Novelties. — Athene pulchra. 469 



scapulars, on the lesser and median coverts, and tertiaries. All 

 the quills have four or five conspicuous white spots on the outer 

 webs, and corresponding imperfect bars (not quite reaching- to 

 the shafts) on the inner webs, which bars are pale brown towards 

 the tips, and higher up, pure white. The winglet which is al- 

 most blackish brown is similarly marked. The primary greater 

 coverts similar, the rest of the greater, and some of the median, 

 coverts, with very large conspicuous white spots near the tips 

 on the outer webs. The lesser coverts, and most of the median 

 unspotted ; rump and upper tail coverts, uniform brown, rather 

 darker than the interscapulary region, some of them exhibiting, 

 when lifted, a concealed white bar as in the scapulars. Tail hair 

 brown, tipped white, and with three conspicuous transverse 

 white bars, a fourth, a less perfect one, concealed by the upper tail 

 coverts. The breast feathers are mostly white, but are broadly 

 tipped with hair brown, which owing to the overlapping of the 

 feathers is what is chiefly seen. The sides of the breast of this 

 same color, but with traces of white bands well inside the tips, 

 and not noticeable till the feathers are lifted. Centre of abdo- 

 men, tibial, and tarsal plumes, toe feathers, and lower tail coverts 

 pure white ; sides of abdomen, sides, and flanks, broadly banded 

 with hair brown. 



Athene pnlclira, Sp. Nov. 



Closely allied to A. brama, hut much smaller, the color of the upper sur- 

 face usually a darher, and purer brown, and the white markings, smaller. 



I have had one specimen of this owl, sent me by Captain 

 Fielden, by me now for some time, but having only a single 

 specimen, I hesitated to characterize the Pegu owl as distinct. I 

 have now four good specimens before me, two of them sent by 

 Mr. Gates, and it appears to me certain that they must be 

 separated. I do not suppose that these birds weigh much more 

 than half what our Indian ones do. In length they vary fi'om 

 7'25 to 7"8 against 8 to 9'5 in brama, while the wings vary from 

 5'3 to 5*8 against 6 to 6"65 ; and an expanse of 19 to 19*5 

 against 21 to 22*5 in the Indian bird. No doubt the general 

 character of the plumage is the same as in hrama ; but the 

 spotting of the head is smaller and neater. The general color 

 of the upper surface is a darker and purer brown; the dark 

 throat band is more strongly marked. The tail exhibits five, or 

 six, narrow transverse bands, or traces of these, against four or 

 five, far broader, and more distinctly marked bauds in hrama. 



