THE BIRDS OF THE MADHVBANI SUB-DIVISION. 555 



(152) Syrnium ocellatum. — The Mottled Wood-Owl. 

 Blanjorcl, No. 1161. Hume, No. 65. 

 Round about Jainagar and Narhar I have seldom seen or heard this 

 species, but Scroope says it is common everywhere. I have never taken its 

 nest, though I thought I had got hold of one a few miles from Baghow- 

 nie. The owl flew out of a hole in a mango tree, towards the end of 

 April, but there were no ^gs. A few days later the bird was again 

 flushed from the same place, and there was more grass in the hole than 

 noticed the first day. It was again visited later on, but the hole had 

 been swamped with rain and was deserted. On the 12th April 1897 a 

 nestling was brought me which had been taken out of a hole in a 

 mango tree not far from Narhar. A favourite position it had was to lie fiat 

 on its stomach with its legs sticking straight out behind. The irides were 

 black and eyelids lake red. Several haunted the bamboos at Hatauri, but I am 

 unaware whether they still do so. 



Sub-family Bubonmcg. 



(153) Bubo bengalensis, — The Rock-horned Owl. 



Blanford, No. 1168, Hv^e, No. 69, 



A single specimen, a female, was shot by one of my collectors, in a mango 



grove near Jainagar and close to the Nepal frontier on the 30th July, 



I have never seen nor have any of my men ever come across this species 



before. 



(154) Scops Giu.^The Scops Owl. 

 Blanford, No. 1173. Hume, No. 74. . 

 A single specimen of what I take to be this species was secured on the 12th 



July lyoo. 



(155) Scops bakkam^na. — The Collared Scops OwL 

 Blanford, No. 1178. Hume, No. 75, 

 Scops owls are, I think, uncommon everywhere in the district. They certainly 

 breed here, though I have been unsuccessful in finding the nest. A party of 

 five newly-fledged young were seen on the 23rd May in a bamboo grove at 

 Narhar. Some boys chased them, and one bird went near a tree on which a 

 pair of H. Indus had a nest ; one of the kites swooped at the owl which crouched 

 in the grass, where it was caught. 



(156) Athene brama. — The Spotted Owlet. 

 Blanford, No. 1180. Hume, No. 76, 

 Exceedingly common. They breed in March, April and May in any kind of 

 hole. Even when molested they stick to their old nesting sites. I continu- 

 ally robbed a pair that infested my bungalow at Narhar, taking Bine eggs on 

 three different occasions from the one nest during ihe year ; even then they 

 would not leave the place. I had also robbed the nest twice the preceding year. 

 Eggs are found in all stages of incubation in the same nest. One nest contained 

 one young one, two highly incubated eggs and one fresh egg. Native name 

 Fenclia, 



