SUKNIIN^. 145 



Another very closely allied species is A. castanoptera, Horsf., 

 of Malayana; and A. castanotus, Blvtli, found in Ceylon, appears 

 to be the same bird. 



79. Athene cuculoides, Vigors. 



Noctua, apud ViGOiis, P. Z. S. 1830— Blyth, Cat. 156— 

 Horsf., Cat. 76 — N. auribarbis, Hodgson, J. A. S. VI. 



The LaPwGE barrkd-Owlet. 



Descr. — Dusky brown, rufescent on the back and wings, closely 

 barred with whitish or fid^-ous ; some white on the scapulars and 

 greater wing coverts ; chin, and lower part of disk white, and a 

 white breast spot, extending down the middle of the belly to the 

 lower tail coverts ; lower abdomen rufescent. 



Length 9^ to 10^ inches ; wing 5f to 6;^ ; tail 3i to 4 ; tars 1^ ; 

 mid-toe and claw li. 



The wings do not reach to end of tail by 1^ inch or so. 



This Owl is found throughout the lower Himalayas, extending 



into Assam, Arracan and Tenasserim, and also as far as China. It 



feeds on rats, mice, beetles, &c. I have only procured it myself at 



Darjeeling, where it is not very common. Adams says that it is 



common in the Lower Himalayan ranges in the northern Punjab. 



He killed one eating a rat, and its crop contained a mouse and 



some beetles. 



Gen. Glaucidium, Boie. 



Syn. Athene, pars, auct. 



Char. — Nostrils in the middle of a swollen cere, prolonged, and 

 tubular; wing short, 1st quill shorter than the first four, emar- 

 ginate ; 4th and 5th quills about equal ; tarsus and toes well 

 developed ; plumage distinctly banded. 



This is separated generically from Athene by Kaup, and its voice 

 differs considerably from that of the last-named birds. It has 

 also shorter wings, a comparatively longer tail, and a peculiar 

 coloration. Kaup, too, asserts that the skull differs somewhat 

 in form from that of Athene. 



The only Indian member of this genus is separated under the 

 name of Tcenioptynx, from its plumage being more banded than 



T 



