialtes Balli, Hume. 



Several specimens, since obtained, adults, half grown, and 

 young, show that the bird described at page 151 of this present 

 volume is really the nestling of the present species, of which 

 the type, still in the Indian Museum, was described, Stray 

 Feathers, Vol. I., p. 407. This is, I think, the handsomest as 

 well as the gamest looking of all our Indian Scops Owls, of 

 which we must now, I think, admit the following eleven 

 species : — ■ 



74. Ephialtes pennatus, Hodgs. 



74 bis „ sunia, „ 



74 ter „ spilocephalus, Blytli. 



74 quat „ Balli, Hume. 



74 quint „ modestus, Walden. 



74 sea; „ Brucei, Hume. 



75 „ lettia, Hodgs. 

 75 bis „ plumipes, Hume. 

 75 ter „ bakhamuna, Forst. 

 75 quat „ malabaricus, Jerd. 

 75 quint „ lempigi, Horsf. 



Of all these, except modestus, I have now several specimens (I 

 have recently again received Brucei, a very marked species, 

 from Mahabuleshwur) , and of most of them large series. 



As regards the first two on the list, recent instances in which 

 grey birds with only a little rufous about them have been 

 obtained, together with perfectly similar young, and Hutton's 

 experience of always finding bright rufous young along with 

 rufous old birds, make me now believe that they must be 

 retained as distinct. Certainly pennatus often has more or less 

 rufous about it, but the bright entirely rufous sunia appears to 

 be so from the nest and at all ages. 



As for plumipes, the only specimen of semitorques that 

 I have been able to examine does not agree with it. 



