BIRDS OF TENASSERIM. 33 



lining white, irregularly barred or spotted with blackish 

 brown. 



In some specimens the grey frontal band is almost obsolete ; 

 the middle of the forehead, crown, occiput, nape, sides of the 

 neck, and almost the whole of the aigrettes, are unbarred 

 blackish brown. 



I presume this difference is due to age ; it is certainly not 

 sexual ; it may be individual. 



72.— Ketupa ceylonensis, Gm. (5). 



(Tonghoo, Earns-) Thatone ; Amherst ; Pakchan. 



Sparingly distributed throughout the province, but not 

 ascending the hills to any great elevation. 



[Extends, at any rate, as far south as Malewoon, and I have 

 seen it as far north as Pahpoon, but is by no means common as 

 a rule. At Amherst it was not very uncommon, and occurred 

 in about equal numbers with Ketupa javanensis. During the 

 day they generally took shelter in some dense clump of bam- 

 boos or bushy tree, making their appearance soon after sunset. 

 — W. D.] 



We have not yet obtained this in the Malay Peninsular, but, 

 as it is, the range of this species from Hong-Kong via the 

 Pakchan estuary to Palestine is a wide one. 



73 bis. — Ketupa javanensis, Less. (8) Descr. S. F,, 

 IV., p. 301. 



Amherst ; Tenaaseiim Town ; Pukchan ; Bankasoon ; Malewoon. 



Generally distributed throughout the province, but rare in 

 the northern half. 



[Captain Bingham obtained this in the Sinzaway reserve, 

 but I myself never met with the species in the northern half 

 of Tenasserim. 



I first saw and shot it at Amherst, further south it was more 

 common, aud further south still as at Malacca it seemed to be 

 very common Both when seated and when on the wing, this 

 Owl utters at intervals of about half a minute a soft low 

 whistling note, that might be syllabized to-wee, to-wee. 

 The note is so soft, and withal so musical, that it seems 

 strange it should proceed from such a comparatively large 

 bird, and that too an Owl, but that it does utter this note, there 

 is no doubt, as I have shot the bird in the act of uttering it. 

 Besides this note, it has also a low querulous one, which is, 

 however, much less often heard. 



On several occasions I have flushed this Owl from a thick 

 bamboo clump or bushy tree growing on the banks of some 

 large stream. It appears to possess all its faculties, and to 



5 



