286 BIRDS OF BRITISH GUIANA. 



Range in British Guiana. Takutu Mountains (McConnell 

 collection^ ; Pirara (Schomburgk) ; Annai {^^'Jlitel>/). 



E.vtralimital Range. Venezuela. 



Schomburgk states (Reis. Guian. iii. p. 733) that he obtained 

 an example of this large Owl in the vicinity of Pirara. It roosts 

 durincr the day among the dense foliage of large trees growing 

 in the oasis. Towards dusk it starts hunting. Even some of the 

 larger mammals, such as Agutis and Labas, are among its prey. 

 The strength of its talons is very great. He did not know 

 anything about its nesting-habits. The " Macusis " call it Pusika 

 and the "Warraus" Wokoboko. 



Genus PQLSATRIX Kaup. 

 Pulsatrix Kaup, Isis, 1848, p. 771. Type P. torquata (Daud.). 

 This genus is distinguished by the feathered toes. 



181. Pulsatrix perspicillata. 

 Spectacled Owl. 



Strix 2')Ci'spiciUata Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 58, 1790 (Cayenne). 

 Athene torquata Cab. in Schomb. Reis. Guian. iii. p. 732, 1848. 

 Si/rninm perspicillatufii Sharpe, Cat. B. Brit. Mus. ii. p. 277, 1875. 

 Pulsatrix torquata Salvin, Ibis, 1886, p. 71 (Bartica Grove) ; Quelch, 



Timehri (2) v. p. 103, 1891 (Georgetown). 

 Pulsatrix perspicillata Brabourne & Chubb, B. S. Amer. i. p. 75, 



no. 688, 1912. 



Adult male. General colour of the upper parts sooty-black, 

 somewhat paler on the quills, which are banded with paler brown 

 and barred on the inner webs with white towards the base ; tail- 

 feathers also banded with paler brown, notched with white on the 

 inner webs and edged with white at the tips ; crown of head, 

 nape, sides of face, and throat black : frontal bristles, u line over 

 the eye encircling the cheeks, and a large patch on the fore-neck 

 white ; breast sooty-black ; under wing-coverts, edge of wing, 

 and remainder of the under surface sandy-bufF. 



Total length 443 mm., culmen 38, wing 323, tail 181, tarsus 57, 

 middle toe and claw 47. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male, but somewhat larger 

 in size. Wing 345 mm. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



Nest. Is said to build in hollow trees (Schomburgk). 



Eggs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



