THE BIRDS OF NORTH CACHAR, 233 



(500) Minox scutulata. — The Brown Hawk Owl. 

 Hume j No. 81, 81 bis, 81 ter,, 81 quat.; Blanford, No. 1187. 



A common enough bird in many portions of the plains, but very 

 locally distributed in the more mountainous parts of the district. The 

 variation in size in this bird is very remarkable, and no species of owl, 

 with which I am acquainted, shews such variations in the measure- 

 ments of birds collected in one locality, as does this. I have but a small 

 series yet ; their wing measurements include the extremes of 7' 13" 

 and 8*65". 



Several people have mentioned to me the hawk-like character of 

 this owl's flight. They hunt about for insects and small animals of 

 sorts in many of the tea garden clearings and their actions can then 

 be easily watched ; moreover, in such places they appear to be much 

 more fearless than they are in more wooded parts. In North Cachar 

 they haunt stretches of grass mixed with bamboos and small clumps 

 of trees, and in such places I have found them difficult to approach 

 and hard to observe. 



{To he continued.^ 



