140 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



9; wing, 6; tail, 2^; irides, yellow (in those I liave seen fresh). 

 This is from the forests of the Malabar Coast and Lower Bengal, 

 extending into Ceylon, Arrakan, Tenasserim, and Malayana. 



Kaup in his late Synopsis only gives lempigi, but says that the 

 Indian species are so intimately connected that it is very difficult 

 to make out their differences. 



If it be conceded that the above are only phases of plumage and 

 size of the same bird, it may be said to have a tolerably wide 

 distribution, being found throughout the whole of India, Ceylon, 

 Burmah, and Malayana, and China also. The largest specimens 

 are from the Himalayas ; and in Malabar, and more particularly 

 in Malayana, they are always more or less rufous, and smaller. 



This Owl is chiefly found in the forests, avoiding cultivated districts 

 in general, and is quite nocturnal, feeding chiefly on insects. 



I know of nothing particular in the habits of this Owl. I 

 have often heard the Malabar one hooting. Layard calls their cry 

 monotonous and melancholy, and says that he found their eggs, two 

 to four in number, in hollow trees, in February, in Ceylon. He also 

 says that they hunt about blossoming trees for Coleoptera, which 

 they catch by darting at them, passing and re-passing, or resting on 

 the leaves and flowers. 



Among other recorded species of Scops from Asia are S. rufes- 

 cens, Horsf., a fine, large species from Malayana; and there are others 

 recorded from Japan, Celebes, and the Philippines. Africa and 

 America also possess peculiar species. 



Gray has a Scops gymnopodus, from India, placed by Kaup in his 

 sub-genus Acnends. It has, says that author, the tarsi over the 

 toes naked, and the toes completely naked — resembles Scops 

 zoi'ca, but has shorter tarsi and wings. 



Sub-fam. SuRNiiN-ffi, Kaup. 



Ear orifice small, oval, no operculum; disk incomplete or nearly 

 obsolete; no ear tufts. The Owls of this family are sometimes called 

 diurnal or twilight Owls, some of them hunting by day, and very 

 commonly in the twilight, and seemingly but little inconvenienced 

 even by the glare of sunlight. The head is unusually small for the 

 birds of this group ; their eyes are moderately small, with yellow 



