222 



THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR. 



Part VIII. 



By E. C. Stuart Baker, f.z.s., m.b.g.u. 



(Continued from Vol. X.,page 567), 



Order— STRIGES. 

 Family Strigidce. 



(483) Strix flammea. — The Barn Owl. 

 Hume Cat., No. 60, 60 Bis. Blanford, No. 1152. 



A fairly common bird where there are suitable buildings in which it 

 can breed. They commence laying in October, though I have taken 

 eggs as late as January. 



The depth of colouring of the under parts varies considerably, as do the 

 spots in number. 



One bird in my collection has the breast and abdomen a very dark 

 tawny, seeming in this respect to approach in description the Andaman 

 bird named S. deroepstorffi by Hume. 



(484) Strix Candida. — The Grass Owl. 

 Hume, No. 61. Blanford, No. 1153. 



Common in the extensive grass plains of Cachar. I once flushed an 

 owl from long grass in the north-west of the Cachar Hills, which I 

 think was of this species, and another was caught on its nest one dark 

 night as I was returning from shooting. One of my gun-bearers put 

 his foot on it and grasped it with his hand before it could get away. 

 The nest was a rough mat of grass placed by a rock which slightly 

 overhung it and situated half way up a steep, lofty cliff down the 

 sides of which we had to climb to get to our camp. These are the 

 only two occasions on which I have seen S. Candida in the hills. 

 S. flammea I have never seen out of the plains. 



Family Asionidce. 

 Sub-Family Photodilince. 



(485) Photodilus badius. — The Bay Owl. 

 Hume, No. 62. Blanford, No. 1154. 



Hardly ever met with, but not probably as rare as it seems. In 

 1888 I was fortunate enough to obtain a nest and eggs of this bird. 

 Not far from where I lived in Gungong there is a nullah with steep 

 banks of considerable height which are densely clothed with the small, 



