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Ordee ACCIPITRES.] 



[Fam. STEIGID^ 



SCELOGLAUX ALBIFACIES. 



(LAUGHING-OWL.) 



Athene albifacies^ Gray, Voy. Ereb. & Terror, p. 2 (1844). 

 Sceloglaux albifacies^ Kaup, Isis, 1848, p. 768. 

 leraglaux alhifacies^ Kaup, Tr. Zool. Soc. iv. p. 219 (1852). 

 Athene ejidans^ Potts, Trans. New-Zeal. Inst. vol. iii. p. 63 (1870). 



Native names. 



Whekau, Ruru-whekau, and Kakaha; "Laughing- Jackass" of the colonists 



Ad. suprk laete fulvescens, plumis omnibus medialiter late nigro striatis : uropygio Isetius fulvo : scapularibus 



et dorso postico brunnescentioribuSj late albido marmoratis : tectricibus alarum magis ferrugineo tinctis^ 

 fulvo marmoratis : remigibus brunneis, extus ferrugineo lavatis et fulvo maculatis : caud4 brunne^^ 

 fasciis fulvis conspicue transnotata : fronte^ superciliis, gula cum coUo laterali griseo-albidis^ angust^ 

 nigro striatis : regione oculari et auriculari brunnescentibus : corpora reliquo subtus Isete aurantiaco- 

 fulvO; plumis medialiter brunneo striatis : tarso plumulis albidis induto : rostro nigro^ versus apieem 

 corneo : pedibus corneo-brunneis, setis fulvescentibus ornatis^ unguibus nigricautibus : iride rufescenti- 

 brunnea. 



Adult. Forehead^ throaty ear-coverts^ and sides of the head greyish white^ -with black shafts and hair-like 

 filaments; sides of the neck -white^ each feather having a narrow central streak of black; upper parts 

 dark hrown, the feathers of the crown and nape broadly margined with yellowish brown towards the tip ; 

 those of the lower part of the back streaked^ spotted^ and barred with fulvous and white; loAver part of 

 the fore neck and the whole of the breast dark brown, each feather narroAvly margined with bright fulvous 

 or yelloMish brown; on the abdomen, sides of the body, and under tail-coverts the latter colour predo- 

 minates^ the centre of each feather being dark brown ; the soft ventral feathers and the short plumage 

 covering the thighs and tarsi light fulvous, without any dark markings; primaries dark brown, marked 

 on the outer web with equidistant angular spots of white, and on the inner web with obsolete bands ; 

 secondaries dark brown, with broad transverse bands of white, and clouded in the centre ; scapulars 

 dark brown, handsomely variegated with ocellated spots of white. The feathers forming the mantle are 

 all differently marked, some having two broad approximate lateral bars of white, others a double series 

 of spots on each web, while others again have a narrow lateral bar of white on one side of the shaft, and 

 broad angular spots on the other; a few of them are transversely barred and margined with a narrow 

 terminal crescent ; upper wing-coverts dark brown, with numerous oval spots of fulvous white more or 

 less distinct; tail-feathers dark brown, with five equidistant transverse bands and a terminal margin of 

 fulvous white. Irides dark reddish brown ; toes fleshy brown, and covered with coarse yellow hairs 

 bill black, horn-colour towards the tip ; claAVs black. Extreme length 19 inches ; wing, from flexure, 11 

 tail 6-5; bill, along the curvature to anterior edge of cere, 3-75; cere -25; middle toe and claw 1-6 

 hind toe and claw *75. 



